Celebrating Unconditional Love in Chicago – A Like No Other

We are Shan Photography – a passionate and enthusiastic team of wedding photographers dedicated to capturing unforgettable blessed moments of couples in matrimony as authentically as possible. We strive to provide our engaged couples with a true reflection of their big day, filled with love, happiness, and priceless emotional exchanges, such that it takes them back to the wonderful experience, every time they look at the pictures.

To give our couples a true reliving experience through pictures, we follow an artistic documentation style of photography, where our experts will systematically blend in with the crowd and capture the moments as they occur, without disrupting the natural flow of the events. The result – an untainted story of your love and union that is so precious that you will want to treasure it for posterity.

As a holistic wedding photographer, we offer a range of services related to photography. Starting from pre-wedding photoshoots to extensive wedding day coverage and post-wedding parties, we provide everything you need to curate a special documentation of your love story. We also offer fully customized packages where you can tailor our services to fit your needs. This will not only help us create unforgettable and unique wedding stories for our portfolio but will also help you maximize our partnership.

Through our carefully planned and executed services, you can rest assured knowing your wedding documentation is in good hands! No matter what your wedding vision is, we can make it happen for you!

Contact Shan Photography today! Let’s discuss your wedding!

Our Portfolio

Chicago through the Shan Photography lenses

Chicago – the most populous city of Illinois, and the third-most populous city in the US, is a hip and happening community of people, bustling with activity throughout the day. It is an international hub of commerce, industry, education, technology, culture, and finance, well-known for having the largest and most diverse derivatives market in the world.

In addition to that, Chicago is also a top-rated tourist destination, housing some of the most iconic landmarks of the world including the Millennium Park and The Magnificent Mile. For the same reason, it is a hot spot for wedding photography attracting couples from around the world for destination weddings.

From serene landscapes and tranquil lakes to grandiose architectural marvels, Chicago is home to a myriad of attractions that make for excellent wedding photography backgrounds and frames. Whether you wish to capture the essence of the dynamic city through your album or incorporate an otherworldly exquisite ambiance, Chicago has the best spots.

As a veteran wedding photographer, we have captured many love stories over the years, in multiple stunning locations in and around the windy city. As a reference for your wedding photography vision, here are 11 of the most popular locales, preferred by couples with unique ideas.

Wrigley Building

An age-old favorite spot for wedding photography, the Wrigley building is a picture-perfect location offering breathtaking views of the towering skyscrapers lining the Chicago sky. From the sparkling windows of the buildings to the majestic skyline to the waterfront views of Lake Michigan, the place has several different frames and backdrops to choose from. It is one of the first spots that couples who love their city, choose for their special days.

Buckingham Fountain

The Buckingham Fountain is another beautiful location in the city featuring the largest active fountain in the world surrounded by a beautiful garden, spacious lawn areas, and urban sleek buildings. The frame is chic and sophisticated much like a location seen in a travel magazine. However, the place is crowded with tourists year-round. You will need a skilled wedding photographer, to create stunning wedding pictures amidst the crowd.

The Millennium Park

For couples who like the peace and serenity of lush green trees and plants, Millennium Park is the perfect choice. It is a warm, cozy, and beautiful venue that screams Chicago in every way. Located starkly in the middle of the city, it provides a surprisingly calm and peaceful ambiance with backdrops of tall towering trees, plants, and not to mention the stunning skyline at a distance. It also has stone-clad pathways and rich lawns that will make for more unique photography frames.

The Chicago Theater

If you wish to bring through the beauty of the city that you love so much in your photos, choose to pose on the streets in front of the Chicago Theater. Located in the heart of Chicago, it is a renowned landmark that effortlessly highlights the exquisiteness of the location, especially the neon sign. The busy streets and the lights provide ample scope for gorgeous long-exposure shots, especially during the night. It will make your pictures look stylish and on-trend.

Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond

Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond is an excellent location for couples who like some peace and quiet time or are generally uncomfortable posing in the presence of a crowd. Often considered a hidden gem, the park nestled in between the North and South Ponds of Lincoln Park, has an abundance of lush green foliage and tranquil still waters. A great photographer can make a hundred unique frames from the beautiful backdrop, transforming your pre-wedding photos into a unique experience.

