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How to Get Married in Chicago

To some, it may be a surprise to find out that Chicago continually ranks as one of the best cities in the world. But to those who know Chicago, it makes perfect sense. So when planning a wedding, Chicago quickly rises to the top of the ranks for engaged couples.


The catch? Planning a wedding is stressful, let alone planning one in one of the biggest cities in the country where options are bountiful, logistics are hectic and traffic is…well, traffic. There’s just no beating around the bush on that one. 


Allow a pro, who is one of many Chicago wedding photographers in Chicago, to step in and guide you. I’ve been photographing weddings in Chicago since 2014 and I’ve seen it all! Weddings during Lollapalooza? Yes. Weddings during Air & Water Show? Yes. Weddings in the thick of a polar vortex? Ya that one too. You get it. 


This guide is your ultimate manual for getting married in Chicago. Let’s dive in!

Why Chicago? 

Here’s the thing about Chicago and why it stands alone when put next to other major U.S cities. Each neighborhood within the city limits is like its own little island of culture, vibes and views. River North is vastly different from Logan Square, and the venues you will find in those neighborhoods will follow suit. If you’re a couple just vying for that killer skyline backdrop, you can have that in the loop; whereas a couple wanting quaint, quiet charm is going to head to a more residential neighborhood. Chicago has it all for any couple. 

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The history of this city is everywhere which makes photo locations an endless list: historic museums, architecture, and churches. Lakefront views and beaches that make you look like you’re not in Illinois. Restaurants that can give you literally any cuisine for your day that you could ever want. The options are endless. 


Let’s not forget the accessibility of Chicago. Flying into O’hare is possible from virtually anywhere in the world, and once you’re here, the CTA makes getting around a breeze. Even if you plan to venture to the burbs, the Metra has you covered there. It’s honestly an easy decision if you ask me!

Wedding Venues 

chicago wedding photographers

If you’re on the hunt for your perfect wedding venue in Chicago, I’m not going to lie; it can be stressful. But it’s a good stress because it’s not an issue of “there’s nowhere to get married.” It’s an issue of “omg I love them all!” The amount of venues this city has is immense, so let’s break it down by category. I also wrote up a list of my favorite venues in the city that you can check out here. 


  • Downtown Gems: 

    • LondonHouse 

    • The Langham

    • Renaissance Chicago

    • The Blackstone

    • Intercontinental Chicago

    • The Drake

    • Chicago Winery

    • The Ivy Room

  • Water Locations: 

    • Adler Planetarium

    • Offshore Rooftop

    • Theatre on the Lake

    • Rockwell on the River

    • River Roast

    • RPM Events

  • Historic Venues: 

    • Field Museum

    • Chicago Cultural Center

    • Chicago History Museum

    • Old Post Office

    • Stan Mansion

    • University Club of Chicago

    • Cafe Brauer

chicago wedding photographers

  • Hidden Gems:

    • Chicago Illuminating Company

    • Gallery Marchetti

    • Loft Lucia

    • Morgan’s on Fulton

    • The Dalcy

    • Bridgeport Art Center

    • City Hall Events

    • The Joinery

    • The Arbory

    • Walden

    • Saddle Cycle Club

chicago wedding photographers

Insider’s Tip: When choosing a venue, it’s important to keep in mind your overall vision for the day and if that vision can “live” within that venue. Some venues are darker, cozy, or club vibes. If you’re going for something bright and colorful, that venue might not be best for your ultimate goal. Every decision within wedding planning is going towards your end game goal of the ultimate vision/design.

Seasons in Chicago

Chicago gets all four seasons, so when selecting your date, take into consideration the weather. Did that make you giggle? Because that was a joke. Chicago weather is unpredictable! While it’s easiest to go by seasons, you truly never know what exactly Chicago will serve you on any given day. That said, there’s a general guess of what you might get if you check out each season below.  

  • Spring

    Spring is typically thought of to be rainy, however it’s shifting to becoming “late winter” in Chicago. I will safely tell you that March is still pretty much winter these days. April is when things start to take a turn for the better, but we always get at least one last snow in April. That said, I’ve photographed a wedding mid-April where it was in the 70’s. For the sake of this guide, I will put the months of April and May into Spring, with late May creeping into summer-like weather. If you’re people who don’t love summer heat, but want to avoid the brisk-ness of winter, April or May will be your best bet. 

