Good places to take wedding pictures (Chicago, Lincoln: theater, live, gardens)

[Score04]

Looking for ideas about where some good places to take wedding pictures would be, especially indoor ones we could get away with taking photos in there without a permit (in case of rain.)

From what I've googled, I've seen the boardwalk at North Avenue Beach, the Adler Planetarium Peninsula, and Lincoln Park.

Someone also mentioned there's some drawbridge that's always up, so there's no traffic there? Any idea what he would be thinking of?

The ceremony is in Edgewater and the reception is downtown, so we would want locations between the two.

[Avengerfire]

The City of Chicago does not make it easy nor cheap for people to do so. If I come up with anything I will post those ideas.

[Orangeish]

the Adler Planetarium Peninsula

We did this on this most recent Sat, and it was a really nice view. It was insanely hot, but thats ok, I bet the pics will still turn out well. I am almost positive it was free as well, we just pulled up in our limo, jumped out and snapped the pics. Noone asked to see our "tickets," or "passes," and there were about 7 other wedding parties there.

[adamtrip]

I see a lot of wedding parties taking pictures on E. Randolph, just before it cuts back toward the river.

[i_am_hydrogen]

- LaSalle Street between Kinzie and the Chicago River, looking south toward the Chicago Board of Trade (taken by me: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3543/...80e38576_o.jpg)
- Michigan Avenue between Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower (taken by me: Flickr Photo Download: (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamhydrogen/3868850767/sizes/o/in/set-72157607997838183/ - broken link))
- Chicago Riverwalk (taken by me: on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamhydrogen/4633509687/sizes/o/in/set-72157607997838183// - broken link))
- Milton Olive Lee Park/Ohio Street Beach (taken by me: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/...8dfddaa1_o.jpg; http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/...3bee10c9_o.jpg)
- Peoples Gas Education Pavilion in Lincoln Park (taken by me: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/...230924f1_o.jpg)
- North Avenue Beach (not taken by me: http://www.pbase.com/benpancoast/ima...0/original.jpg)

[jdiddy]

There's that triangle-shaped pier that juts out from Olive Lee Park over Lake Michigan, lots of wedding shots there.

[nikitakolata]

For my wedding last year we took a ton of pictures inside Union Station. I thought they were really cool with the huge columns and everything. We did lots of pictures on the staircases as well. No one bugged us about a permit and there was actually another wedding party there at the same time (it's huge though, so we weren't in the way of one another).

My favorite pictures were taken on La Salle Street though, with the board of trade in the background. I thought they were really cool and they turned out extremely well.

Just in case you're not familiar, here are some samples:


Union Station


Chicago Theater


In front of the Board of Trade


La Salle Street


Across from Chicago Theater

We didn't get any permits to take pictures, so I avoided places like Millennium Park where I knew they were necessary.

[Geostud]

I've seen people take photos at the North and South Courtyards of the Art Institute. The South Court is especially gorgeous w/ a large fountain, vines, etc.

[noplacelike]

Buckingham Fountain is a popular spot. Getting inside a nice building without a permit could be tough. The Chicago Cultural Center (still part of the library system I think) has a beautiful room with a rare Tiffany ceiling if they would let you pop in. Union Station is a great idea. If it were a Thursday night you could probably get away with the stairway of Art Institute inside. Agree about their gardens.

Come to think of it, the new Monroe St. entrance to the modern wing of Art Ins has beautiful natural light and there's quite a bit of space between the doors and the payment kiosk. I really don't see them being so obnoxious as to throw out a wedding photo shoot.

[Chicagodan]

Originally Posted by Score04

Someone also mentioned there's some drawbridge that's always up, so there's no traffic there? Any idea what he would be thinking of?

The bridge that's always up is the Carroll Avenue bridge, just south of the Kinzie Street bridge near the Merchandise Mart/East Bank Club. I live near there and see lots of wedding parties having pictures taken on the Kinzie bridge looking south toward the Carroll Avenue bridge and the Loop/Sears Tower area. I found a shot from Google Images (google "Kinzie bridge") of a wedding party there. It really is a great spot for wedding pictures, especially with the summer parade of boats -- who always beep their horns when the see the wedding party above!