Willis Tower

If there’s one iconic location from which to capture the wholesome vibrancy of Chicago, it is the famous Willis Tower. Featuring the most majestic fairytale view of the city atop a 1353-foot tower, the place guarantees to give wedding pictures an out-of-the-world appeal. The aerial views of the bustling city of Chicago will not only make your experience unforgettable but will also lend your wedding pictures a unique quality. For the most stunning play of natural light in your photos, plan shoots around the golden hours of the evening.

The Bean-Cloud Gate

The Bean-Cloud Gate is a unique and contemporary landmark that is soon coming to become synonymous with the Chicago cityscape. Much like the Willis Tower, it is now an important structure that screams Chicago, lending your photos an exquisite appeal. The unique shape and sleek style of the sculpture, make it an excellent backdrop by itself. The chrome finish further reveals some unique reflections of the city skyline. In every way, the venue provides some exotic frames to play with.

Garfield Park Conservatory

If you are looking to incorporate a rich tropical theme into your wedding pictures, the Garfield Park Conservatory is the perfect choice. Filled with lush botanicals, tall trees, beautiful ponds, and many aesthetic pathways worth exploring, the conservatory is a hot favorite location for pre-wedding and save-the-date photoshoots. With the greenery and the pathways, and the sunlight escaping in through the ceiling, the scope for creating some unique exotic frames for portrait shots is aplenty.

Northerly Island

Northerly Island is a slightly off-beat photography location that offers a mix of nature and cityscape backdrops. Located south of the Museum Campus, the place provides stunning views of the Chicago skyline, along with the unique charm of the countryside with its open dry fields, accompanying plants, and wooden fencing. The earthy colors of the natural elements, needless to say, demand to be photographed during golden hours – the key to magic pre-wedding photos.

Union Station

The Union Station is an iconic train station in Chicago that exudes European regal vibes. The building features exquisite architectural detailing, with towering Greek-style columns, high ceilings, stunning hallways, and spacious rooms in different designs – the ultimate recipe for an exotic wedding photo album. An experienced wedding photographer can help you create an array of uniquely framed romantic photos with your partner, along with some treasure-worthy group shots with your friends or bridesmaids.

4th Presbyterian Church

For vintage rustic vibes, pick the 4th Presbyterian Church premises. Located on Michigan Avenue, the building features rustic-style stone archways, ivy-covered walls, and archways and stone floors. The play of light and shadows lends a moody portrait appeal to wedding pictures. Perfectly picked corners and frames of the church will make your album look glamorously old-world, seemingly shot from the set of a rainy day in a movie.

Chicago has many more hidden gems and landmark locations that couples in the US love and use for their wedding pictures. Being an experienced team of wedding photographers, we are well-equipped to guide you with your photoshoot venue selection process. Communicate your wedding vision with our team and let us take you through the best locales in the city to fulfill your vision.

Top wedding venues in Chicago

Chicago is home to a plethora of beautiful resorts, convention centers, and hotels that are perfect for conducting weddings. From beach weddings to regal-style indoor weddings to intimate exotic weddings, Chicago lets you choose from a range of options, with picture-perfect venues for each. No matter what your photography theme or mood is, the windy city has something for everyone.

Here are 8 of the most popular wedding venues that the Shan Photography team has serviced.

The Ivy Room

The Ivy Room is a unique and artistically elevated wedding venue for couples who wish to get married in an unconventional setup. Located two blocks away from the Magnificent Mile, the place is the epitome of elegance with its lush ivy-covered façade, French doors, wooden floors, and fairytale balconies. The frames you can cover are aplenty and beautifully unique. The courtyard is ideal for a wedding ceremony, against the backdrop of the ivy-covered wall, and the building’s multi-paned windows towering four stories.

Salvatore's Wedding Venue

Salvatore’s Wedding Venue is the perfect choice for couples looking for timeless elegance in their wedding photos. The place offers a serene ambiance, with classic-styled interiors, raw brick-clad walls, and minimal arches; ample elements to make for beautiful frames and backdrops. The ballroom can be further customized with elegant décor to create personalized and unique wedding portrait frames.

Chicago Botanic Garden

The Chicago Botanic Garden is another timeless and elegant venue featuring gorgeous indoor and outdoor spaces. The enchanting gardens offer an abundance of lush green botanicals that make for excellent backdrops. There are also beautiful arches, walkways, ivy-clad walls, benches, and many more elements that form exquisite frames for wedding photography. The indoors are also luxuriously beautiful with floor-to-ceiling windows and crystal chandeliers.

