Chicago - photo shoot locations

A lot of people will get out of the way for you. It's not uncommon, I've seen photographers stop traffic to get shots of the bride & groom walking down the middle of the street

I see people do wedding photos downtown a lot so I think it's doable. The only thing that might be a hassle is if your venue is far from downtown. There are also any amazing parks and natural areas in the city if you are looking for somewhere less-populated. North Pond / Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, Montrose, Osaka Japanese Garden, Humboldt Park just to name a few.

You will get lots of good suggestions here. Love Chicago!

How about the zoo? What area is your wedding in?

Robert Lurie is an alum of our department. I work in a building named for him

Where is your ceremony taking place? In the city or burbs?

In the city, Osaka Japanese garden is actually close to my church. I just took a look at it and it's gorgeous!

I think people will get out of the way if they see a bride and groom trying to take pictures. I've seen tons of wedding pictures of couples downtown!

We were in Chicago a few years ago. We saw two bridal parties in the center of the street. It was a huge interesting median. The bean would be cool!

Where is your ceremony/reception? You say your photographer is worried it will be a hassle to go downtown? I wouldn't be concerned about people getting out of the way but how long it will take to navigate traffic and get back to your guests if your ceremony isn't already downtown.

With the air show going on, it will be a traffic nightmare. We did ours at Lincoln Park Zoo (the bridge by Cafe Brauer) and on the Nature Walk - both have the city as a backdrop.

Olive Park and Lily Pond are both gorgeous spots.

Maggie Daly park is also a cute park

@Brenda - Here are our photos so you can get an idea of the backdrop. We also did our engagement pictures at Olive Park. Hopefully you find these helpful.

Example of a view at Olive Park.