A city that comes bearing with it the advantage of world-class architecture, stunning artwork, and awe-inspiring statues and sculptures, Chicago is a complete package of a city and is a muse for photographers from around the globe. Every view from around the city is stunning enough to make it a frame in someone’s living room. Lovingly nicknamed the Windy City, this is a city that is home to one of the most epic skylines in America!
From the infamous Chicago deep-dish pizza to Chicago Bulls, Chicago is all about going big or going home! From staggeringly interesting architecture like the Cloud Gate and Sears tower to refreshing jazz music and the stunning Navy Pier, Chicago is an experience which leaves behind only smiles and good memories. The gracefully flowing Lake Michigan, ravishing white-sand beaches and bewitching parks, Chicago already has the set ready for you to capture in your camera! If you have chosen this epic city to be the canvas to paint your love story with, you have lucked out, because there are locations that will take your breath away and leave a trail of photographic marvels in its wake.
There is a reason why Frank Sinatra sang, “Bet your bottom dollar you lose the blues in Chicago, Chicago. The town that Billy Sunday couldn't shut down.” Chicago is a resilient city that will perk up your mind instantly, with its vivacious and lively energy of a happy toddler on a sugar rush. If you want a fun and culture yielding background for your Chicago engagement session and Chicago wedding photography, look no further-because taking some amazing photos in Chicago is the answer! We have curated a neat little list of the few most popular engagement photography spots of Chicago, followed by the best Chicago wedding venues, to make your job a little easier.
Avenue Beach Who doesn’t like a beach engagement photoshoot? North Avenue Beach provides the best of a beach engagement session, with endless blue water lines, dramatic ocean-liner buildings, white sand, and light wood boardwalk. Located at Lincoln Park and spread over an expansive 2200 square feet, North Avenue Beach is surely one of the most sought after destinations for engagement sessions in Chicago. Overlooking the brilliant blue Lake Michigan and cushioned by the lush white sand, this beach is perfect for a summer engagement photo session. The picture-perfect city skyline greets you, looking a little too perfect like it is drawn on the horizon by an artist. Let your Chicago engagement photographer capture the magic as you and your partner take a walk along the long and winding boardwalk, with the cityscape playing peek-a-boo in the background of your photographs. For Chicago engagement session inspiration, dress up in brilliant and poppy shades to play up the neutrals in the background and your photographs will come out looking scintillating. Couples photography looks best in portrait mode, as the gleaming skyline and glistening water become one with the couple stealing the attention by posing in the front of the mesmerizing background, creating beautiful images along the way.
The Art Institute of Chicago How about a huge helping of arts and culture and a side of the Chicago skyline? If your answer is a resounding ‘Yes’, the Art Institute of Chicago is the way to go! This is surely a dream location for the lovers who want that swirl of magic in their engagement photography. The photo opportunities are abundant and illuminated with natural light, both in the indoor and outdoor spaces. The freshly manicured outdoor space is a sigh of relief for people looking for greenery amidst all the city hustle and bustle. The hallways and corridors of this place are brightly lit and provide amazing backdrops for engagement session photography. It is almost a privilege to capture the hushed stories and magical tales of an enriched history and weave in a feeling of regality in engagement photos. It's like taking a brisk walk through the centuries while looking forward to a promising future together. The striking sculptures, bubbling fountains, lush foliage, and the city buildings bring in the sense of allure to your save-the-dates, giving character and depth.
Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary Take a break from the city mayhem and run away closer to nature and reconnect with yourself and your loved one! If the idea of hearing the lovebirds sing during your engagement session sounds sweet to you, Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary is just the place for you. This location is a well preserved natural area spread over 300 acres in The Schaumburg Park District and is home to many flora and fauna, giving your engagement photography a surreal close-to-nature experience. This engagement session location is perfect if you have your heart set on a rustic-style engagement session, as there is the perfect log and the peppering of silver pine trees to add to the mood. The hiking trails adorned by the rich foliage weaves in some breathtaking engagement photo opportunities for any engaged couple. The refreshing rustic background, the country-style setting, the crisper air, and the woodsy corners provide the perfect canvas for you to paint your Chicago engagement photography with your unique colors. The location is perfect for the spring engagement photography, too, with its rolling grasslands and green foliage and the venue wears a sepia-toned veil in the autumn, providing the perfect setting for an autumn engagement session, as well.
Morton Arboretum We believe that any opportunity to get closer to nature is a good one, and stepping into an arboretum for your engagement photography is a resounding yes! Morton Arboretum is one of the crown jewels of the Chicago area and comes with an enormous collection of 222,000 live plants and trees from around the world and is spread across 1,700 acres of the property. There is undoubtedly something about being around nature that calms your nerves and lets you just be. This location provides the perfect backdrop for your Chicago engagement photographer to capture you and your fiance in an enchanting setting, creating magical engagement photographs as a result. Home to the labyrinth of the hedged maze, the vined archways, and the mammoth pillars, this engagement venue is filled with gems of perfect photo opportunities, just waiting for you and your partner to pose against and your Chicago engagement photographer to capture. The brilliant green of the location paired with scenic corners and bursts of flora transcends beautifully into your Chicago engagement photography and adds a dash of whimsy nature in your engagement album.