City View Loft

For couples who love to have the beauty of Chicago shine through in their wedding pictures, the City View Loft is the ideal choice. The place is known for its stunning views of downtown Chicago, and the mesmerizing skyline in the distance. The abundance of clear and sleek art-deco-inspired windows will reveal the exquisiteness of the city that you live in, especially during the golden hours. The brick walls further make for industrial chic frames, different from the city views.

Lacuna Events by LM

Lacuna Events by LM is a unique and one-of-a-kind venue that offers a luxurious space for couples who wish to have an extravagant wedding in Chicago. The Skydeck on the roof is its most popular al fresco wedding space, which comes with breathtaking panoramic views of the skyline – a picturesque backdrop for your wedding pictures. It also has many more indoor and outdoor spaces with unique and intricate décor details that form exceptional frames for wedding photography.

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

For couples who dream of having a regal-style extravagant indoor wedding, the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago would be the perfect choice. It features grandiose interiors with gorgeous elements like a dramatic staircase, leading up to the Grand Ballroom which has champagne-colored silk wall coverings, drapes, and other pastel-colored accents – the perfect recipe for a range of luxurious wedding portrait backgrounds. The Lakeview room further offers stunning views of Lake Michigan through its large windows – another unique frame to take advantage of.

Creativo Loft

Creativo Loft is a chic and sophisticated loft space perfect for couples who wish to have minimal and elegant weddings. The historic building features original rustic vintage-style hardwood floors and tin ceilings, all of which make for exceptional vintage photography frames. In addition, the event space offers a clean blank canvas that can be customized to fit unique wedding themes – a great way to create unique and personalized backdrops for photographs.

Ravenswood Event Center

The Ravenswood Event Center offers a mix of industrial and sophisticated elements for different styles of wedding photography. With lofty floor-to-ceiling windows and rich wooden décor, the main event space provides a range of gorgeous frames to choose from. The al fresco spaces on the other hand offer breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline, which make for a different variety of photography backdrops. The venue comes with several outdoor spaces with lush green backdrops as well offering a perfect mix of frames.

The windy city has many more exquisite wedding venues that fulfill unique themes and moods. Our experienced team of wedding photographers has had the privilege of capturing love stories across these venues and more. We have the technical knowledge as well as the creative prowess to curate the best backdrops and frames for your wedding pictures, that perfectly align with your wedding vision. Count on us to make your dream wedding a reality.

The best times to get married in Chicago

Wedding season in Chicago comes twice a year, owing to the weather conditions and the preferences of the couple. Spring and summer are hot favorites for couples who love having flowers in full bloom or a little rain for some magic in their pictures, while early Fall is preferred by couples who love having peaceful outdoor ceremonies.

Spring and summer seasons from April to August are always great for photography with the blooming flowers, the clear blue sky, the greenery, and interesting pastel-colored themes. However, being Chicago, there are chances for unpleasant turns of weather conditions, such as a sudden shower, or a rise in temperature and extreme humidity. Considering the unpredictability, it is always good to have contingency plans to execute, and more than one theme for wedding pictures so that you can quickly switch and adapt accordingly. An experienced wedding photographer will always be prepared with equipment, props, and members.

Early Fall, the new favorite wedding season, is unsurprisingly so, as it comes with pleasant and cool weather conditions. Couples typically love having outdoor ceremonies in Fall in Chicago, as the transition period has the best temperature – not as hot as summer, yet not too cold. Additionally, the outdoors looks amazing in Fall colors such as oranges, browns, yellows, and dull greens – the perfect canvas for wedding photography.

Our secret to seamless and
beautiful wedding photographs

When you come to Shan Photography with a wedding event in mind, we consider it our passion project. To get the best outcome, our entire team likes to put in their 100% right from our initial discussion. Once we agree on the partnership, you are not mere clients for us, but you transform into a family where we get to be a part of one of the most important days of your life.

Our Connection

Unlike other photographers, we like to get to know you and form a connection with you before we set out to plan and shoot your wedding. This helps us understand your character, the things and people that are important to you, the bond you share with your partner, and your entire love story.

This kind of connection helps us better translate your love story through the pictures, which gives you a wholesome outcome. This also allows you and your partner to be comfortable and at ease in our presence.

Our Partnership

Our connection further grows into a great partnership on the day of the wedding, which lets us snap some of the best pictures together. We want our bride and groom to be completely comfortable and relaxed and have the best time together in front of the cameras. And as your partners, we will help you look and feel your best in the pictures in every way.

