If you're looking to host the wedding ceremony of your dreams or a fabulous photoshoot in an outdoor arena and garden in Chicago, Giggster can certainly help. While the famous Chicago Botanic Garden, with its well-known spots like Evening Island and Great Basin, is usually available for events, you might be looking for something a bit more private, lowkey, and budget-friendly.
If so, Giggster can find you the perfect venue for a sit-down dinner or a cocktail reception. Just imagine the potential of a private outdoor riverfront walled garden in Lincoln for a small and intimate wedding reception. On the other hand, if you need both outdoor gardens and indoor rooms for your magazine spread or your lifestyle shoot, then a spacious and luxurious home with beautifully landscaped and maintained gardens might serve you much better.
Look through the Giggster site for all kinds of aesthetics and budgets that might suit you and book your first choice venue out from under the noses of any competitors! We promise that you won't be disappointed by what we have to offer you.
If something like the Krehbiel Gallery in the Chicago Botanic Gardens, with its views over the North Lake, is what you're looking for in your wedding reception without the over-the-top pricing, we at Giggster can definitely find you a more beautiful place for your private event or shoot.
Who wouldn't want to attend a small dinner party or even a wedding ceremony on the grounds of a French chateau with a patio that doubles as a dance floor? Just make sure your catering services are equipped to handle an outdoor event.
If you're going for cozy English walled garden vibes for your innovative photoshoot, a private outdoor riverfront event space is just right for you.
Visit the Giggster app and book a multi-purpose veterans memorial park with a gazebo for your short film or documentary series.
Looking for something a little old-fashioned? A suburban 1920s Tudor home with a garden is the ideal location for your retro-style film.
Exceptional Variety & Quality: With the help of the Giggter site, you can check out Chicago locations starting at just $25/hour. From huge sprawling estates to small suburban gardens, we have options to help you find the perfect spot!
Hassle-Free Booking: Find out all the relevant details about 95 Chicago botanical gardens on the Giggster site, from pricing to whether there are indoor rooms available, read honest reviews, and book your favorite without a single worry.
24-Hour Free Cancellation Policy: Giggster also allows for cancellations without any additional fee within 24 hours of confirmation. Our only condition is that you must have booked at least 48 hours before the wedding reception or the shoot.
Platform Protections: If a place like Ranch with Plenty of Natural Lighting is the venue of your dreams, go ahead and book without stressing about details like damages and liabilities. Giggster's optional protection packages can take care of such issues for you.
If Chicago venues like Nichols Hall, McGinley Pavilion, and Searle Courtyard are what you're looking for, then you should definitely check out Giggster's 95 event spaces for a spot that provides the same sort of creative inspiration.
Wedding Ceremonies – Absolute Dream Venues. These wedding venues are perfect for a warm, summer wedding in Chicago under blue skies and the bright sun. Make use of in-season flowers and set up a memorable and beautiful wedding that will leave guests talking for years to come.
Film/TV Shoots – Beautiful Backdrops. On the lookout for a garden that comes right down to the water's edge or a veteran's memorial with aged trees and an elegant gazebo for a film scene? We can definitely help you find the spots that scratch your creative itches.
Private Events – Party Under the Open Sky. This kind of natural setting, whether it's a small and manicured backyard or a rose terrace and arbor attached to a French chateau, is an idyllic setting for a big birthday bash or a milestone anniversary to celebrate alongside all your guests.
Music Videos – Romantic and Dreamy. Musicians have made much wilder videos than simply playing a grand piano or putting an orchestra in a beautifully landscaped garden. But that's a visual that will always be appealing, and it's a classic for a reason.
Photoshoots – Soak in Natural Beauty. Host an engagement shoot or a fashion photoshoot amidst the lush greenery and colorful flowers of a botanical garden. Opt for sleek, modern, monochromatic looks so you don't blend into the background, and you're all set.
Before you actually book a venue for a special event or shoot, there are some top features that all garden venues should ideally have.
How many people can it fit? First, you've got to take into account how big the space is and how many people it can accommodate, so the space doesn't get crowded and unpleasant.
Is there access to parking? Most visitors will have to drive to the venue, especially if it's outside Chicago's town proper. In which case, if there isn't ample parking, you'll be in trouble.
What other amenities does the space provide? Is there an area for the caterers to prepare and set up the food and drinks for your cocktail party? Or are there washrooms for the use of guests or crew? Make sure the basic necessities are all present before you book.
While on the lookout for the perfect location to film at or host an event at, you'll also need to take a look at whether outdoor garden venues in Chicago are worth it. There are pros and cons to everything.
Advantages
Out-of-town guests and event planners can definitely check out the actual Chicago Botanic Garden and its visitor center for inspiration or even just to pass the time.
These botanical garden venues amidst the lap of nature are extremely versatile spaces and could just as well be used to film a short video as to host a wedding.
Photos amidst lush greenery aren't always an option in a big city, and the botanical garden venues on the Giggster site allow you to experience just that.
Chicago's culinary landscape is pretty great, and there are no issues finding vendors and catering services for an event or even a multiple-day film shoot.
Disadvantages
Chicago's weather definitely doesn't allow outdoor events year-round. Your guests or cast and crew might freeze to death if you plan something in January.
While there is a good bus system in Chicago, the local community relies on cars to get around. Anyway, many of these big sprawling venues will be outside the city proper.
Botanical gardens don't usually have the features and amenities necessary for an event or shoot, and there's a lot of setup involved.
Whether you're planning a sit-down dinner in a rose terrace with a full-fledged events team or you're shooting a documentary on the life of a famous person and you need to make use of a garden oasis with lily ponds, there are steps to prepare for any event.
Find the Location – First of all, it's most important to find the venue or filming destination. Once you know exactly what you have to work with, everything else will fall into place!
Hire Your Team – From a cast and crew to handle camera and lighting to catering teams and other vendors to make food for your guests, no one person can do everything themselves. Surrounding yourself with reliable people and establishing great communication can make or break your project.
Gather Your Equipment – Do you need a tripod to steady your camera? Lights to provide illumination in the dark? Signs to tell everyone where to go? Have it all ready way in advance of the actual event, and you should be set.
Pay Attention to Details – The best photos and videos come from an organized mind. While you definitely need some spontaneity, if you've framed the shots, then you won't be wasting time. You should also definitely pay attention to light and shadows and depth of field.
While finding Chicago venues at $25/hour on Giggster is a definite start when it comes to saving money, let's look at some of the other things you can do to cut down costs.
Explore the location beforehand.
Big decisions like the choice of venue shouldn't be made in a hurry, and if it's at all possible, you should scope out the space beforehand, mentally set up the space, and frame your shots (if you're shooting).
Think of timings and dates.
Summer is always busy and expensive, whether it's the venue rental itself or just catering services. Consider a time like September or March instead, when it won't be that busy without being too cold either.
Make use of daylight.
Your biggest ally when working in an outdoor venue is the abundance of natural light! Why spend money on lighting equipment when the sun is right there?
Botanical gardens are often dream venues for all sorts of private events and productions. Planning your wedding day inside a gazebo or under a flower arbor, or a seated dinner in a rose garden in Chicago? Giggster can make the entire experience so much easier, given the vast range of available venues.
