Favorite  Chicago portrait locations for engagements and weddings.

Address: 141 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604
Website: Chicago Board of Trade

The Chicago Board of Trade, known for its striking clock facade and dramatic beaux-arts style columns on each side, is an ideal location for an engagement session that showcases Chicago’s architectural history.

Address: 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL 60022
Website: Chicago Botanic Garden

My favorite outdoor spot in Chicago for engagement photos is the Chicago Botanic Garden. There’s a little bit of everything here, from a rose garden to a typical English garden to a Japanese garden. A photo permit is required.

Address: 1 S, 151 Winfield Rd, Wheaton, IL 60189
Website: Cantigny Park

Cantigny Gardens is a beautifully designed park in the western suburbs of Chicago, filled with abundant summer blossoms and historical buildings. Garden workers add more colorful high-end chairs to the gardens throughout the summer months so visitors and photographers may take advantage of the beautiful scenery. A photo permit is required.
Christine + Rick

Address: 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602
Website: Chicago Cultural Center

The Chicago Cultural Center, with its stunning Tiffany dome, is a perfect place to do an indoor engagement photo shoot in the city during the colder months without having to worry about obtaining a special permission.

Address: Field Museum, 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
Website: Field Museum Campus

Field Museum Campus  is located in Grant Park on the northern shore of Lake Michigan, the Museum Campus is a 57-acre park that is home to some of Chicago’s most popular attractions, including the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum.

Address: 300 N Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60624
Website: Garfield Park Conservatory

While the 184-acre Garfield Park Conservatory is a terrific place to take your engagement photos outdoors during the summer months, the large greenhouse with its vast glass dome and year-round flora is a great place to take your photos any time of the year. If you want to take photos in the parks of Chicago, you’ll need to apply for and receive a photography permission.

Address: 16400 W Buckley Rd, Libertyville, IL 60048
Website: Independence Grove

This beautiful forest preserve features a lake that covers 115 acres and was once a gravel quarry, making it ideal for a variety of outdoor activities and educational programs. At Independence Grove, guests may take advantage of the 7.5 miles of trails, the marina with boat and bike rentals, the native garden, and the Beer Garden. The Visitors Center is a large building with exhibitions and a cafe. You may rent it for parties and ceremonies like weddings.

Address: 550 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Website: Jane Addams Memorial Park

If you want to combine several sites for your engagement photography, Jane Addams Memorial Park is easily accessible from Lakeshore Drive, and it’s only a few minutes away via Uber from the Magnificent Mile. The wide lawn in Jane Addams Memorial Park is surrounded by towering trees, making you feel like you’re in the middle of a forest even though you’re in the middle of the city.

Address: 7402 Lake Katherine Dr, Palos Heights, IL 60463
Website: Lake Katherine

There are 85 acres of forest, prairie, marsh, garden, and a 10-acre lake at the Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens. Couples often choose to take pictures by the waterfall or at sunset across the lake. Lake Katherine is a stunning location for Chicago engagement photos any time of year, but in the fall when the colors are changing, it truly comes alive.

Address: 27277 N Forest Preserve Rd, Wauconda, IL 60084
Website: Lakewood Forest Preserve

It’s one of Chicago portrait locations. You can also find there a historic barn,

Address: 485 N Milwaukee Ave, Lake Villa, IL 60046
Website: Lehmann Mansion

The Lehmann Mansion’s columned façade and grounds provide the ideal backdrop for your fine art engagement session in Chicago. Originally built as a summer house for one of Chicago’s wealthiest elite families, the mansion has been elegantly refurbished as a wedding location.

Address: 2611 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60201
Website: Lighthouse Beach

Evanston Lighthouse Beach is a public beach. Its one of my favorite Chicago portrait locations
Monika + Jacek

Address:  2391 N Stockton Dr, Chicago, IL 60614
Website: Lincoln Park Conservatory

Lincoln Park Conservatory is an indoor greenhouse with many, uniquely landscaped sections. The need for a photographic permit applies to this location.

Address: 1032 W Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660
Website: Loyola University Campus

Loyal University Campus, is known for its beautiful historical architecture, including towering arches and abundant vine-covered walls.

Address:  220 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60601
Website: Lurie Garden

The Lurie Garden spans 2.5 acres in the middle of Millennium Park in Chicago. In the summer, the garden bursts into flower with native plants, providing a striking contrast to the Chicago metropolis beyond the garden’s formal hedge.

