If you want a romantic, classy, and stylish aesthetic for your engagement session, museum engagement photos could be everything you’re searching for. Taking your engagement photos at a museum means you will have stunning architecture to work with and beautiful, noteworthy art as your backdrop.
I had the chance to capture Becky and Kyle’s engagement photos at the Art Institute of Chicago. Their session felt like a dreamy, cinematic scene from a movie. They couldn’t have chosen a better location to capture the unfolding of this beautiful next chapter in their love story.
Let’s dive into more about why you should consider planning your engagement photos at a museum!
Why You Should Take Museum Engagement Photos
Here’s why a museum is the perfect place to take your engagement photos:
You’ll have unique photos
Museums offer a truly unique backdrop for your engagement photos. Futhermore, they are incredibly versatile. Depending on the museum you choose, you can create any mood/atmosphere you want with your photos. This could be editorial, cinematic, moody and dramatic, or something else.
Picture all of the different, one-of-a-kind backdrops you’ll be able to work with based on the museum you choose. This could include stunning marble statues, contemporary art pieces, paintings of all sizes, a grand staircase, etc. There are endless ways to make a museum engagement session feel like it was crafted by magic and capture your love story in a way that is uniquely yours.
You don’t have to worry about the weather
Rain, snow, heat, wind, and other weather conditions can all create huge disruptions during your engagement session. The good news about planning a museum engagement session is that you don’t have to worry about the weather at all!
Plus, inside a museum, you’ll have lots of natural light to work with and, of course, controlled temperatures.
Timeless and classy atmosphere
If you want your engagement photos to exude timeless elegance, there’s no better place to choose than a museum. The history, art, and architecture within museums create a dreamy atmosphere that truly makes your photos feel like art.
You can have a romantic date afterwards
After your engagement session, you can plan a date at the museum. You can both wander hand in hand around the museum and admire all that it has to offer.
To make the night even more romantic, you can also plan to go out for drinks or dinner afterwards. You’ll already be dressed up anyway, so it’s the perfect excuse to spend meaningful time together.
Tips for Taking Engagement Photos at a Museum
Here are my top tips for taking engagement photos at a museum:
Bring a comfortable pair of shoes
If you’re planning to wander around the museum, I would highly recommend wearing a comfortable pair of shoes. You’d be surprised at how big some of these museums were, and you can end up walking a decent amount throughout the session. You might also end up walking up and down a lot of stairs and definitely want to be comfortable!
Research the museum in advance
This isn’t an absolute must, but if you are picking an incredibly popular museum, such as The Art Institute of Chicago, it’s good to know what’s waiting for you inside. You can make a list of places where you know you want to take photos, and you can also know in advance if there are any spots within the museum where you can’t take photos.
You can even plan a potential route within the museum so you can know exactly where you want to go and where your favorite spots are.
Museums will often have rotating exhibits as well, so doing a bit of research beforehand can be helpful in knowing what exactly you can expect throughout and if any areas happen to be closed as exhibits are being swapped out!
Decide the time of day for your session
For the best photos, you’ll want to make the most of the natural lighting you have available. There truly is nothing like natural light when it comes to creating stunning photos.
You’ll want to make sure you aren’t picking the most crowded time of the day for your session, so it’s good to know in advance what times of the day the museum is less busy. This may also vary depending on the time of year.
You may find that during the summertime, some museums are going to be busier as people are on vacation or as the museum hosts programs for its visitors. When in doubt, you can always call the museum and check with them on what time they would suggest you have your session!
Becky and Kyle’s Engagement Photos at the Art Institute of Chicago
If you need even more proof of how enchanting a museum engagement session can be, check out Becky and Kyle’s engagement photos at the Art Institute of Chicago.
I adore the Art Institute, as it is not only visually stunning but also incredible to work with the team there. All of the staff are helpful and friendly, and I would 100% recommend this location for an engagement session.
Becky and Kyle chose the Art Institute because they fell in love with its timeless elegance. They also wanted engagement photos full of light, making the museum the ideal spot.
Also, if you’re worried about picking a museum because you think it will be too crowded, don’t worry! When Becky and Kyle had their session, it was easy to work around the other visitors.
If you want to take photos at the Art Institute of Chicago and avoid the crowds, I recommend planning your session on a weekday, and to avoid the lunch hour. Pro tip: if you invest in the Members Program, you get early access to the museum before anyone else is let in. However, if you don’t join the Members Program, you will be required to purchase tickets to enter the Art Institute.
Chicago Art Institute Museum Locations to Take Engagement Photos
For Becky and Kyle’s session, we had a flexible plan for their session, meaning we had a rough idea of the places we wanted to visit, but also left plenty of time for wandering.
Some spots we ended up using were the Woman’s Board Grand Staircase and Gallery 135 on the first floor. I really can’t stress how much I love this staircase and how incredible a spot it is for your session.
We also went to the Pritzker Gallery and Contemporary Wing on the second floor. The gallery has impressionist pieces and Georgia O’Keeffe’s Sky Above the Clouds IV, which is absolutely stunning.
Finally, we also went to the Griffin Court and Sculpture Terrace in the Modern Wing. The court has big narrow windows with amazing colorful skylights and the terrace has views of the city and classic Chicago architecture.
I will say the Sculpture Terrace is a bit hard to find but it is absolutely worth the search! The views were unmatched and we had the whole Terrace to ourselves!
If you want to discover some other beautiful spots throughout the museum to take photos and additional tips about planning your session, be sure to check out another engagement session I did at the Art Institute here!
Also, you don’t just have to take your engagement photos only at the Art Institute. There are so many incredible spots nearby that you could also include in your session, such as heading to North Avenue Beach with lakefront and skyline views. Or you could also plan to take photos in Downtown Chicago at night, which promises to be a magical experience!
Ready to Plan Your Museum Engagement Photos?
I hope you found this guide helpful! Using a museum as a backdrop for engagement photos promises to add a layer of depth and storytelling to each image captured, turning your photos into their own timeless art!
And, if you’re in Chicago and looking for the perfect photographer for your engagement session, I’d love to chat. Click here to learn more about my photography services, or head over here to get in touch and start planning your own session!
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