Illinois
Private event photography · Chicago
In short
Private event photography in Chicago starts at $600: 3 hours on location with a photographer who works in Chicago, and 120 edited photos delivered to a private gallery within 5 business days.
Why choose Private event photography in Chicago?
Private event photography in Chicago is three hours of candid coverage and group portraits at a birthday, anniversary, retirement or family celebration, delivering more than 120 retouched photographs, priced from $600. Chicago parties tend to happen in rented rooms rather than back gardens for half the year, because from November to March nobody holds a sixtieth birthday on a patio. Many of the most photogenic rooms belong to institutions with their own photography rules, from the zoo to the arboretums. The venue contract therefore matters as much as the guest list when the photographs are being planned.
Worth knowing about Chicago
Two Chicago-area institutions waive their photography charges for people who hold an event with them. Lincoln Park Zoo lets groups who rent zoo space for a special occasion photograph during the rental at no added fee, instead of its $150 one-hour permit, and The Morton Arboretum waives its photography permit fee for hosts of a private event there. A Chicago party at either venue includes the photographs in the venue booking.
What does the session in Chicago look like?
- A rented room at Lincoln Park Zoo
- Event photos on zoo grounds during the rental, with no separate formal-photography permit to buy.
- A private event at The Morton Arboretum
- Tree-lined grounds in Lisle where hosting the event waives the usual photography permit fee.
- A restaurant private dining room
- Warm light, one long table and a toast, which is the cold-month Chicago party.
What does private event photography in Chicago include?
- 120+ retouched photographs
- Three hours of coverage
- Candid coverage plus group portraits
- Private online gallery within 5 business days
- Print release for personal use
FAQ — Private event photography in Chicago
Do we need a photography permit for a private party at Lincoln Park Zoo?
No, if the party has rented zoo space. Lincoln Park Zoo allows groups who rent its spaces for a wedding, reception or other special occasion to photograph during the rental at no extra charge. A separate formal portrait session on zoo grounds outside the rental time is a $150 permit for one hour, booked through the zoo.
How much of a Chicago private event does three hours cover?
Usually the arrival, the speeches or toasts, the cake and the group portraits, which at most Chicago birthdays and anniversaries happen inside the first two and a half hours. The 120 or more retouched photographs from the three hours of event coverage are delivered in a private online gallery within five business days.