The Perfect Route for your Chicago City Hall Elopement Photos

A piece of my heart will always belong to Chicago, even though I’m not living there now. I lived in Chicago for 10 years, and worked in City Hall for the last few. I went to college in the city, made lifelong friends there, and have countless memories that have shaped my life. Chicago is rich in history, culture, art, architecture, charm, literally everything you could want! So, I absolutely love showing people around this city that I love. So obviously, there’s nothing I love more than Chicago elopement shoots. I thrive on selecting iconic landmarks for our backdrops, knowing the best route to get to each location, and probably sharing some history with you along the way.

I have perfected a route through downtown Chicago (the Loop) for the City Hall elopement you’ve been dreaming of. Let me show you!

Planning Time

First off, plan to take your wedding photos before your City Hall ceremony. Wait times can vary at the courthouse, so ensuring you have the photos done first is the way to go. The courthouse starts seeing couples at 10am, so I plan backwards from there for a 90 minute shoot, which is honestly the perfect amount of time. Of course we can always start earlier if you need more time! I recommend starting your shoot at 8:30am. You will have great light at this time of day, making you and your partner literally glow. As a bonus, nothing will be busy yet so you won’t have to dodge swarms of tourists in the background of your wedding photos.

The Route

I have created a Google Map with my favorite elopement photo locations in downtown Chicago. These locations are both beautiful and walking distance from each other and from City Hall. This way you don’t have to worry about hopping in an Uber or taking the train from location to location.

Alexander Calder Flamingo sculpture 

The bold, red Flamingo sculpture is an iconic Chicago landmark and a perfect place to start your shoot. Conveniently located in the Loop at Federal Plaza, you can easily get there by multiple train lines. There’s literally a blue line station in the plaza, and other lines only a minute or so away. Mies van der Roe designed skyscrapers surround the sculpture, providing great contrast for the red of the sculpture to pop against black steel of the buildings. 

Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago is a short 8 minute walk from the Flamingo sculpture. The neoclassical architecture of the museum, paired with the iconic lion statues at the entrance, makes for a perfect backdrop for our next location. The stately stone building provides a perfect contrast to the soft, loving moments captured for your shoot. On the front steps, you can also get a great view and backdrop of the Chicago skyline for some of your shots. Glass skyscrapers also bounce light back onto the front steps, creating dreamy lighting that will make the two of you glow. I recommend hitting this location second so you get there before the museum opens. The Art Institute requires pre-approval to shoot on the front steps and inside the museum during their open hours, but they don’t open until 11am. Going early means you don’t have to get that permission, and you won’t have lines of people waiting to enter that could get in the way of your shoot. 

Lurie Garden 

After the Art Institute, walk 3 minutes north to the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park. The garden is perfectly tucked away by tall hedges, lush with wildflowers, and has the most incredible skyline views for your photos. You’ll be able to capture the Hancock Tower, the Pritzker Pavilion, Prudential Plaza, and so much more. The juxtaposition of the wild garden with the iconic skyscrapers creates such a unique composition for incredible wedding photos. While you’re in Millennium Park, you can stop at many other iconic Chicago landmarks, like the Crown Fountain or Cloud Gate (the Bean). 

Chicago Theater

From Millennium Park, take a 12 minute stroll to the Chicago Theater. You can capture on the go shots with recognizable Chicago architecture, like the L train tracks over Wabash and the whimsically designed Sullivan clocks on the corners of the old Marshall Field building. Stop a block or so south of the Chicago Theater to get a great angle of the marquee as well as the Marina City Towers (Corn Cob buildings) in the background. The magnificent colors and lights of the Chicago Theater marquee bring a nostalgic yet energetic boost to the photos taken here. Hot tip: The center lane of state street is very wide and does not allow traffic. There’s often city vehicles parked in this area. Stand out in this area to get a great angle of the marquee while capturing a close up shot of you and your partner.

Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza

We’re entering the final stretch! The Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza is a short 6 minute walk from the theater. It is also right next to City Hall, so it’s the perfect final location for your elopement shoot. I recommend having any friends and family who you want photos with meet you at the Picasso. The angular sculpture provides incredible shadows while also framing a view of City Hall, while the surrounding highrises reflect light back into the plaza, creating a beautiful setting for group shots. When you wrap up at the sculpture, I love to capture walking group shots as you and your crew head over to City Hall. The light shines through this corridor in a way that film captures magically.

City Hall

We’ve reached the final destination! Snap a few photos outside City Hall before heading in for your elopement ceremony. Hot Tip: The Cook County Building and Chicago City Hall are the same building. The east side of the building on Dearborn will have signs outside the doors that read “County Building” while the west side has signs that read “City Hall.” You can walk around the building to find the signs you prefer for your photos.

Get Married!

Next you can head inside for your City Hall ceremony! You can enjoy the rest of your day, knowing that you have already captured the most beautiful and iconically Chicago elopement pictures first thing in the morning. After your ceremony, you’re free to head to brunch with your crew and celebrate the day away!

Reach out to plan your Chicago elopement with me today. :)