Chicago can be a wonderful place to have a wedding, unless you’re having it in January or February, that is. All kidding aside, if you choose a great weekend and especially if great luck is bestowed on you to where the weather works out, Chicago has so many amazing places that make for wonderful pre-wedding photos.
Below are a few of the best places in Chicago to take your pre-wedding photos:
1. Navy Pier
Navy Pier is one of the best places in the city to take pre-wedding photos. You have a background of the lake, a background of the city skyline, and even a ferris wheel! There are some amazing wedding pictures to be taken at Navy Pier! Navy Pier also has several reception venues such as Crystal Gardens, as well as boats such as Mystic Blue Cruises or Odyssey Cruises that can host your wedding, reception, or pre-wedding photography.
2. Millennium Park
Millennium Park is a large public park located in the east section of the loop, and was built to celebrate the 2nd Millennium. This year (2017), Millennium Park became featured as the number one tourist destination in both Chicago and the midwest. It has over 20 million yearly visitors and is in the top 10 most visited locations in the United States. Millennium Park features so many great photo opportunities, including fountains, squares, gardens, pedestrian bridges, and a very famous sculpture known as the Bean. Millennium Park is definitely a must-visit for your pre-wedding photography.
3. Chicago Water Tower
The Water Tower on Michigan Avenue also makes for great pre-wedding photography. The Chicago Water Toweris a historical landmark located at 806 N. Michigan Avenue, right on the Chicago’s famous Magnificent Mile. There is also an art gallery there called City Gallery that features the work of Chicago photographers. Also nearby is the Fourth Presbyterian Church which is a beautiful church at 126 E. Chestnut Street, and also bordering Michigan Avenue. The church features elegant ivy along its outer walls and is directly across from the John Hancock center, which also provides for some really creative photos!
4. Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is 4-5 miles outside of central downtown, but it well worth the trip. Wrigley Field is an iconic ballpark and home to the Chicago Cubs, and is situated in the charming Lakeview neighborhood. Wrigley Field and Lakeview in general are perfect places for capturing your special moment. A few blocks from Wrigley Field is Lake Michigan as well, which features a historical clocktower that can also make for dazzling photography.
5. Wacker Drive & Chicago River Walk
The river walk along Wacker Drive is also a very picturesque location to capture some great pre-wedding photos. The riverwalk provides beautiful backdrops of the Chicago River and city.
Depending where you are on Wacker Drive or the upper or lower riverwalk, you can take multiple pictures with lots of different backgrounds in a very short amount of time. The numerous bridges crossing the Chicago River also provide for some great shots from your professional wedding photographer with the river as a backdrop, and if you are on one of the bridges furthest to the east, you can capture both the river and the lake which makes for a perfect backdrop.
The Takeaway
If you are in the Chicago area and having your wedding here anyway, you can really add a lot of great photography by doing some pre or post-wedding photography using the beautiful backdrops Chicago has to offer. The lake, city skyline, and numerous parks and attractions can make for some exceptional photography you surely don’t want to miss out on!
Have questions about wedding photography or pre-wedding photography? Great! Please don’t hesitate to Contact Us or give us a call at 847-687-2336.