You can see the love between these two by the way they look at one another. It was such a beautiful thing to witness as I met up with Carrie and Kevin in the Southport Corridor in their hip and trendy Chicago Lakeview neighborhood. We visited a few colorful murals in their neighborhood and then headed to the Riverwalk to finish up the night. While our original plans to do sunset photos at Olive Park were squashed by a dense fog coming in off the lake, I absolutely love the dreamy, foggy photos that we got by the Riverwalk.

How They Met

Kevin and Carrie met through the music scene, but aren’t exactly sure when they met for the first time. Kevin knew Carrie’s brother long before he met her.

When Did You Know He was the One?

Carrie says, “The way he loved and cared for my beloved Wiley. He was my 14 year old Black Lab that just past a few days ago. I got Wiley when he was a tiny baby, and Kevin and Wiley had a relationship like they had known each other the entire 14 years. I also loved the way we would cook together, still one of my favorite things to do together. I also love how he likes to hike, and loves the outdoors.”

How Did He Propose?

On the rooftop at Cindy’s. It was December 29th, so it was very cold. There were huge fire pits out on the balcony that over look The Bean. We had an after dinner drink with my sister and brother-in-law, and when I turned around Kevin had the ring out, got on one knee and said, “Will you marry me?”

What are your favorite things to do together?

Hike, cook and go to concerts

I asked Carrie about that amazing ring . . .

“Back in the earlier years it was common practice for farm women to tend to the milking the cows and tending to the chickens. The money made from the sale of milk, cream & eggs was usually theirs to buy groceries, etc. In 1915 at the age of 19, my great great grandmother Ruth Bury began to take care of the chickens on their homestead in Stockland Township. Ruth had her own plan of what she would do with her money. Each week she would put away a portion of her egg money in a cigar box that she kept in her closet. By 1950 she had saved up enough money to purchase the diamond. Ruth’s daughter, my great grandma Helen Williamson wore the diamond for many years after her mother passed until Helen passed in 2003. I can vividly remember admiring the ring on her beautiful slender fingers. The ring then went to my grandmother Jeannie Williamson for safe keeping. I knew when I was to be engaged I would only want a family diamond on my finger. Kevin worked with my grandma and grandpa to have the ring custom made using the diamond. I absolutely love that my ring has such a special significance of strong women in my family dating back over 100 years.”

To see more Chicago engagement photography, check out Allie & Andy’s Lincoln Park & Olive Park engagement session.