Museum engagement photos at The Art Institute of Chicago

For Ashlyn and Lane’s engagement photos, we planned a date day in Chicago. When Ashlyn told me she was interested in taking some of their engagement photos at a museum downtown, I knew the Art Institute would be perfect! We wanted to start their session with something a little more casual, and chose to grab some photos while they got a cup of coffee together at The Cafe at Venteux, just down the street from the Art Institute. 

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Ashlyn and Lane snagged a table by the window, starting their Saturday morning date having coffee together and watching Michigan Avenue come alive for the day. When they were finished, we walked over to the Art Institute. 

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Ashlyn and Lane’s museum engagement photos 

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We wandered the halls and exhibits of the museum together, stopping here and there for photos. Ashlyn and Lane’s engagement session is modern and romantic, with stunning art around every corner and beautiful architecture in the museum creating the perfect backdrop for their photos. Kaleb and I took them through our favorite spaces in the museum—walking past original works by Monet, watching museum goers at the Woman’s Board Grand Staircase, pausing in our favorite quiet space in the modern wing. As artists ourselves and lovers of art, capturing photographs at the Art Institute was inspiring, an amazing way to spend an engagement session with one of our couples. 

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What I love most about Ashlyn and Lane’s Art Institute engagement session though, is that you can see how much they love each other in the photos. Spending time together is the best for Ashlyn and Lane, and we love that their engagement photos in Chicago were a chance to do just that. 

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Planning museum engagement photos in Chicago 

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Interested in museum engagement photos in Chicago? First things first, make sure professional photography is allowed in the museum location you want to use. Once you confirm that it is, here are my top tips for planning the perfect session: 

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• Check the museum hours for the day you want to visit. 
• Go early to avoid crowds. Check the museum’s peak hours and avoid going when the museum is its busiest. 
• Check the bag policy for the museum. Most, including the Art Institute, ask you to check bags of a certain size. As a photographer, this means I can’t bring my camera bag along with me and need to be able to carry all my gear on me. 
• Check other photography policies at the museum. Some require permits, some do not. Most museums do not allow flash photography or tripods. Museums may have other policies that will affect your session, for example the Art institute doesn’t allow flowers inside the museum, so a couple couldn’t bring a bouquet along. 
• Get tickets in advance. 

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If you’re looking for a photographer for your museum engagement photos in Chicago, I’d love to connect! 

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