As a Chicago wedding photographer, I’ve had the absolute pleasure of documenting some incredible weddings here in the Windy City! From massive gatherings in some truly wonderful venues, to intimate elopements at some of the most iconic locations throughout the city, each celebration has been a magical experience that I’m so glad to have been a part of. A part of each of these wedding days that I love are of course the portrait photos of the couple, their family, and their wedding parties. As time has passed and I’ve learned more of Chicago and all the incredible locations it has to offer, which is why today we’re going to talk about some of my favorite wedding portrait locations in the city! We’ll cover what to consider when deciding on a location and take a look at my favorite indoor and outdoor spots, so let’s get into it!

Questions to Ask Before Choosing Where to Take Your Wedding Portraits in Chicago

What’s the Travel Time from Your Venue?

One of the most important questions to ask and things to consider when deciding where to take your wedding portraits in Chicago is where that location is in comparison to your venue(s). Travel time is something you want to minimize on your wedding day, especially since the traffic in Chicago is often unpredictable. Now this isn’t to say that you can’t choose a location that is pretty far from your ceremony and reception venues, but if that is the case you’ll want to plan in that travel time as part of your timeline. This limits the amount of time you’ll have for other parts of the day, for instance you may have to miss cocktail hour completely. It’s a tradeoff you have to consider before making the decision.

What is Parking Like?

Many of Chicago’s most popular and iconic locations often have less than ideal parking situations. Whether it’s due to the popularity of the spot, or just the lack of space generally available near some of these locations, this can be a real headache for a lot of couples. That’s why I recommend booking something like a party bus or shuttle for you and your wedding party members to travel in for your portraits. This eliminates the need for you to worry about parking as your driver will be able to handle any and all travel needs for you!

What Vibe Do You Want for Your Photos?

As you’ll see later when we cover some of my favorite locations for wedding portraits, Chicago is home to a great variety of settings and backdrops. Between incredible skyline views, jaw dropping views of Lake Michigan, or even the stunning interiors of some of Chicago’s most historic buildings, there’s a LOT to choose from! Because of this it’s important that one of the things you and your partner discuss when deciding where to have your portraits taken is what you want them to feel like. There’s no wrong answer here, just preferences!

What’s the Weather Going to be Like?

While it’s impossible to know the weather of your wedding day until the day is actually here, there are some general rules of thumb we can follow for the Windy City. For instance, you’re probably going to want an indoor location for your wedding portraits if you plan on having a winter wedding in Chicago. You of course can brave such weather, but you’ll want to be prepared (mentally and physically) for it! 

Are There Any Major Events the Day of Your Wedding?

Chicago hosts an insane amount of events throughout the year, each of them affecting the traffic and sometimes they even make it impossible to access certain locations. Things like Lollapalooza, sports games, concerts, street fests, and the Chicago marathon are just a few examples of some of the events that could impact where you take your wedding portraits. If your heart is set on a specific location during one of these events be prepared to plan even more travel time into your wedding day timeline!

Talk with Your Photographer

One thing I quickly wanted to mention is discussing portrait locations with your wedding photographer once you book with them! I always help my clients with their wedding planning and timeline creation, answering questions and really using my expertise in any way I can to ensure their day is exactly what they envision it to be. In terms of choosing a location for portraits, I love to give my couples multiple options of places that fit their vision, work in their timeline, and ultimately make their day as simple and stress free as possible!

My Favorite Indoor Locations for Wedding Portraits in Chicago

Alright, so now that we have that all out of the way we can finally take a look at my favorite locations for wedding portraits in Chicago! First we’ll cover some of my favorite indoor spaces, starting with The Rookery!

The Rookery Building

Found in The Loop, the Rookery Building is a beautiful and historic indoor location for wedding portraits in Chicago. The building was built in 1888 and consists of some truly wonderful backdrop locations for portraits like its bronze and marble half spiral staircase, and its jaw dropping Light Court. The Light Court is an impressively gorgeous room with an abundance of natural light as well as stunning light fixtures, all tied together with the building’s signature architectural style. There is a photography form to fill out as well as a fee you’ll need to pay in order to have your portraits taken here, but it is well worth it!

Union Station

Just west of The Loop is the iconic Union Station! This location is one that I absolutely love taking wedding portraits in, as I find it to be one of the most grand, breathtaking, and jaw dropping indoor locations that Chicago has to offer. The interior features ornate architecture, towering marble pillars, and a sense of historical importance that is hard to beat even in a city as historic as Chicago. There is a photography permit required in order to take photos within Union Station, which you can find here. Check out Natalia and Sam’s article to see Union Station in action as we had their wedding party portraits here!

Art Institute

Next on our list is the one of a kind Art Institute of Chicago! Found on Michigan Avenue, and part of Millennium Park, the Art Institute is one of the most incredible locations in Chicago for wedding day portraits. This is partly due to the building’s wonderful style and breathtaking artwork, but there’s more to it than that! The Art Institute features both indoor and outdoor spaces for you to enjoy and use as backdrops for your portraits, giving you a ton of variety in a single location. The other benefit is that there is NO permit required for taking photos here! You simply have to pay the entrance fee, and as long as you don’t disturb other visitors of the Art Institute you are set!

