Top 8 Engagement Photography Session Locations in Chicago

Filled with world-class architecture, iconic artwork, vintage statues, and sculptures, Chicago is indeed a dream come true for photographers from around the globe. House to one of the most stunning skylines in the world, the ‘Windy City’ offers myriads of impressive photo ops. Talking about engagement session locations near Chicago, the list of Instagram-worthy spots remain endless. With the scenic Lake Michigan coast and the magnificent skyline featuring some of the country’s tallest buildings, Chicago's engagement photography and affordable wedding photography creates the most dreamy portraits to cherish for all the years to come. Choosing a place out of so many gorgeous places could be tricky. So before you type in best places for engagement sessions near me on Google, give this blog a good read:

Herrick Lake

If you are a nature-loving couple and want to start your new life amidst natural glory, then this place will be a treat to your affordable engagement photography and affordable wedding photography. Herrick lake is an 855-acre scattered woodland with 150-year old white, red, and bur oaks surrounding the space. With the serene lake on the backdrop, this mature upland is home to an alluring variety of wildlife. Along with the European grasses, this ecological hotspot looks like a dreamland during the fall with the leaves turning into kaleidoscopic shades. The 7-mile trail is surrounded by maples, oaks, lindens, and hickories. The woodland has numerous grasslands and picnic tables and the couple can bring their picnic baskets to create stunning Chicago engagement photographs. For engagement session ideas, the couple can also go fishing, boating, or camping in the cabin. As there is no dearth of natural lighting in this location, check the weather forecast to plan your big day on a sunny day to get the best photography session. Light pastel-colored clothes look great against the vibrant backdrop, as it makes you blend into the natural backdrop and at the same time, stand out in the photographs.

Website: https://www.dupageforest.org/places-to-go/forest-preserves/herrick-lake

Address: 3S580 Naperville Road, Wheaton, IL 60189

Fees or Permits: There is no entry fee for this place. Permits are necessary for a handful of activities and must be purchased in advance online or through visitor services. 

North Avenue Beach

Ready to get smitten with one of the most gorgeous engagement locations in Chicago? Welcome to North Avenue Beach, which is located in Lincoln Park, and is spread over a sprawling space of 2200 square feet. It is one of the most popular and unique destinations for engagement sessions, that overlooks Lake Michigan and ocean liner-inspired buildings. Celebrate love and courtship in this scintillating engagement destination that boasts of a crisp blue and white landscape with white sands, that immaculately describes the vibe of the city in all your Chicago engagement photography. The beach house and the beautiful boardwalk are beautiful additions to the entire location that is a sheer delight to our engagement photographers and affordable wedding photographers. The couple can take a walk on the boardwalk, hand-in-hand, or against the setting sun, to create magical engagement photographs. The natural lighting at this place is ample which creates breathtaking photographs. One of the best attires to suit the brilliant setting are formals in poppy colors, which will make you stand out while perfectly balancing the backdrop in neutral colors. Couple 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.

Website: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/north-avenue-beach

Address: 1601 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611

Fees or Permits: There is no entry fee for this place. A permit is required for engagement session filming and photography; a $35 application fee plus $45 (per location, per hour). 

Morton Arboretum

What can be a better way of celebrating nature in your engagement photography than to do it in a ‘museum of trees’? Morton Arboretum is an enormous collection of 2,22,000 live plants and trees from around the world, which is spread across 1,700 acres of land. The DuPage River bisects the land, and the rolling fairways of the river create enchanting engagement photos that look like a dream. Be it the Stonehenge inspired structures or the magical green maze, the opportunities for our Chicago engagement photographers and budget wedding photographers near Chicago to capture the love and romance are endless in the fabled landscaped background. If you are convinced that this place is the one to want to raise a toast to new beginnings, then you and your partner can match and wear your attire in white. A white wardrobe will reflect on a different level, while the scintillating backgrounds change colors with the changing hues that this place has to offer for stunning engagement photography. 

Website: https://www.mortonarb.org/visit-explore/about-arboretum

Address: 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532

Fees or Permits: Admission fee for adults aged 18–64 is $15 ($10 on Wednesdays). A permit is required for all posed and formal photography or video recording. 

The Art Institute of Chicago

For the lovers of art and culture, The Art Institute of Chicago can be the dream engagement destination that can spell magic onto their engagement photography in Chicago. The joyous glitter and glory of love can be felt right here with a dash of a true vintage feel. Both the indoor and outdoor spaces are illuminated with natural light. The freshly manicured outdoor space is great for people looking for greenery amidst all the concrete. Moreover, the hallways and corridors of this place are brightly lit and provide amazing backdrops for engagement session photography. Kiss your lover amidst the grandeur and pose for candid photographs while the magical backgrounds tell a tale of enriched history. This museum and school of fine arts collects, preserves, and restores art from around the world. Each and every corner whispers magical tales from the past and represents the diverse artistic traditions of art and culture. This 17th-century construction speaks grandeur and old-world charm and weaves a feeling of regality in engagement photography. Semi formals can give the perfect look in front of the lion sculptures, the beaux-arts style of smooth, solid walls and impressive archways can give a feeling of wonderland and make you travel through time.