Are you ready to start the search for the perfect Chicago wedding venue? We’ve rounded up our favorites to provide some pretty Chicago wedding inspiration for you!
Abbey Farms Spread over 8000 square ft., Abbey Farms is an elegant and rustic barn which is sitting pretty in Aurora, Illinois, a short ride away from Chicago. With an ability to accommodate around 300 guests, this wedding location is the best of country-style appeal and timeless elegance. Laced by rustic picket fencing in the outdoors and dipped in wooden details in the indoor event space, this wedding venue is warm and welcoming in a wholesome way. Let your Chicago wedding photographer capture the country mood in the camera lenses forever and the results will be a charming wedding album to treasure forever. If you are looking for a timeless barn wedding venue, your search ends at Abbey Farms! Surrounded by natural splendor, rolling farmlands, raw barn houses, and a charming banquet hall, this wedding venue is filled to the brim with opportunities. The scenery promises to be breathtaking, the wedding details will be memorable, and your wedding album will be one which will take your breath away every time you flip through the pages.
Armour House Sitting elegantly on the Lake Forest Academy campus, Armour House is quite a sight to take in and this historic wedding spot is known for whipping up unforgettable wedding experiences. With the capacity of hosting around 250 guests, this classy and stunning property is the kind to sweep you right off your feet and give your wedding photos that extra sprinkling of elegance. This elegant wedding venue in Chicago is the sweet spot between the classic and contemporary and has an expansive sprew of indoor and outdoor event spaces for you to take your pick from. Stunning fountains shooting high into the sky, classic wooden details in the gazebo, flowers blooming merrily and in abundance, a porch which is accommodating and convenient for those family portraits, and classic interiors decorated in muted neutrals, this wedding location is a perfect fit for most wedding themes. From the tall arched windows, to the sweeping staircases and quaint balconies, everything comes together to provide your Chicago wedding photographers a platter of photo opportunities to delve into.
Danada House The Danada House is so aesthetically appealing, that it is almost impossible to not imagine your wedding day in this property right as you walk into the property. If you love being close to nature, then Danada House is the ideal location for your wedding day, as it provides you with a slice of nature. Adorned with lovely indigenous wildlife of Illinois, towering aged trees and lush grasses, mood-lifting flower beds and a refreshing amount of birds and butterflies, this 780 acres of Danada Forest Preserve Danada Forest Preserve looks pure and untouched and will instantly make you feel like you are miles away from civilization, and the city bustle, even though you are conveniently located in Wheaton, just a short while from downtown Chicago. The Danada House offers a total of seven ceremony locations to choose from, each unique in its own way, letting you weave the wedding ideas you want. White picket fencing, billowing trees, and a reception hall which comes wrapped in wide windows, bringing the outdoors in, this wedding venue is a treat in itself and will surely add value to your wedding book. The abundant natural lighting and the bright neutral tones of the wedding venue help your professional wedding photographers in Chicago capture every moment with great finesse.
Bridgeport Art Center Are you a couple looking for just the right proportions of rustic and artsy on your wedding day? Three words-Bridgeport Art Center! It is just the perfect wedding spot for couples who love the raw and the rustic, but also love the contemporary amenities with a slight hint of dystopian warehouse vibe thrown in. This venue boasts two visually enchanting event spaces- the Skyline Loft and the Sculpture Garden Gallery, both spread over 18,500 sq. ft. and 12,000 sq. ft. each. Adorned with high exposed ceilings, exposed brick walls, glam crystal chandeliers, iridescent white satin drapes, and fairy lights galore, this urban wedding venue in Chicago is the one which will add the textured personality to your memories. The rich wooden tones add extra depth and drama to your wedding ceremony, making it a one-of-a-kind wedding setting! The views of the skyline from the Skyline Loft is the one which will add to the magical aura of your wedding night, making you feel like you are wrapped up in warmth and coziness while floating above the rest of the city. Let your wedding photographer catch it all with tactful expertise.
Chicago is the perfect amalgamation of old and new, providing you with a wide assortment of locations to fit your unique wedding theme. Whether you want a country wedding, a destination wedding or a more artsy and industrial engagement photoshoot, Chicago is equipped to deliver as per your liking. The city has fun, color, and art, and has a unique breed of joie de vivre, which translates seamlessly into your Chicago photographer’s work. There is something about Chicago that is endearing and just begs to be captured on camera.
Chicago already sets the perfect setting for your next adventure or endeavor! The majestic skylines are all standing proud and tall, the grass wears a greener tinge and the blue of the water gleams a little brighter than usual. All you need is to choose your wedding photographer! Our George Street Photographers love to take in the setting and capture its charms into the most glorious photos. Our photographers in Chicago have covered many weddings and have the experience and expertise to brew up magic and capture each location in the best lighting! We believe in creating art with every frame and your love story is the inspiration! Visit our price and availability page to see view availability and respective prices.
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