Wedding Photos of Chicago

The following “Chicago” images were created by documentary wedding photographers from the WPJA, who regularly submit their best candid moments, artistic portraits, details, and scene setters for review by our WPJA competition judges.

WEDDINGS + ELOPEMENTS + ARTISTIC PORTRAITS & DETAILS + ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS

Some of the “Chicago” marriage photography samples below may have come from the getting ready events, the actual wedding ceremony, the reception after-party, an engagement session with the couple, or possibly be artistic portraits or detail shots.

FINE ART WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY: Our Artistic Guild award winners take a more creative approach to wedding day Portraits and use their innovative skills to capture the Details of each couple’s special day. The Artistic Guild’s Scene Setters are some of the most notable and breathtaking from within the artistic WPJA contest categories. Playing with light and shadow, special effects, and post-production editing, these images embrace the artistic component of wedding photography.

PRE-WEDDING ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY: The story of every couple starts long before the wedding day, and the engagement marks one of the most important milestones in their story. Engaged couples often want to celebrate the occasion and announce their upcoming wedding with a photoshoot. Pre-wedding portraits of an engaged couple can be just as moving and compelling as the images taken on the wedding day. Engagement portraits can win a Diamond Award, an exclusive WPJA award whose winner is selected from the best engagement photography in the world.

Illinois wedding photography of the Chicago bride coming to ceremony in the urban downtown area of the city

The urban downtown cityscape provided the perfect backdrop for capturing the bride's joyous arrival at her wedding ceremony

This pre-wedding detail picture features the bride's shoes on the window sill of a hotel in downtown Chicago, with a view of both the city skyline and waterfront

Chicago downtown hotel window sill: bride's shoes, skyline & waterfront view

Chicago skyline window sill Chicago waterfront view hotel window bridal shoes Chicago photographer

downtown bride and groom portrait as they walk with a dog

Chicago photographer dog Downtown Chicago bride and groom portrait Chicago

bride detail of henna hands and flowers

bride detail henna hands Chicago Chicago photographer flowers Illinois

Bridgeport art center bride and groom portrait under bridge of sparklers during exit

bride and groom under bridge of sparklers during exit

Chicago Illinois exit Chicago photographer Bridgepot Art Center bridge of sparklers

Illinois couple portrait in the middle of the street with yellow painted lines of the roadway

couple in the middle of the street with yellow painted lines of the roadway

Illinois middle of street yellow painted lines Chicago couple portrait Illinois photographer

couple walking in front of glass sculpture wall

Ignite Glass Studio Illinois glass sculpture wall Chicago Chicago photographer

newlywed couple lit up in a car in front of a sign

Salvage One Chicago Chicago photographer couple in car

Illinois couple playing skeeball in a Chicago venue

couple playing skeeball at venue

Chicago Chicago photographer Chicago bride and groom skeeball

couple in front of church for backlit portrait

Illinois Chicago photographer church Chicago backlit portrait couple portrait

couple dancing in front of lake

Chicago photographer Chicago couple dancing lakeside dance

Bride and her mother get ready at her childhood home before her wedding ceremony in LaGrange Park, IL

The bride's mother assisted her in getting ready for her wedding ceremony at her childhood home

bride getting ready Illinois Chicago chicago wedding photographer mother of bride LaGrange Park

Chicago candid documentary wedding photography at the Ravenswood Event Center capturing a hilarious moment of the bride dancing with her friends during the reception

a hilarious moment of the bride dancing with her friends during the reception

hilarious moment Ravenswood Event Center Chicago bride dancing with friends Chicago photographer

Renaissance Schaumburg Ballroom from an Indian ceremony

indian ceremony Chicago photographer Chicago Renaissance Schaumburg Ballroom

bride and bridesmaids are having fun in the bus

Downtown fun in the wedding bus Chicago photographer Chicago Bride and Bridesmaids

Chicago contest award winning documentary wedding photography at Salvage One of the IL couple having drinks

couple having drinks at reception

couple having drinks Salvage One Chicago photographer Illinois Chicago

A creative wedding photo from bridgeport art center, of the chicago couple toasting during cheers

An artistic wedding image of a couple toasting during a special moment of cheers captures the happiness of the day

Bridgeport Art Center chicago wedding photographer shadows cheers Chicago toasting

bridal party walking to a yellow bus

Illinois Chicago Chicago photographer bridal party umbrellas yellow bus

Chicago contest award winning documentary wedding photography of the bride and groom cheers with their guests during their reception

wedding table Chicago photographer celebration Illinois Chicago

A bride and groom walk down the aisle after getting married at Lacuna Loft Chicago, IL

After getting married outdoors with their family and friends, the bride and groom exited the aisle together following the wedding ceremony

Lacuna Loft Chicago ceremony exit chicago wedding photographer Chicago Chicago outdoor ceremony

Chicago romantic engagement session under a bridge with a couple taking a break from a walk

Chicago couple Silhouette portrait Chicago Sarah Nader Chicago photographer

Chicago couple posing for an engagement announcement shot at North Avenue Beach as they watch the sunset while walking the pier

sunset portrait urban backdrop Chicago photographer Chicago lakeside portrait north avenue beach Sarah Nader

Chicago River Walk engagement announcement couple photo session under the bridge by the water

Chicago Chicago Riverwalk Chicago photographer bridge Sarah Nader

Downtown Chicago engagement photography portfolio image with an Illinois couple walking along the river walk in downtown

Illinois Illinois couple Chicago Riverwalk reflections Sarah Nader Chicago photographer columns

Chicago romantic engagement session at the Wrigley Building with a couple laughing below the city buildings

Sarah Nader city buildings Wrigley Building Chicago Chicago photographer couple laughing

Chicago romantic engagement session at North Avenue Beach with a Couple kissing while holding their dog by the water

waterside engagement Chicago photographer cityscape couple kissing Chicago dog north avenue beach

North Avenue Beach engagement photography portfolio image with a Chicago couple looking at each other with the sunset behind them

Chicago Chicago photographer north avenue beach

Chicago engagement announcement photo idea at Belmont Harbor showing the Couple walking with the sunset behind them

Chicago photographer Belmont Harbor Chicago sunset

Chicago announcement of a Belmont Harbor engagement shoot at a park with a Couple cuddling under a tree

Chicago photographer park setting Chicago Belmont Harbor couple cuddling

Epic Chicago couple Belmont Harbor engagement announcement photography session with a Couple standing looking at each other with the water and skyline behind them

Chicago photographer Chicago skyline Belmont Harbor lakeside engagement

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WPJA contest judges have been recognized by their industry peers, winning top awards as staff picture editors, staff photojournalists, and newsroom mentors while working for these and other leading publications and journalism organizations.