One of the Conservatories

For couples looking for a more natural feel to their photos, but who also want to keep things indoors in case of inclement weather on their day, this option is for you! Chicago is home to a few amazing conservatories, each of which are fantastic options for your wedding day portraits. The Garfield Park, Lincoln Park, and Oak Park Conservatories all offer unique experiences and a lovely setting for your wedding portraits. As a final note, each of these locations does require a photography permit in order to take your wedding portraits within the Conservatory.

Your Venue!

Something I’ve talked about at length a few times here on my blog are the endlessly unique, individual, and frankly gorgeous wedding venues throughout the city! Some venues have rooftop access with views of the skyline, while others have their own distinct style that is just too good to pass up. With that in mind, it’s completely within reason to have ALL of your wedding portraits taken at your Chicago wedding venue itself. An added benefit from this is you also eliminate all of the hassle of traveling which in turn gives you more time to enjoy yourself at your wedding!

My Favorite Outdoor Locations for Wedding Portraits in Chicago

Now that we’ve covered some of my favorite indoor locations in Chicago, it’s time for the outdoor wedding portrait locations! 

Milton Lee Olive Park

First up is Milton Lee Olive Park, which can be found right on the shores of Lake Michigan next to Navy Pier. This park is a must consider for any couple looking for an outdoor space to take their wedding  portraits in Chicago as it has a LOT going for it. Stunning views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan, an abundance of space that makes even the busiest of days manageable for portraits, and a great location for any couple whose venue is in downtown Chicago.

Chicago Board of Trade

This is one of the most popular locations for wedding portraits in Chicago, and for good reason! The Chicago Board of Trade building is one of the most recognizable in the city, and is an epic backdrop for your portraits. Especially when taking photos in the middle of the street that leads to the building. Having the Board of Trade tower above you and your wedding party adds a sense of scale to your photos that is simply jaw dropping! Check out Sarah and Jacob’s elopement portraits to get a sense of what I mean!

Your Favorite Chicago Neighborhood

An option that adds a bit of personal charm to your wedding portraits is having them done in your favorite neighborhood of Chicago! Whether it’s where you live now, where you two met, or where you like to visit the most when in Chicago, this adds a certain charm to your photos that’s special and unique to you that I just LOVE! 

The Riverwalk

The Riverwalk is the path that travels alongside the Chicago River, and there are plenty of options for wedding portraits on it! The river provides its own touch to the backdrop of your photos, and combined with the skyscrapers that line the river towering overhead it creates a setting that is truly one of a kind. Check out some of the portraits from Kaila and Frank’s first look to see what I mean!

Lincoln Park

On the north side of the city, along Lake Shore Drive, you’ll find the beautiful Lincoln Park. This is one of Chicago’s most renowned spaces as it is a true natural oasis that also offers stellar views of the Chicago skyline. There are a TON of spaces within the park itself that make for great options for your wedding portraits, like the Honeycomb, Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond, and The Boardwalk that weaves throughout the park. The close proximity to North Avenue Beach is also a plus if you want to plan in a little extra time for some portraits on the shore of Lake Michigan!

Michigan Avenue

The Magnificent Mile! Michigan Avenue is a shopping enthusiasts dream, but it also is a great option for your wedding portraits in Chicago as it offers a lot of flexibility. There’s a wide array of different places you can stop at along Michigan Avenue to get some epic portrait photos. The street is almost always incredibly busy though, so while the views of the skyscrapers that seem to go on forever are truly incredible, this is a bit of a higher intensity location. If you’re up for the challenge though the photos are SO worth it!

State Street and the Chicago Theater

Just a couple blocks west of Michigan Avenue is another legendary street of Chicago, State Street! This street holds many of the same draws of Michigan Avenue, with the added bonus of the iconic Chicago Theater being a part of it. The Chicago Theater’s marquee is one of the most photographed and recognizable landmarks of the city, which makes it SO much fun to include in your wedding day portraits. That and it is just so damn cool that it makes it hard to pass up when choosing a location! Keep in mind that while State Street is typically less busy than Michigan Avenue, there are still generally quite a few people trying to get photos with the theater’s marquee.

Wrigley Building

Our final stop on the list is none other than the Wrigley Building! I know I’ve said the word iconic a lot throughout this article, but that really is the case when it comes to a lot of the locations on this list, and the Wrigley Building is no exception. Found on the Chicago River, this is an easy spot to include into your wedding day portraits if you already plan on taking some at the Riverwalk. The kicker is that it is an insanely popular location, especially on busy wedding weekends. If you do plan on taking photos at this location just be prepared as you may need to wait in line for 1 or 2 groups to get their photos done first. For a look at what portraits are like here check out Dovile and Johnny’s solo portraits!

And there you have it, some of my favorite locations for wedding day portraits throughout the city of Chicago! This by no means is an all inclusive list, I even have another article I wrote over a year ago about this topic that covers some of my other favorites! Even taking both articles into account, I do like to keep some of my all time favs a secret to offer as suggestions for my couples. If you’re ready to book me to document your wedding make sure you send me an inquiry and together we can find THE perfect spot for your wedding portraits in the Windy City!