Kankakee Courthouse Engagement | Sam & Andy

Not every love story starts with a grand wedding day. Sometimes, it starts at a courthouse, with the person you love most, your favorite four-legged companion by your side, and the excitement of knowing that something even bigger is just around the corner. 🤍

For Sam and Andy, their Kankakee courthouse elopement was the perfect way to make things official before their destination wedding in Jamaica this November.

And because they are basically a dream to photograph, we turned their courthouse day into an opportunity to capture some beautiful engagement-style portraits, too!

A Kankakee Courthouse Elopement Before Jamaica

Sam and Andy needed to make things “official” before their upcoming wedding celebration in Jamaica, so their courthouse ceremony became a really special part of their wedding story.

Rather than simply checking the courthouse box and moving on, we made a little adventure out of it.

Before making things official, we spent time together capturing portraits around the courthouse and documenting this exciting season of their relationship. There was plenty of laughter, sweet moments between the two of them, and the kind of natural chemistry that makes my job incredibly easy.

These two are an absolute DREAM in front of the camera. They have such an effortless connection, and they made the entire photography portion of their session so much fun.

And Then There Was Joey 🐾

Of course, we couldn’t celebrate such an important milestone without the most important member of the family… Joey.

Sam and Andy made sure their pup—and their one true love—was included in their milestone, and honestly, Joey understood the assignment. He was the star of the show!

He brought so much personality to the photos, and while Sam and Andy may have been the ones making things official, Joey was clearly the real MVP.

Including their pup made these photos feel even more personal and meaningful. Years from now, they’ll be able to look back and remember not only the day they made things official, but also the little family they were building together.

Engagement Photos Before Their Destination Wedding

One of my favorite things about photographing couples like Sam and Andy is getting to document more than just one day.

Their courthouse elopement was only the beginning. In November, I’ll be joining them in Jamaica to photograph their destination wedding, and I am SO excited to see this story continue.

Their elopement gave us the chance to capture a different side of their wedding experience—something intimate, personal, and completely centered around the two of them (and Joey, of course). It also gave us some gorgeous engagement-style portraits before they head off to celebrate with their loved ones in Jamaica.

Next Stop: Jamaica 🌴

If their courthouse session is any indication, their Jamaica wedding is going to be something really special.

Sam and Andy are the kind of couple who make photographing love feel easy. They laugh together, they naturally gravitate toward each other, and they are completely themselves in front of the camera. That kind of connection is one of my favorite things to photograph as an Midwest wedding photographer.

I can’t wait to capture their next chapter in Jamaica this November. Sam and Andy, thank you for letting me document this little piece of your story. Congratulations on making it official, and I’ll see you in Jamaica!