Location – Green Street Smoked Meats
You met in this gorgeous city (or moved here together), you’ve dated in this gorgeous city and now you’re planning your gorgeous Chicago wedding. Whether your guests are coming in from the suburbs or from the other side of the world, showcasing Chicago in your engagement photos is a great way to give your guests a sneak peek of what is in store for them on your big day.
Whether you plan to use your engagement photos for your Save the Dates, wedding website or simply a way to get to know your wedding photographer better, below we talk about why engagement sessions are important and give you a few tips to help you be prepared for the shoot.
Looking for wedding professionals for your Chicago wedding? Be sure to check out our lists of Chicago Wedding Vendors.
1. Get To Know Each Other Better
Location – Adler Planetarium
Engagement sessions aren’t just to show off your bling and kiss your cutie all over the city. It’s also a great time to get to know your Chicago photographer a little better so that you feel totally comfortable with them on the day of your wedding. Keep in mind, your photographer will be with you more than anyone else on the big day – feeling at ease is important. Use this time to connect with your photographer a bit.
2. Practice Makes Perfect
Location – Navy Pier
When it comes to feeling comfortable in front of the camera, we all could use a little guidance. An engagement session is a really nice way to learn how to move in front of the camera. Listen to your photographer – they will guide you through the session leaving you feeling like supermodels by the end of the shoot.
3. Downtown is BUSY
Location – State Street/Chicago Theater
Like, really busy. We live in a city that people from all over the world come to visit…on Saturdays…in the summer… Trying to get a bus full of your besties through downtown on your wedding day to hit “just a few locations” can take hours. Hours! So, use your engagement session to snap some shots at the more popular downtown Chicago locations. Zipping around, just the three of you, is a lot easier. Plus, engagement sessions can happen on week days which is so much more convenient.
4. Revisit the Location of Your First Date
Location – George Street Pub
Was George Street Pub the first place you laid eyes on him? Do you have season tickets to the Cubs and spend a lot of your free time at Wrigley? Find a spot that has meaning for you and your love – where you met, your first date, the park you run through together, the proposal location – any place that helps to really tell your story. This brings a whole new level of meaning to your engagement photos.
5. Get Beautified
Location – Near Kinzie Bridge
Consider getting your hair and make-up professionally done for this shoot. This doesn’t necessarily need to be your wedding day trial but, having yourself done up for your engagement shoot is a great way to make you feel extremely confident. This will definitely come through in your images!
6. Bring Flip Flops
Location – University of Chicago
We call them killer heels for a few reason – yes, your shoes are definitely on point but we all know the look on someone’s face when the balls of their feet are burning and/or their toes are getting pinched. That look won’t translate well in your engagement photos. So, throw them on for your photos and then toss on the flip flops to give your feet a break while you hop, skip and jump to the next location.
7. Be a Trendsetter
Location – Wicker Park
8. Or Stick With What You Know
Location – Buckingham Fountain
That said, there are reasons for those “engagement photo hot spots” and that’s because they are stunning and very “Chicago.” So, feel no shame if you want to hit up a few of the popular locations. It’s not every day that you and your future spouse will be all dressed up with a professional Chicago photographer following you around town.
9. Remember: Your Photographer Knows More Than You
Location – Chicago Botanic Garden
Seriously. You’ve hired an amazingly, super talented Chicago wedding photographer. Be sure to listen to their advice – they’ve done this for years and they know what works best to make your engagement photos amazing. Trust them, they are experts.
10. Have Fun
Location – Lawrence Red Line Stop
Don’t take yourself and this engagement photography session too seriously – have fun! You and the love of your life are getting married – woo hoo! Laugh, tell jokes, dance around, smile!
11. Show Off This Beautiful City
Location – North Ave Beach
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