A Bridal Portrait Session is a chance to do something out of the ordinary that can’t be pulled off on wedding day. It’s also for those who who are unable to do an engagement session or simply do not want one. It’s not a Trash the Dress session, but more like creating art featuring you and your dress unencumbered by the pressures and time restraints of the typical wedding day.

I recently did such a session in Chicago’s Bucktown / Wicker Park neighborhood famous for it’s colorful graffiti walls and various art galleries.

Bridal portraits featuring the colorful graffiti art of the Chicago Bucktown / Wicker park area.

This trendy neighborhood gave us the opportunity to casually stroll its grungy alleys looking for unique bridal portraits. This type of session is also a great opportunity to break out some funky shoes for an urban look.

The bride is illuminated by sunlight beneath the L train tracks on the north side of Chicago.

Bridal portrait in front of a grungy red door in Chicago.

Urban bridal portraits on the streets of Chicago.

Pink street art adorns the background in this bridal portrait in Chicago.

My previous bridal portrait session in Chicago showed off the skyscrapers, Chicago River and more. You can find that right here. This time around we were going for a very “rock and roll bride” kind of feel and wanted to emphasize the grunge of the city.

Bridal portraits on North Avenue in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood.

Bridal portrait using a colorful garage door as a backdrop.

We did take a number of “softer images” for this session utilizing some golden brick next to Knead pizza parlor. And yes, we did indulge in some Chicago slices after we were all done!

Bride leans against a golden brick wall for her Chicago bridal session in the Bucktown / Wicker Park area of the city.

If you want to try something different, please do Contact Me about your bridal portrait session. We can do these in your local area of Chicago. Let’s think outside the box!!

The most popular pre-wedding sessions are definitely engagement sessions in casual clothes with your fiancé. However, back in the day Bridal Portrait Sessions were all the rage. They are still popular in the southern region of the USA. They used to be done entirely in a studio. Today they are done on location with the following in mind:

a solo fashion shoot with the wedding dress
classic, artful and fashion forward posing
a chance to display these images next to your mother or grandmother who also had these done
an opportunity for more locations / times of day and being able to work around weather and take your time
can be done as a replacement or an addition to an engagement session
a great trial run for your makeup
usually done about 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding, but not a rule.

I recently did a modern take on the Bridal Portrait Session in Chicago with Michelle. I am now offering these session and you will find a link to them down below. Here are some images from the session along with more info from this America’s Top Model like photo shoot.

Bride underneath the honeycomb grid at the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Michelle wanted a Runaway Bride theme much like Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City. This involved hailing a few taxis and having her walk downtown alone. Ordering an Uber or Lyft would be more modern, but we were going for the classic city feel.

A bride hails herself a taxi on the streets of Chicago.

A bride walks alone on the streets of downtown Chicago during a bridal portrait session.

Earlier in the day, Michelle’s styling of hair and make up was done by Genell Banks from Beauty by Genell. She is a highly skilled artist in the greater Chicago area. Definitely hop over to her website if you are in need of styling for your bridal portrait session or wedding.

Black and white portraits of a bride in Chicago, Illinois.

We also wanted to incorporate the grandness of the skyscrapers along the city skyline, so we hit North Avenue Beach for a stroll along Lake Michigan.

A view of the skyscrapers in Chicago from North Avenue Beach during a bridal portrait session.

Images from a bridal portrait session in Chicago on North Avenue Beach.

If you have an idea or theme in mind for your own bridal portrait session, let’s chat about it. Here are some other ideas / locations for you to think about.

Go to Chicago with it’s endless opportunities for locations.
Consider a day / night session for some unique city at night pictures.
Go local and do the session in nature.
Have the session at your wedding venue.
Incorporate a mini boudoir session with intimate portraits indoors or out.

I’m so glad Michelle and I did this bridal portrait session in Chicago so we could show off this new / retro bridal photo shoot that is now live in the Region Weddings Shop for booking. You can also fill out the Contact Form for questions. To see a local version, please check out this Bridal Portrait Session At Barker Mansion.