Authentic moments

We are a Chicago wedding photographer that is all about authentic and natural moments at weddings. Our partnership ultimately allows us both to be comfortable with each other, resulting in the best outcome. We patiently click through to find your perfect moments as you and your partner simply enjoy the moments together. There is a win-win situation – we get some natural, authentic, and frame-worthy moments from you, while you get to just be yourselves and in love.

Rely on Shan Photography to make your wedding vision come true

Whether you have a grand regal-style wedding album in mind, or intimate and elegant aesthetics for your wedding pictures, the Shan Photography team can make it happen for you. With more than a decade of expertise to our credit, we are one of the few fully equipped wedding photographers in Chicago with full-blown teams to cover weddings across any location in and around Chicago. Together we can make an album worth treasuring for a lifetime.

Contact Shan Photography today! Let’s discuss your wedding vision!

Faq's

What is your style of photography?

We like to describe our style of photography as a kind of authentic artistic imagery. As opposed to what conventional wedding photographers do, we like to bring out the most authentic and real moments from a wedding through the photographs. For that, we follow a personalized strategy where we get to know our clients well before we enter into the partnership, which lets our clients be the most comfortable and at ease with us. It also lets us capture the naturally flowing moments of the day without anyone having to awkwardly pose or give fake emotions. In addition, we also put in a lot of thought and effort behind the aesthetics of the pictures and deciding the frames for wedding portraits. With over 17 years of experience, our professional team of photographers knows how to discover and create the most amazing frames for your wedding pictures.

Can I see a full gallery of pictures from a wedding?

Photographers usually showcase some of the best picks from a range of more than 1000 pictures taken at a wedding on their portfolio page. These pictures would be an ideal representation of the kind of pictures you can expect to receive at your wedding.

However if you wish to see more pictures to better gauge our expertise and style, we would be more than happy to show you our full work. As we mentioned, we like to form a great connection with our clients before we decide on our partnership, so that we have no compatibility issues.

Do you use your own lighting for the wedding pictures?

Yes, we have the latest and best in lighting equipment to complement the quality of our 4K camera lenses. We also like to use natural lighting to our advantage as far as the conditions allow us. For evenings and under-lit wedding halls or for rainy days, we use our best-in-class lighting equipment to make sure that your wedding pictures look as amazing as the wedding.

Where do you provide your services in the US?

We are a wedding photographer and we provide our services all over the US.

Do you also offer videography for weddings?

Yes we do. We have our own talented in-house videographers to translate the magical moments from your wedding into authentic reels. We also have our in-house editors who combine their talent of visual storytelling to give you an immersive and cinematic wedding viewing experience.

Talk to our team to know more about our photography and videography inclusive wedding packages.

Do you include printed wedding albums in your package?

By default, we do not include wedding albums in our packages unless specifically required by our clients. However, we do have numerous clients who want old-fashioned prints and elegant coffee-table wedding albums, apart from the soft copies and digital albums, for whom we do provide the same.

You can discuss your requirements with our team and work out customized wedding photography packages to suit your budget.

How many images can I get from a photography package?

Wedding pictures are usually captured in the 1000s. We can provide 3000 to 5000 unprocessed images from your wedding day, however, when you pay for our photography package you also pay for image processing. This means we carefully pick and choose the best 500 to 600 pictures from your wedding day; which we guarantee will include one to a few pictures of each accurately captured important moment.

What kind of equipment do you use?

We use the best-in-class in photography, videography and lighting equipment to capture wedding pictures. To name a few, we have the latest in framing and set up including automatic gimbals, sliders and drones, 4K quality camera lenses including a range of zoom lenses and high-angle lenses and more.

How do you handle challenges at the wedding venue?

As one of the most reliable wedding photographers, we have a trained and professional set of experts to handle any type of scenario at the wedding venue. Our photographers are well-equipped and experienced in handling unique challenges of any photography location or venue. We have in fact had wonderful filming experiences in slightly rainy days and backyards for intimate weddings.

What is your pricing for Chicago wedding photography?

We believe in offering highly personalized services to our clients. Hence we offer customized pricing packages not only for wedding photography but all over the US. Our prices depend on your requirements, the type of events you need covered, the number of people involved, the location and many more. Rest assured, you will find your best fit with us according to your budget and your wedding.

Contact our team to discuss your wedding today and get a free estimate.