IZZI AND LUKE’S WILDLY STYLISH LOVE STORY BEGINS IN LAS VEGAS
Some couples have chemistry — and then there’s Izzi and Luke. From the moment they stepped in front of the camera, you could feel it. Their energy is electric. Playful. Unapologetically fashionable. And when you mix that with their hometown of Las Vegas — a city built on glitter, grit, and grand gestures — you get the kind of engagement session that’s less about tradition and more about making a scene.
This wasn’t your typical walk-in-the-park photo shoot. No, we staged a full-on mock elopement in the heart of downtown, complete with a feathered MacDuggal dress, a vintage wedding cake, a pink Cadillac, and a very satisfying champagne spray. Izzi wore my white Chanel glasses like a crown — because of course she did — and Luke played the role of cool, confident groom-to-be like he was born for it. Together, they brought romance, rebellion, and runway to the streets of Vegas.
Their Story: From Pool Lanes to Pink Cadillacs
Izzi and Luke’s story doesn’t start in a ballroom or on a mountaintop — it begins in a pool. The two met while swimming for the same college team, but their connection didn’t spark until a spontaneous senior-year trip to Myrtle Beach. It was there, under the midnight sky, with the ocean as their witness, that Luke asked Izzi to be his girlfriend. That night marked the start of a love that would carry them across states, seasons, and milestones.
After graduation, Izzi took a job in Dallas, navigating long distance while Luke finished school. As soon as he graduated, he joined her, and the two drove twelve hours the very next day to start their first chapter — a cozy little house, two big dreams, and a shared vision for the future. Dallas brought them close friends and incredible memories, but Las Vegas always felt like the endgame. It’s where their best friends were, where their hearts felt pulled, and where they promised to plant roots if they ever had the freedom to work remotely.
When that opportunity came, they didn’t wait. In just two months, they sold the house, packed the car, and made the move — trading in their Texas chapter for the neon glow of the desert. This is a couple who says yes to adventure. Who builds the life they want. Who doesn’t wait for permission.
And that energy? That passion and boldness? It’s exactly what we wanted to channel in their engagement session.
The Engagement Shoot: Vegas with a Twist
We leaned hard into the drama — because when a couple gives me this much to work with, I’m not holding back. Every detail was styled to feel effortless and intentional: the cheeky elegance of a mini wedding cake on the hood of a vintage car, the gleam of sequins under the Vegas sun, and champagne that didn’t just get popped — it got celebrated.
I didn’t want this to feel staged. I wanted it to feel real — like we stumbled upon a couple who woke up, said “let’s get married,” and made magic in the middle of a city that never sleeps. That sense of spontaneity, of edge and emotion, is something I chase in all of my work. Because when you’re telling a love story, the last thing you want is for it to feel rehearsed.
Why It Matters
This wasn’t just about the engagement. It was about setting the tone for everything that comes next. Engagement shoots are more than pretty pictures — they’re the prelude. The opening scene of a film we’re about to make together. For Izzi and Luke, this shoot gave us language. Aesthetic. Energy. It’s the first thread in the story we’ll be weaving all the way to Costa Rica in January 2027.
And let me tell you — if this is how they show up for a shoot, just wait until you see their wedding.
Why Black and White?
While the color palette of Downtown Las Vegas is bold and loud, we made a conscious decision to capture much of this shoot in black and white. There’s something undeniably timeless about it — a vintage romance that pulls focus to emotion, movement, and connection. Stripping away the color allowed us to spotlight the elegance beneath the edge, the softness within the spectacle. It gave the session a cinematic quality, evoking old Hollywood glamour with a rebellious Vegas twist. The result? A gallery that feels classic, iconic, and utterly unforgettable — just like Izzi and Luke.
What’s Next: From the Desert to the Jungle
Their destination wedding in Costa Rica will be a completely different world — tropical, immersive, transportive. But this shoot will always be where it began. On the streets they grew up in back in Indiana and St. Louis. In the city that they chose as their home. In the place where love, fashion, and fantasy collided in the most deliciously over-the-top way.
Planning a wedding that tells your story?
If you’re a couple that cares deeply about style, soul, and storytelling — let’s talk. Because the best weddings don’t just look good. They feel like you.
Always…a
CREATIVE PARTNERS + VENDOR CREDITS:
Wedding Planner Andrea Eppolito. Photos by Alecia Tang + Nicole Hubbs. Glam by Paper Bag Beauty. Cake by Allie’s Cake Kitchen.
Dress by Mac Duggal. Glasses by Chanel.
