A man and woman hug one another and smile at the camera after their proposal while standing on a bridge in Lincoln Park with a lake and the Chicago skyline behind them

Surprise Proposal at Lincoln Park in Chicago | Colleen and Mark

Photo taken of the Chicago skyline from a walking bridge in Lincoln Park

After weeks of conspiring with Mark, it was time for his surprise proposal to Colleen in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. Prior to the day we weren’t quite sure what the weather would be, lucky for us Chicago had the BEST intentions for these two and we ended up with the perfect setting for their proposal! These two are some of the purest and happiest people I’ve worked with which is why I cannot wait to share this special moment of theirs with all of you!

A woman exclaims with joy as a man kneels in front of her to propose while in a park in Chicago
A woman smiles as she holds the hand of a man kneeling in front of her as he proposes in a park in Chicago

Their Surprise Proposal at Lincoln Park 

Mark and Colleen’s proposal story actually starts with Mark’s sister Rachel as she was the one who reached out to me initially. I’m SO glad she did too, as this is easily one of my favorite proposals I’ve photographed! I waited on a bridge in Lincoln Park for Colleen and Mark as this would be the spot for their surprise proposal. The location was perfect as it looked out over the Honeycomb and the Chicago skyline making it an easy spot for the two to stop and take a selfie without Colleen getting suspicious.

Once the selfie happened I knew the time was coming, and sure enough Mark dropped to one knee to propose! Colleen was BEAMING with joy as she realized what was happening, and that pure happiness was a constant for both of these two for the rest of their portraits!  And of course, no proposal is complete without popping some champagne to celebrate!

A woman holds the hands of a man as he drops to one knee in front of her to propose while they stand on a bridge in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A man and woman embrace as they're about to kiss one another while standing on a bridge in a park looking out at the Chicago skyline
A man down on one knee proposes to a woman while they stand on a bridge in a park in Chicago
A man smiles as the woman in front of him looks at the ring on her finger after a proposal on a bridge in Lincoln Park of Chicago with the city's skyline in the background
A man and woman embrace and smile at the camera after a proposal while standing on a bridge in Lincoln Park, behind them is a lake and the Chicago skyline
A man and woman embrace and smile at one another while standing on a bridge in Lincoln Park after their proposal, behind them is a lake and the Chicago skyline
A woman carrying flowers cheers as she approaches another woman on a bridge after a proposal
Two women hug while standing on a bridge, one holds flowers that she brought for the other woman who just was proposed to
A woman smiles while holding flowers and standing next to a man who is also smiling after their proposal on a bridge in Lincoln Park, behind them is a lake and the Chicago skyline

Photos at Lincoln Park in Chicago

Mark and Colleen’s surprise proposal shows just how perfect of a location Lincoln Park in Chicago can be. From proposals, to engagement sessions, and even weddings, the space has SO much to offer as a location for portraits and photos in general! It’s no surprise then how it ended up on my list of top locations in Chicago for a proposal. There are plenty of locations to choose from for photos, from the honeycomb, to the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond, and all of the nature walk in between, the options are endless! Its close proximity to North Avenue Beach as well as the streets of downtown Chicago give you plenty of options for a second location as well.

A man and woman kiss one another while standing on a bridge in Chicago's Lincoln Park
A man smiles while hugging a woman as the two stand on a bridge in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A man and woman hug one another and smile at the camera after their proposal while standing on a bridge in Lincoln Park with a lake and the Chicago skyline behind them
A man and woman embrace one another and smile at the camera while standing on a bridge in Lincoln Park
Black and white photo of a man and woman kissing one another while standing on a bridge over a river in Lincoln Park
A man and woman smile at the camera while standing in front of some of the plants that make up Lincoln Park
A man and woman embrace one another and smile at each other while standing in front of plants in Lincoln Park of Chicago
After their proposal, a man and woman kiss one another while standing in front of some of the plants that make up Lincoln Park of Chicago
A couple smile at the camera as the woman shows off her engagement ring while they stand in front of some of the plants that make up Lincoln Park
A man and woman are about to kiss one another as they smile while standing in front of a tree in Lincoln Park
Black and white photo of a woman smiling at the camera as a man kisses her on the cheek while they stand in Lincoln Park
A woman smiles as a man hugs her and kisses her on the cheek while they stand in Lincoln Park
After their proposal, a man and woman kiss one another while embracing and standing in Lincoln Park of Chicago as the sun sets behind them
A man and woman hold hands and walk towards the camera while the sun sets behind them in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A man and woman smile at one another while holding hands as the sun sets behind them while in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A man and woman smile at one another while holding hands as the sun sets behind them while in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A man and woman kiss one another while holding hands as the sun sets behind them while in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A woman smiles at the camera while holding the face of a man who smiles back at her as the two stand in front of a lake in Lincoln Park after their proposal
Close up photo of a woman's hand with an engagement ring on it as it rests on the shoulder of a man
A man and woman embrace and smile at the camera while standing in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A man hugs a woman from behind as the two smile at the camera while standing on a walkway in Lincoln Park of Chicago after their proposal
A man hugs a woman from behind as the two smile at the camera while standing on a walkway in Lincoln Park
A woman smiles as a man hugs her from behind and kisses her cheek while they stand on a walkway in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A woman cheers as a man sprays a bottle of champagne in the air to celebrate their engagement as they stand on a bridge in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A woman cheers as a man sprays a bottle of champagne in the air to celebrate their engagement as they stand on a bridge in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A man and woman smile at the camera, the woman is cheering as the man holds a bottle of champagne while the two celebrate their proposal in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A woman cheers as a man sprays a bottle of champagne in the air to celebrate their engagement as they stand on a bridge in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A man and woman kiss one another while standing on a bridge in Lincoln Park with a lake and the Chicago skyline behind them
A woman smiles at the camera while showing off her engagement ring as she stands on a bridge in Lincoln Park of Chicago
A woman smiles at her friend while showing off her engagement ring, her friend is smiling at the camera while holding the other woman's arm up in the air as the two stand on a bridge in Lincoln Park of Chicago
Two women smile at the camera and show off their engagement rings, the woman on the right just had her proposal in Lincoln Park of Chicago where the two now stand on a bridge together looking out over a lake and the Chicago skyline

I’m so happy I was able to meet Colleen and Mark, and I’m SO glad that I got to photograph their proposal! Like I mentioned before, and as you can see from their photos, these two were simply bursting with joy for the entirety of their session. I’ve been floating on cloud nine since their surprise proposal in Lincoln Park, and I don’t see that feeling going away anytime soon! For tips on planning the perfect surprise proposal in Chicago check out this blog, and if you’re ready to book me for your proposal or wedding send me an inquiry so we can reserve your date!

A man and woman smile at the camera while embracing as they stand on a bridge in Lincoln Park after their proposal, the man is holding a bottle of champagne while the woman holds a bouquet of flowers

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About Jayde 

Docu-torial Photographer

I'm a Chicago wedding photographer with a passion for people, candid moments, authenticity, and golden hour. I document weddings with a ferocity for the real moments that matter on a wedding day: the moments you lived with the people you love. With 200+ weddings under my belt, I use my expertise to guide my clients to feel comfortable and confident so their images feel like them. 

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