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  • Summer

    I will call June, July, August, and September “summer months.” As I stated in the previous blurb about Spring, the end of May can see summer-like weather, mainly Memorial Day weekend. I’ve had weddings that weekend where it has been over 100 degrees. Summer in Chicago can get sticky, humid and just plain scorching hot. Here’s the thing about Chicago heat; the humidity will make it feel a lot hotter than the actual temp is. So while you might think “I can handle 85 degrees,” the feel-like temps might be nearing 100 degrees. If you’re planning a summer wedding day AND want to get married in church, it’s vital to make sure your church has working air-conditioning (speaking from experience). June tends to be one of the most popular months in Chicago to have a wedding because you can grab the nice weather before it becomes too sticky. 

chicago wedding photographers

  • Fall

    Ah, fall. Arguably one of the best seasons in Chicago. Am I biased? Maybe. But hear out my argument. For the sake of this guide, I’m going to lump October and November as fall. The temps are starting to dip, but more importantly, that humidity is starting to break. October is another very busy month for weddings in the city. The next big factor of this season is the foliage color! If you are opting for a venue or photo location that has trees, you’re going to want to try and capture those fall colors. Peak color is usually later in October. November still has those really pretty golds, especially in Lincoln Park. Early November is a great option for dates that aren’t frigid yet, but avoid that summer heat as well. Bonus: some venues consider November as “off-season” and you can snag some better package deals.

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  • Winter

    Chicago is known for its winters being brutal and frigid. And that is not wrong. However, peak winter doesn’t really start until January. If you’re cool with temperatures in the 40’s, December is a great option for a wedding month. Keep in mind, you will be in competition with holiday gatherings at venue spaces, so if you really want December, book your venue asap. Once January hits, you will be watching the forecast for some polar vortexes and wind chill. The lakefront especially can become extremely bitter, so I don’t recommend doing your photos near the lake. This will be the case for January and February and the beginning of March. As March creeps in, so do some milder winter temps (40’s). Winter can be tricky when it comes to timeline building as we lose the light so early in the day. If you are adamant about not doing a first look, I wouldn’t recommend winter. Opting for no first look + early sunrise means you might not get much time for outdoor portraits in natural lighting. 

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  • Insider’s Tip: Time of the year is important for weather, but also for lighting. In the summer, we get the most daylight, so you will have lighter dinners and receptions. This makes your timeline a bit easier for scheduling golden hour photos since we aren’t having 4PM sunsets like we see in the winter. Your time of year strongly affects the amount of time you can have for outdoor photography (and also if a first look may be necessary i.e winter weddings).

Wedding Vendors and Services (including Chicago Wedding Photographers)

Similarly to venues, Chicago is bustling with amazingly talented vendors who are itching to bring your vision to life. Moreover, they know the city like the back of their hand. Leaning into your vendor team’s expertise, and trusting that experience, is essential in having your day run smoothly. You will always get the best results from your vendors when you trust them. Here’s the thing with Chicago; it’s a very tight-knit wedding community of vendors (despite how big the city is). It’s common for at least two of your chosen vendors to have worked together before. Upon authoring this article, I am working my 12th wedding season and have worked with loads of talented vendors. Below is my list of vendors I recommend to my couples when they are seeking to build their vendor team. 


Insider’s Tip: Analysis Paralysis? It’s a lot of options; I know. The best way to find vendors is talking. Talk to your friends who have gotten married; who did they love (and who didn’t they love) working with. Talk to your already booked vendors. They will have amazing insight on who provides top notch service to couples as well.

Photo Locations

New and updated blog post highlighting photo spots coming soon! In the meantime, feel free to browse my blog to see where my past couples have chosen to have their portraits taken around Chicago. 

Hotels in Chicago

I often get asked my opinion on which hotels my couples should choose for their getting ready spaces. A lot of these will depend on proximity to either your venue or your church, but I can certainly tell you there are hotels that are better than others when it comes to giving you photo-worthy rooms. I encourage my couples to really add “book hotel block” to their to-do list sooner rather than later in their planning process because 1. Hotels can book up fast in the city and 2. You don’t want to wait until the last minute and get stuck with something you don’t love or something that doesn’t jive with your logistics. A big key to shopping hotel spaces is knowing how much space you will realistically need for getting ready. If you have 5 bridesmaids, you will need enough space for, on average, 8 people to get ready (plus the beauty team!), get dressed and have all of their stuff with them. Below are my favorite hotels that have gorgeous getting ready spaces. 

  1. The Langham (River North)

  2. Renaissance Chicago (Theatre District)

  3. Marriott Marquis Chicago (South Loop)

  4. Nobu Hotel (Fulton Market)

  5. JW Marriott (Chicago (Loop)

  6. Ambassador Hotel (Gold Coast)

  7. Hilton Mag. Mile (Streeterville)

  8. Sheraton Grand Riverwalk (Streeterville)

Wedding Day Logistics in Chicago

This section can feel like a doozy, especially if you’re not from Chicago. Luckily, navigating Chicago isn’t too difficult. Ubers, taxis, trains, and even scooters; there’s plenty of options for getting around the city. But when it comes to wedding day transportation, you need to make a note to put this on your “do sooner rather than later” list. I recommend taking into account your wedding weekend date long before you do a bulk of your planning and that’s only because there is always something happening in Chicago. Make sure you get ahead of the game! 

