When couples ask me where to take their engagement photos, they almost always assume we need to head downtown. The Chicago skyline is gorgeous, no argument there, but as a photographer based in Skokie, I'm going to let you in on something: some of the most beautiful engagement photo locations in the Chicago area are right here on the North Shore, and most of them come without the crowds, the parking headaches, or the twelve other couples waiting for the same spot.
If you want lakefront light, historic architecture, and gardens that look straight out of a storybook, the North Shore delivers. Here are the spots I recommend most often, and exactly why each one works.
Why Choose the North Shore for Your Engagement Photos?
Beyond the obvious beauty, there's a practical reason I love shooting engagement sessions up here: flexibility. Downtown sessions require permits at many locations, tight timing, and a plan B for when a film crew takes over your spot. On the North Shore, we can move at your pace. We can start at a beach in Evanston, drive ten minutes, and finish in a completely different landscape in Wilmette, two totally distinct looks in one session.
The light is different, too. Along the lakefront from Evanston up through Glencoe, you get unobstructed eastern horizons. That means soft, glowing morning light over the water and rich golden-hour tones in the evening without skyscrapers throwing shadows across your photos.
My Favorite Engagement Photo Locations, Town by Town
Grosse Point Lighthouse and Lighthouse Beach, Evanston
This is the spot I suggest when couples tell me they want something that feels romantic and timeless. The lighthouse itself gives you that classic, storybook backdrop, and the surrounding gardens bloom beautifully from late spring through early fall. Walk five minutes and you're on the beach with open water behind you. I like to time sessions here for the last 90 minutes before sunset, when the light turns the sand and the lighthouse brick a warm honey color.
Northwestern University Lakefill, Evanston
The Lakefill is one of the only places in the suburbs where you can get the downtown Chicago skyline in your photos. It sits far enough south along the lake that the city appears right on the horizon. So if you want that skyline without actually going downtown, this is my go-to. Bonus: the campus itself has stone archways and ivy that photograph beautifully, especially in autumn.
Gillson Park, Wilmette
If I could only shoot engagement sessions in one park for the rest of my career, it might be Gillson. It has everything: a wide sandy beach, a tree-lined lagoon, open lawns, and winding paths under mature willows. It's also right next to the Baha'i House of Worship, whose white lacework dome makes one of the most striking architectural backdrops anywhere in Chicagoland. Many couples don't realize the temple gardens are open to visitors. A few frames there and your gallery instantly feels like a destination shoot.
Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
This one requires a photography permit, so plan ahead, but it's worth every bit of the paperwork. With 385 acres of themed gardens, there's a backdrop for every season and every style: the rose garden in June, the Japanese garden's quiet bridges, the waterfall garden, the English walled garden. When couples want a "garden party" feel or plan to dress up a bit more formally, this is where I send them. If you love that lush conservatory look, take a peek at this Garfield Park Conservatory engagement session for a feel of how greenery photographs.
Rosewood Beach, Highland Park
Rosewood is a quieter, more intimate beach than the bigger lakefront parks, tucked below wooded bluffs. The boardwalk that runs along the shore gives us leading lines and texture, and because it's less trafficked, it feels like a private stretch of coastline. It's my pick for couples who want their session to feel like just the two of them, because up here, it usually is.
Downtown Highland Park and the Ravinia District
Not every couple is a beach couple, and that's okay. If your idea of a perfect date is coffee, a bookstore, and a stroll past storefronts, downtown Highland Park has charming brick streetscapes and murals that make for relaxed, editorial-feeling photos. It's a great option for an "everyday us" session, the kind of photos that look like a really well-documented Saturday together.
When Should You Schedule Your North Shore Engagement Session?
Here's what I tell every couple: think about your light first and your outfit second. The hour after sunrise and the 90 minutes before sunset, golden hour, will flatter every skin tone and every location on this list. Midday works at the Botanic Garden or under Gillson's tree cover, but on open beaches it creates harsh shadows I'd rather help you avoid. I go deeper on this in my guide to the best time of day for outdoor photos.
Season-wise, the North Shore truly has no bad month. Late spring brings blossoms to the lighthouse gardens, summer gives us warm beach evenings, October sets the lakefront bluffs on fire with color, and even winter sessions along an empty, snow-dusted beach have a quiet drama you can't get any other time of year.
If you're planning to use your photos for save-the-dates, work backward from your mailing date and give yourself at least six to eight weeks for the session, gallery delivery, and printing.
A Few Tips Before Your Session
Wear shoes you can walk in, and bring the fancy pair to change into. Several of these locations involve sand, grass, or gravel paths. Plan two outfits if you'd like variety; a session that moves from Gillson Park to the Baha'i Temple can easily support a casual look and a dressed-up one. And leave room in your timeline to simply be together. The best engagement photos I take are never the posed ones. They're the in-between moments when you forget I'm there.
I'm lucky to call this area home. From my home base in Skokie, every location on this list is within a 20-minute drive, and I know exactly where the light falls at each one, hour by hour. If you're dreaming about lakefront light, garden blooms, or a skyline on the horizon, get in touch and let's find the spot that feels like you.