Website: https://www.artic.edu/

Address:111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603

Fees or Permits: Admission to this place is free. Contact the Department of Public Affairs at (312) 443-3363 or [email protected] to arrange shoots for still photography and film. 

Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary

Do you want to hear the lovebirds singing during your engagement session? If yes, then you can opt for this natural abode of endless greenery in one of the most magnificent engagement session locations in Chicago. Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary is a well preserved natural area that is spread over 300 acres in The Schaumburg Park District. This designated conservation area is home to many flora and fauna and gives a very close-to-nature experience. There is a log cabin nestled among the whispering silver pine trees, adjacent to a fire pit and picnic shelter. The hiking trails amidst the rich foliage creates breathtaking engagement photo ops for you love-birds, as you begin to celebrate your life with love. The rustic and country-side touch given to engagement photography remains one of the key highlights of this space. The country-side and barn-themed engagement spot compliment best with old-school flowy and casual clothes that make you blend with the backdrop. As you lean against the brightly colored barn, hand-in-hand, or take a walk amidst the golden fields, a wardrobe that is country-inspired looks like a dream against the backdrop.

Website: https://www.parkfun.com/spring-valley/spring-valley

Address: 1111 E Schaumburg Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60194, United States

Fees or Permits: Admission to the park is free. Professional or contract photographers are asked to complete and submit a permit application at least one week before any scheduled photo shoot at Spring Valley. 

Downtown Chicago

Want to celebrate your engagement session amidst dynamic architecture and big-city buzz? Just go to one of the most voted Chicago engagement photography places where the true vibe of Chicago comes to life and gets lost amidst the city hum. Can the music of love tone down the city buzz? You can find out here when you pose for the camera with your love in front of Chicago’s magnificent skyline with the Chicago River on the Kinzie Street Bridge in the background. If you are one of the travel-frenzied couples who have wheels for legs, then take a quick tour of the Millenium Park and pose in front of the Cloud Gate. Let your affordable wedding photographers capture the true feels of Downtown Chicago as you take a walk and pose candidly in front of the vinyl LED banners and red brick walls. Melt your hearts with good food in the award-winning Chicago Riverwalk and entail a love story that speaks volumes for your personalities. You can opt for casuals for a ‘couple next door’ look or formals if you want to depict sophistication and grandeur for your engagement session. In the end, the choice is for you to make!

Website: https://www.choosechicago.com/neighborhoods/loop/

Address: 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60602, United States

Fees or Permits: Admission is free. Photography is priced at $45 (per location, per hour) for Millenium Park along with a permit that can be availed at the counter or online.

Loyola University Campus

The peaceful campus of Loyola University located at the Edgewater in Chicago offers pristine backdrops for engagement photo sessions in Chicago. This destination offers the best of both the worlds, as in, you can bask in all the lovely landscaped grounds with architecturally perfect features and the panoramic skyline of Chicago that celebrates the city-buzz of the place. This University was founded in 1870, in the rolling fairways of Michigan Lake, and the entire campus seems like an architectural brilliance. The brick walls, huge white pillars, cascading stairways, and tranquil lawns with towering trees present uncountable photo-ops. You can dress up in full formals or bring out your pastel wardrobe to match the vistas. The stunning turquoise door of the Cudahy Library, The Madonna Della Strada Chapel, and the Damen Student Center are some of the major photogenic backdrops, where each of the spots has a unique sense of decor and style to offer for your affordable engagement photography session. Starting from the turquoise door, art deco architecture, and delicately detailed sides of the library, to the grand arches of the walkway, every background has something special to add as a magic touch to your photographs. The molded sides and angular geometrical architecture of the Chapel are added jewels to the crown of beautiful engagement spots of this destination.

Website: https://www.luc.edu/

Address: 1032 W Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660, United States

Fees or Permits: Admission is free. All professional videography and photography requests must be submitted in writing to University Marketing and Communication for approval at least one week in advance.

Ping Tom Memorial Park

The 17.44-acre urban park nestled right in Chicago’s Chinatown, Ping Tom Memorial Park is a little Chinese retreat that offers the magnificent Chicago skyline in the backdrop. The pagoda styled architecture, the mesmerizing plum trees, the rolling lawns with a wide collection of flora next to the Chicago River looks breathtaking during engagement photoshoots. This hidden gem is a mindblowing destination to declare the love of your life with a dash of Chinese history and architecture on the backdrop. The immersive stone sculptures, the enormous Chinese statues with an amalgamation of poppy red color in the background, bring in a fresh gush of air onto the engagement session that looks sheer tranquil and serene. The couple can play around with their pretty pastels and flowy florals for the session to match with the vibe of this place. The carved pillars and the entire aura of this place are very unique that provide unlimited opportunities for photography. You can pose while sitting on the quaint little benches or travel in the water taxi, while the shutterbugs experiment different angles to the entire photography session.

Website: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/tom-ping-memorial-park

Address: 1700 S. Wentworth Ave., Chicago, IL 60616

Fees or Permits: Admission is free. A photo permit is required for the photoshoot.

Please note that permits and fees are subject to change. Please confirm the policies with the location before planning your session.
 

Lily & Lime offers stunningly affordable wedding photographers for couples engaged and wedding planning. We'd love to document this special time in your life!