  • Transportation

I never recommend relying on Ubers or Lyfts to be your main mode of transportation on wedding day. While, yes, you can pre-schedule Uber pickups, you are likely going to need multiple cars to haul around your wedding party/family to and from locations. EXCEPTIONS to this rule: 

1. you don’t have a wedding party and it’s only you two needing to move around

2. you are staying in one location all day (no need for transportation) 

3. You are only needing to go down the street and you don’t want to walk in your heels 

It’s most common for my couples to hire either trolleys or party buses, even if going from one side of the city to the other. Unless you are getting married in a one-stop-shop venue where you are getting ready there, getting married there, taking pictures there and partying there, you will need something to get you from point A to point B or even point C and D. When you decide what type of transportation you want, don’t wait until the last minute to book them. If there are big events happening in the city (see below), you may find yourself scrounging up a backup plan. 

  • Parking and Permits

For many venues in the city, they can offer event exclusive parking or valet. Oftentimes, you will find one of two things to be true at your venue; they have a designated parking lot/valet or they have street parking. It’s important to note to your guests what the parking situation will be in advance on your invitations. If they will need to park at a nearby garage or lot, be sure to let them know if there is a SpotHero option for discounted pricing. Parking in Chicago can be pricey, so check with your venue on what they recommend as they will know the area and options best. Two phone apps you will want your guests to download if you are having them drive themselves and park locally; SpotHero (local garages discounted) and the local Chicago parking app (Park Chicago) which is mandatory for street parking and allows users to pay via credit card. Chicago does not have manual meters on their streets. 

  • Weather Contingency Plans

Each venue will have their own “Plan B” for inclement weather, so be sure to discuss those options when you are venue shopping. I always recommend to my couples to make sure they love Plan B just as much as Plan A because in Chicago, Plan B is a very likely scenario. When it comes to your photos, there are several options in Chicago that are covered and indoors. Your photographer can help you make a selection as many of the indoor options will require a permit in advance. 

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  • Yearly Events 

Chicago is a huge city and with that comes many large events that happen yearly. It’s super important that you cross-check the yearly calendar when selecting a wedding weekend in the city. Should you opt to get married on Lollapalooza weekend, you need to know that it comes with increased traffic, road closures and a jump in hotel room costs (and even flights!). Your planner can help you navigate options, but keep this in mind. You don’t want to book a hotel nearby Lollapalooza in order to avoid traffic and longer commute times. In addition to traffic and increased hotel rates, you will also find that hotel availability is scarce and certain photo locations are closed due to increased populations in the area. For example, one of the most popular lakeside photo locations (Olive Park) closes during the Air and Water Show. Below is a list of yearly events in Chicago that you can count on happening:

  1. Lollapalooza (usually 1st week in August)

  2. Air and Water Show (usually 2nd or 3rd week in August)

  3. Chicago Marathon (2nd Sunday in October)

  4. Mexican Independence Day (September 16)

  5. Taste of Chicago (usually July, but sometimes it happens in September) 

  6. Christkindlmarket (November/December)

  7. St. Patricks River Dying (2nd weekend in March)

  8. NASCAR (1st weekend in July)

  9. Windy City Smokeout (July)



Insider’s Tip: Consider this list of events before choosing your wedding date. Even if you feel like you’re ok getting married on one of the weekends because you will be nowhere near the festivities, that doesn’t mean your guests won’t be affected with inflated airfare, hotel rooms, and the ability to even find a hotel room block!

Chicago’s Wedding Scene Beyond the Big Day

More and more, it’s becoming popular to do wedding weekend festivities in addition to just the big day. Chicago is known for its amazing food scene, so why not opt for a welcome party, rehearsal dinner or even a farewell brunch? After all, did you even visit Chicago if you didn’t try a beef from Portillos or a deep dish from Lou Malnati's? If you’re local to Chicago, it is still a great time to have a kick-off to the weekend at your favorite local spot and host your friends at the best bar in your neighborhood for a kick-ass after party! Below are my favorite city spots for food and small events:

  1. Gilt Bar (for that Speakeasy vibe!)

  2. Chicago Yacht Club (for that coastal, on the water view)

  3. Aba (for that rooftop with yummy bites)

  4. River Roast (for that riverwalk experience)

  5. SummerHouse Santa Monica (chill post-wedding-morning brunch)

  6. Beatnik on the River (riverviews for brunch vibes)

chicago wedding photographers

Playing Tourist

Even if you are local to Chicago and have walked these streets for years, it’s still so much fun to show guests around for those who might not live near the city. The best part about Chicago is all it has to offer and furthermore, that those offerings cater to so many different types of people. There are amazing options of fun things to do with your guests before or after your big day. Maybe you can’t be there to experience it with them, but giving them a list of “must-sees” while in the city is a fun add-on to their wedding experience. I had a couple gift their entire wedding party tickets to the Cubs game the day after the wedding and they all woke up and partied at Wrigley the next day! Below are some of my top things to do in Chicago if I was going to give a non-local the low down:

