engagement sessions

Small Cheval Engagement Photos | Meredith & Mike

May 18, 2023

a couple drinking milkshakes at small cheval in chicago

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unique engagement photos inspo

Looking for a way to create unique engagement photos without them looking cheesy? Here’s how: Tailoring your engagement session to YOU. Not sure where to start? Let’s get into it.

The Key To Making Engagement Photos Stand Out

Struggling to find ways to make your engagement photos unique? The biggest piece of advice we give clients is to make them personal to you. Choose the location you had your first date. Go to your favorite beach. Do an activity you love to do together (yes, that can involve eating.) While we love a good skyline moment, you don’t HAVE to do what everyone else does.

For this couple, that meant Small Cheval.

If you’ve perused this blog before, you know Small Cheval is a spot we’re no stranger to for engagement photos. Au Cheval is also Arielle’s favorite burger and she’s been eating it since they opened in Chicago. One of her couples literally had it catered for their late night wedding snack. We are biased due to nostalgia, but it is number one in our eyes. So, when Meredith suggested they hit up the new West Loop location during their engagement session, Arielle was thrilled.

Scroll to see some of Arielle’s favorites from their session.

a couple drinking milkshakes at small cheval in chicago
engagement photos at small cheval in black and white

Before Small Cheval, we did some photos at Lurie Gardens! It was perfect. Meredith and Arielle have very similar taste and have bonded over their wedding themes, so when Meredith told Arielle her wedding theme was couture city garden, Arielle knew just where to take her for photos.

art institute of chicago engagement photos
black and white film engagement photos chicago
lurie garden engagement photos in chicago
back and white romantic engagement photos
black and white romantic engagement photos
Couple dancing on michigan avenue at the art institute of chicago for their engagement photos

Want to work together? I have limited availability for summer 2023 sessions, but am actively booking for fall sessions. I have a few late fall/winter wedding dates open, and have opened my wedding books for 2024. I will also be exclusively booking clients in Italy spring 2024. Click here for more info!!

All images © Arielle Gallione 2023.

  1. […] my busy season started on a high in Italy, Chicago kept it going with Mer and Mike for a Morgan’s on Fulton wedding. Their day was stacked with some of my favorite vendors to […]

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BEHIND THE LENS

hi, i'm ARIELLE.

You can usually find me home with my golden retriever or day dreaming of my next trip to Italy.

I am a firm believer in living life with purpose and never missing the opportunity to experience something new. The Meyers-Briggs test says I am an INFJ with ESFJ qualities (an introverted extrovert, IYKYK), and my friends say I am the person they come to when they need comfort, advice, or fresh baked goods. I consider myself an empath, so special moments you share with your loved ones will likely get me all teary eyed and sentimental. I am not here to pretend life is picture perfect, but to capture genuine emotion and create timeless pieces of art to decorate your home. I’m constantly striving for perfection, but have a calming personality and am relatively easy going. 

When the camera is not around my neck, I am a big home body. I love hanging on the couch with my dog, making pasta, breads and desserts from scratch, squatting 400+ pounds in the gym, or plotting my next trip outside of the US. As a direct descendant of Italian immigrants, I feel most at home in Italy (and speak a bit of Italian, too.)

upcoming

travel

Arielle has photographed over 175 weddings across 12 states, 5 countries, and 3 continents. While her heart beats for coastal and countryside Italian weddings, she is willing to travel anywhere and everywhere to document your day.

italy

mexico

  philippines

london

egypt

DECEMBER 2023

JANUARY 2024

APRIL & MAY 2024

JUNE 2024

SPRING 2025

© ARIELLE GALLIONE PHOTOGRAPHY 2023, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED