Rachael Marie Photography

06/01/2026

If you’ve been curious how to be more inclusive now AND through your business ALL YEAR ROUND — this post is for you.

Because every couple deserves sunshine. ☀️ Aka, folks who support them fully. 🤍

Queerness isn’t always “obvious” or expressed with rainbows or “nontraditional cues.”

Just because folks look like a “bride” & “groom” does not mean they are straight.

And some LGBTQ+ folks HATE all things rainbow related but are still very much q***r.

All this to say — expression is both very important and very different all different kinds of folks.

It’s possible you as a vendor have in fact worked with q***r couples and just never known. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Wedding vendors who are inclusive — you NEED to be loud as f**k about it right now.

It’s been really disheartening to get DM’s from couples, saying they were really excited to find my page because the OG photographer they inquired with said they don’t support them.

That f**king sucks.

If you are an inclusive vendor—

MAKE
IT
OBVIOUS ‼️

IT MATTERS.

Vendors — my dm’s are open to chat & send over resources on how to learn about the LGBTQ+ community. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🤍

Couples & everyone else — Here at RMP, inclusivity matters. I will never discriminate against your gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, body type, or abilities. You are wonderful, beautiful, and loved here.

Happy happy happy HAPPY PRIDE 🤍🤍🤍🤍

05/30/2026

Emma & Logan BOTH wear engagement rings 💍 because they want to 🖤

Emma came to me wanting artsy moody engagement photos. She was open to going up to Chicago for locations. But when she told me they were in the Champaign-Urbana area, I already knew the perfect spot.

Being a central Illinois engagement & wedding photographer AND being obsessed with maps and curating vibes & vignettes — I am reallyyyy good at location scouting.

Sometimes couples want to plan their engagement session around a meaningful location.

And other times engaged couples have a vibe in mind and want help to bring it to life, whether it’s an upscale bar, field to frolick in, trees to dance under, a vintage library or a charming independent bookstore, or places that may feel like Chicago or DC or somewhere far away.

When I saw that was opening I knew I would have to check it out. When Emma came to me wanting moody architecture, I knew just the place.

We had such a fun time together!! Her and Logan are super chill— high school sweethearts who love spending weekends in Chicago and trying new restaurants. Logan always insists on visiting the aquarium while they’re there and Emma likes to visit as many thrift stores as possible.

Logan said Emma is the April to his Andy— she’s strong & intelligent, while he is goofy and outgoing. Emma said he brings her out of her shell.

(Can confirm this is true!! They seriously seemed like the perfect match)

Emma left me this google review that made me 😭 “I would 100% recommend Rachael to anyone. As someone who doesn’t love having their photo taken, she made the session feel fun and relaxed. It really made a difference that she takes the time to get to know you a little before the session so it felt like hanging out with a friend. She looked at my inspiration photos and captured the vibe I wanted perfectly.” 😭

If you’re nervous about how you’ll feel in front of the camera— I’ve got you friend. I can talk to a brick wall. Not that you’re a brick wall— you’re actually really cool & photogenic, you just don’t know it yet!!!

05/29/2026

Fallon & Jordan had been in each other’s outer orbit for years before finally meeting and becoming inseparable.

They lived in rival towns growing up— her mom went to school with his dad! They were always friendly with the whole family but never spoke to each other. Fallon’s mom told her to go check him out, but Jordan never gave him the time of day.

Thanks to Fallon’s sister—who told Jordan to make a movie—they finally went on their first date. And now they go to ren faires together.

Turns out— their families have friendship that go back three generations!! Our great grandmothers were best friends, and Fallon’s dad and Jordan’s aunt were close friends as well. This truly is an invisible string kind of moment.

Sunset was perfect that evening— which really helped give off Pride & Prejudice vibes. We had a great time chatting and laughing and learned we have a lot of musical taste overlap (calming, sad folk music hahaha).

F&J are actually getting married in Italy!! But wanted engagement photos in the States.

Fallon mentioned she wanted this photos for more than just for save the dates—

“I want to look back on these photos in 50 years and feel the genuine joy and love between the two of us. I want kids or grandkids to look at the photos and say wow look at how much they loved each other even back then! Just two kids in their prime age loving each other.”

And y’allllllll. I think we did just that. 🥹 thank you both for hanging out & trusting me to photograph you in this stage of life. 🤍

05/26/2026

Plz plz comment your fave COLORFUL supportive sneaker recs cuz damn 💀💀 I must head to the store this week 😭

peep Maggie bouncing in the background 🤣

05/25/2026

From Dour to Orr 🤍 the perfect “backyard wedding” wedding

Backyard wedding in quotes because Olivia’s parents built the ceremony space & white barn on their property for her & Ryan’s day. It’s called The Hilltop Barn. 🤍

How beautiful this job is — to witness love between two people AND witness the love shared between 100+ people. Whether it’s literally building the venue, fixing the dress, grabbing water, giving them a moment alone, wow.

Then to witness intimate promises to each other, declaring love for everyone to hear. To be there in the silly & the hard times. To remember the dancing when it gets rough.

To laugh and cry and party and dance and celebrate. How beautiful.

Also like, to have your old middle school teacher be your bartender? Incredible. He probably didn’t know back then that y’all would start dating in high school and then get married years later, right? No way he could have known that. How special.

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Orr. Thank you so much for trusting me to document your love. 🤍

Venue: The Hilltop Barn in Virginia, IL
Gown: &
Hair & make up:
Tux:
Florals:
Chairs: American Rentals
Catering: Milanos Catering in Hillsboro
Cake:
DJ: Chris at
String Quartet: The String Poets
Video: .photography

05/22/2026

As a photographer, there’s something extra special about reception photos.

The people I photograph after dinner are both… very different people that I photographed in the morning, but also definitely the same person in the evening?!?!?!

Does this make sense?? Let me explain.

I show up & probably only know the couple getting married. I’ve not met anyone else in their lives invited to their special day. Everyone I say hi to are complete strangers, whether they’re getting ready, or sitting waiting for the ceremony start.

But, through the next few hours, I get to know them a little. Not like, their entire life story, but their mannerisms, their smile, the way they laugh, who they came with, and how they know the couple.

By the end of the night, I feel like I’ve gotten to know complete strangers in the course of a few hours.

So the day after the wedding, it’s so strange to go back through all the photos I took from beginning to end. When I snapped those first few photos, I have no clue who the guests were. Overtime, that changed.

They were no longer strangers.

By the end of the night, I’m a little bummed I won’t ever get to see them again.

Photographing weddings is this weird and fun hyper intensive bonding moment. I’m so thankful for this job, thankful I get to be the background character in the main storyline of each individual guest.

Florals  
Venue Post Commons in Alton, IL
Gown 
Suit 
Rings 
Hair & make up   .rae.weddingday

   

05/22/2026

I will never ever ever be over Saint Montogren's Florist’s MAGIC from Karley & Nathan’s day. 🌸💐🌘 Thankfully I can relive the magic now that their day is on the blog !!! ✍🏻

No I don’t post entire wedding galleries online but the number of photos that are in a blog post feel like one. ✨

if you’re getting married in the St. Louis area ya girl is booking 2027 !!! 🤍

Karley and Nathan's romantic St. Louis wedding day in was filled with so many thoughtful vintage touches and so much love from their family.

05/20/2026

A Tuesday elopement at Allerton Park in Monticello, IL looks like this 🤍✨🥹🍱🍰🌿

Getting married can be as chill as grabbing sushi, getting dressed in a public restroom, running around beautiful gardens for photos, and saying “I do” as the sunsets.

Aaliyah & Lewis came to me wanting something super small— the two of them & two friends, romantic photos, and a small ceremony. We planned just that.

Allerton Park & Gardens is such a beautiful space for photos. There are statues, hedge mazes, florals, a pond, a manison, like literally 1500 acres of land to run around. If you love Pride & Prejudice, Tuck Everlasting, or Beaux arts/Neoclassical style gardens— Allerton is the place for these kind of photos. And yes THIS IS IN ILLINOIS!! Outside of Champaign in Monticello. 🤍

As we were planning their elopement, I suggested they grab their favorite food on the way, so they weren’t starving day of lol and could enjoy a moment together. We started the night off with dinner in the park. I made a playlist of their favorite songs to listen to as they ate sushi. 🍱 also that cake was SO GOODDDD.

We took photos all around. At sunset we had their short n sweet ceremony, then took a few more photos under string lights. It was the best Tuesday ever.

So so so so honored Aaliyah & Lewis trusted me 🥹😭

Your day really CAN be that simple. If you’re thinking of eloping & want romantic photos— I’m still booking a few weekdays for 2026 ✨✨ (& I’ll help you plan it 🤍)

👰🏻‍♀️
🤵🏻‍♂️

05/16/2026

After Caitlin and Trevor’s ceremony at Lincoln Memorial Garden, it was time to sign the marriage license.

But, seeing as it’s a nature center, there wasn’t, like a table to sign the license on…

C&T signed it on a tree! When do you think about it, is cute. But it’s even more sentimental at a second glance.

Not far from that tree, was the ceremony spot. Which is the exact spot Trevor‘s grandpa got married at over 20 years ago!! How small was that tree when grandpa said “I do”??? 🥹🥹

One of my favorite parts of weddings are finding little moments like this that are special.

Super excited to head back to Lincoln Memorial Garden today for an intimate wedding!! Happy Saturday friends 🤍

Ceremony: Lincoln Memorial Garden
Reception:
Gown: 
Tux:
Hair:
Florals: MagicDesignUA on Etsy
Rings: , ,
Rental

05/15/2026

No bc why do I have to be an adult with responsibilities when all I want to do is go do life & visit with all the people I’ve met and loved throughout my life !?!!!?!?

That’s part of why my job is so fun. I get to meet these super cool folks & their families & then it’s over!! 🥺

There is not enough time in a week & month & a year for me to love on everyone & I think I’ll be okay with it (eventually) 🤣

If you’re reading this ILYSM 🤍🫶🏻