  1. River Architectural Cruise

  2. Navy Pier Fireworks (weekly in the summer)

  3. Lunch at Portillos for Chicago Hot Dogs (no ketchup)

  4. Dinner at Gino’s East or Lou Malnatis 

  1. Museum Campus (Field, Adler, Shedd)

  2. Lincoln Park Zoo (bonus; it’s free!)

  3. Shop Michigan Ave

  4. Sunset Dinner Cruise

  5. Chicago Cubs Game

  6. Millenium Park (the bean is just a given)

  7. SkyDeck

  8. Have a drink at a Riverwalk bar

  9. Michigan Ave Funzies: Nutella Bar, Starbucks Reserve, Seasonal Pop-up Experience

PHEW. That was a lot. But getting married is a lot. Planning a wedding is a lot. By breaking it down for you, I hope this was helpful in piece-mealing the information so it didn’t become info-overload. And even if it did, I encourage you to digest this in bite-sizes. Your wedding planning process doesn’t need to be everything all at once. Take it month by month so as not to overwhelm yourself. Here’s a TL:DR summary for those who are scroll readers:

  • Chicago is a large city with different offerings in different neighborhoods. 

  • Get to know Chicago seasons to make the most informed decision on timing for your date

  • Choice is key. A list of vendors and venues was provided.

  • Logistics are important to pay attention to including events, transportation and hotels

  • Take advantage of all Chicago has to offer through wedding weekend events


If you are at the stage of planning where next on your “to-book” list is wedding photography, I’m your girl! Let’s chat all about your day and I can walk you through everything you need to take into consideration when it comes to preparing for your wedding photos in this amazing city I call home. Not sure what you should even be asking a wedding photographer on a call? Download my free “20 Questions to Ask” before hopping on the phone with any wedding photographer!




I just know that Chicago is the perfect city. I love it so much, born and raised here, and I love sharing all of my favorite parts about it with people who are eager to love it just as much as me! Getting married here is a dream and the Chicago wedding industry is excited to welcome you into it!

Frequently Asked Questions that are Chicago Wedding Specific


How far out in advance does the Chicago market start to book?

This is going to be vendor specific. Venues start to book about 2 years prior to your desired date with the average being about 16 months in advance. For photography, my couples book me, on average, about 12-14 months in advance. 

Do we need to sign our marriage license right after the ceremony?

In Cook County (Chicago), the couple does not need to sign the marriage license. Neighboring countries also have this same routine, except for McHenry County.

Do we need permits to have photos taken?

Depending on your choice of location, yes. Oftentimes, these permits need to be paid and secured a minimum of one week prior to your wedding date. Your wedding photographer will be your best resource for this information. Permits range from $100-$500 depending on the location. 

How much do Chicago weddings really cost?

With anything, there is going to be a range. However, the current price tag for a city wedding in Chicago is an average of $75,000 or more. 

What are some Chicago-specific items we can do for favors or welcome bags?

  1. Garrett's Popcorn

  2. Mini Malort

  3. Nuts on Clark

  4. Wrigley Gum (Wrigley nod)

  5. CTA Map Postcard (useful and a memento!)

  6. Welcome to Chicago Guide (include your fave spots/things to do)

  7. Late Nite Snack of Chicago must-eats: hotdogs, mini beefs, etc.

Can we get a sunset photo over the lake?

That one is tough considering the sun sets in the west and the lakefront is to the east. There are some spots where you can get a little peek-a-boo sun flare, though!


BONUS: CHICAGO THEMED SIGNATURE DRINKS

Want to incorporate the Windy City into your day in a way that’s not too “in your face?” Consider doing a Chicago Signature Drink for your guests at cocktail hour to give a little nod to your host city. 

  1. The Gold Coast Gimlet

  2. Lakeshore Lemonade

  3. The Michigan Avenue Mule

  4. The Bean-tini (An espresso Martini, of course)

  5. Chi-Town Spritz

  6. Our Kind of Town

  7. The Malört Mistake

  8. Windy

  9. City Whiplash


Need something fun to say on that bar sign?

  1. One Malört shot = one good story tomorrow.

  2. Our kind of town, your kind of cocktail.

  3. No ketchup, no exceptions (next to the Bloody Mary station)

  4. Fuel for your deep-dish decisions.

  5. Cocktails strong enough to make you forget what lake you're near


Copyright 2026. Photography by Lauryn
Chicago Wedding Photographer serving couples in Chicagoland, the Midwest, and beyond.

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