Address: 20 N Upper Wacker Dr STE 400, Chicago, IL 60606
Website: Lyric Opera House

The Lyric Opera of Chicago’s massive columns facing Wacker Dr. provide for a fantastic architectural backdrop for your engagement photos.

Address: Michigan Ave, Chicago IL 60604
Website: The Magnificent Mile

If you want to take Chicago engagement photographs against the backdrop of the city’s bustling downtown, Michigan Avenue and The Magnificent Mile, which runs north to south through the middle of the city, are wonderful places to do it. It’s possible to uncover stunning locations like this if you’re prepared to venture out.

Address: 
Website: Milton Lee Olive Park

One of my favorite views of the Chicago skyline is from Milton Lee Olive Park. Take spectacular engagement photographs at the promontory overlooking Lake Michigan after strolling along the beautiful tree-lined walkway, with the unobstructed backdrop of the Chicago cityscape.

Address: 601 W Montrose Ave Chicago, IL 60613
Website: Montrose Harbor

I love taking engagement photos in Chicago, and one of my favorite spots is Montrose Harbor because of the variety of backdrops it provides: views of the city skyline, concrete harbor front, access to sandy beaches, and, if you’re lucky, chances to take photos onboard a sailboat!

Address: 4100 IL-53, Lisle, IL 60532
Website: Morton Arboretum

Photography permit is required for all wedding and engagement sessions in the Morton Aboretum, which features tree-lined walkways, a public garden, and an outdoor museum with a library.
Grace + Ben

Address: 
Website: Naperville Riverwalk

Come here to take a stroll along the trails beside the peaceful bank of the DuPage and let the serenity of the setting spark some ideas. Walking about, you’ll find a lot to love, from the covered bridges to the shepherd’s crook street lights. In addition to the clock tower and the dandelion fountain, there are a few more points of interest along the route that might make for good photo ops.

Address: 1601 N Lake Shore Dr Chicago, IL 60610
Website: North Ave Beach

North Avenue Beach is arguably Chicago’s most well-known beach during the warm summer months. Take advantage of the sand beach and concrete pathways along the water’s edge, and the spectacular vistas of the cityscape across Lake Michigan, for your engagement photo shoot.

Address: 633 Clark St, Evanston, IL 60208
Website: Northwestern University

Northwestern University, located just north of Chicago, has a number of great spots for engagement photos, including stunning buildings, easy access to the water, and picturesque paths through the woods and along the lakeshore. The Alice Millar Chapel and the Library are two of my favorite Chicago portrait locations on the Northwestern University campus.

Address: Riverwalk, Chicago, IL 60601
Website: Chicago Riverwalk

The murals, one-of-a-kind storefronts, and river and city vistas along the Chicago Riverwalk make it an ideal site for a couple’s engagement or wedding photo shoot. This Chicago portrait location is so diverse. You can have a rvier, street , bridges and lot’s of more in your images.

Address: 1840 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60622
Website: Salvage One

Salvage One, with its 60,000 square feet of exhibition space, is a veritable treasure mine of fascinating vintage décor and furnishings, suitable for setting up a number of different scenes for your indoor engagement shoot.

Address: 209 S La Salle St, Chicago, IL 60604
Website: The Rookery Building

This majestic stairway, known as the Oriel Staircase, was straight out of a storybook. From the building’s second to its twelfth story, this iron stairway leads. We were able to get some stunning shots of the couple because to the abundance of natural light in the room. Its one of most popular Chicago portrait locations.
Jennifer + Mathew

Address:  633 Clark St, Evanston, IL 60208
Website: Shakespeare Garden

Choose this Chicago engagement photo venue if you’ve been fantasizing about a fairytale-like, romantic photo shoot for your big day. One of Evanston’s best-kept secrets is tucked away between Northwestern University’s science building and the Garett Seminary. The Shakespeare Garden has isolated seats and lovely masonry in addition to flowers and plants featured in the bard’s works.

Address: 225 S Canal St Chicago, IL 60606
Website: Union Station

Just like Chicago’s Lyric Opera House, Union Station’s front façade is adorned with several columns, but the true beauty of this Chicago landmark lies within. You may take photographs in the station’s newly restored grand atrium for $150.

Address: 5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
Website: University of Chicago

Since it has so much to offer, the University of Chicago is one of my favorite Chicago engagement session venues. You may spend hours wandering the tree-lined walks, admiring the lush landscaping, and taking in the many examples of Gothic architecture.