Bethanie & Tyler | A Carlinville, Illinois Engagement Session

Their Love Story:

When Tyler pulled his boat up next to Bethanie's on Memorial Day weekend in 2024, he apparently knew exactly what he wanted. Within five minutes of meeting her, he was already talking about their future together, including getting married someday.

Bethanie, on the other hand, wasn't quite as convinced. She was happily single, enjoying her independence, and remembers thinking, "Who is this crazy man? I don't even know his last name!"

But Tyler wasn't giving up that easily. A few days later, he found her on social media and reached out. His persistence quickly turned into the kind of consistency Bethanie would come to love about him.

A year and a half later, she had moved an hour away to his small hometown, where they began building a quieter, simpler life together.

Their relationship has also carried them through some incredibly difficult moments. In November 2025, Bethanie's dad was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer. While she spent her time caring for her father, Tyler supported her in ways she'll never forget. Just three days before her dad passed away in July 2026, Tyler was able to ask him for his blessing to marry her.

Through the happiest moments and the hardest ones, they've continued to grow stronger together. Bethanie describes Tyler as her best friend, and now she's preparing to marry the same determined man who was talking about their wedding just five minutes after they met.

Their Carlinville Engagement Session

For their engagement photos, we started at the beautiful Carlinville courthouse. The historic architecture, grand stone steps, and Bethanie's white lace dress made for such a classic, romantic setting.

After spending some time downtown, we headed to Tyler's family property for the second half of their session. They changed into something a little more casual, and we took advantage of the beautiful evening light in the fields.

Of course, we couldn't leave out their dog, Milo! Including him made this part of their session even more personal, and I loved getting to capture a mix of sweet, romantic portraits and the more relaxed moments between them.

I'm so excited to photograph their wedding and see the next chapter of their story!