Yaaay! You're engaged! Now comes the hard part: Finding the best engagement photo locations.
As if you haven't already taken a bunch of ring selfies, now comes the ultimate photoshoot: your engagement pictures! But now you have to find a place, pick out outfits, and find a photographer. Not to mention, you're probably wondering a couple more questions, like:
- What are the best engagement photo locations?
- Where can you get engagement pictures taken?
- How soon after you get engaged should you take engagement photos?
The Best Engagement Photo Locations
As a wedding planner based in Rochester, NY, I know couples debate whether or not to even take engagement photos. I strongly recommend to all my couples they have an engagement session with their chosen wedding photographer. Your engagement photo session is a great time to get used to having your picture taken. It also helps you and your photographer get comfy with each other before they’re all up in your grill on your wedding day.
In terms of timeline, I recommend booking your wedding planner, venue, and wedding photographer in that order. Then you can start thinking about engagement photos. Most wedding photographers include engagement photo sessions as part of their wedding packages and, as I said before, it's a good opportunity for you to get to know each other.
But now, back to the topic at hand. There are many engagement photo locations to consider, but which ones are the best? Lucky for you, I work with some of the best photographers who gave me an extensive list of the best places for engagement photos.
Where to Take the Best Engagement Photos
Photography: Larkin and Trevor Photography
1. Places of Sentimental Value Make Great Engagement Photo Locations
Photography: Alexandra Elise Photography
You all know I love incorporating deeper, sentimental meanings in my events. When I spoke to Ali Reed from Alexandra Elise Photography, she said, “My favorite engagement session location is wherever is most personal and special to my couples. I prefer to shoot in a location that holds some sort of sentimental value instead of just a pretty place. That way, my couple is comfortable being there, and they have an emotional attachment and a reason to be there . . . It is personal to them and their story.”
“I travel frequently for sessions across New York state and also to other states for engagement sessions for this reason. Lots of my couples met each other and made a home in another city. They they come back to Rochester and the Finger Lakes to get married closer to family. This gives my couples the best of both worlds. Now they will have pictures from their wedding day in one or both of their hometowns, and their engagement session in their current city and home.
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2. Every Day Places That Are Part of Your Story
Photography: Mary Dougherty Photography
When I asked Mary Dougherty, a film wedding and portrait photographer based in the Adirondacks her favorite engagement photo locations, she responded that the “best place for engagement photos is a place that tells your story. . . Part of my process as a photographer involves getting to know you and unearthing what's most important to document. . . While you can definitely pick the most gorgeous location in your area, . . . it's really nice when you can plan something personal. An evening at the family house on the Finger Lakes, like Colleen and Seb, or a date in West Village like Jess and Brody. The images we created in these scenes are some of my favorites because they actually tell a story about their lives and document a really amazing time and place.”
3. Make a Weekend of It
Photography: Michelle Scott Photography
While most couples and their photographers take an afternoon for their engagement photos, others make it an experience. Mallory and Bill, who live in Atlanta, GA traveled for their engagement photos to Savannah, GA. According to Michelle Scott, their photographer, “Mallory and Bill had always been attracted to the water and interesting locations, so we decided to make a weekend of it and head to gorgeous Savannah for their engagement photos. We wanted it to feel natural and felt true to them, so most of our time was spent exploring historic downtown Savannah. At the end, we ran around on the beach not too far down the road. It really made for a great contrast of locations and we had so much fun!”
4. Locations with a Variety of Backgrounds
Photography: Larkin and Trevor Photography
Caleb and Eddie live in Washington, DC but were planning a destination wedding in the Finger Lakes region of New York. They chose to have their engagement photos in their hometown because they knew they'd have beautiful photos of New York from their wedding. They also included their fur baby Charlie in the photo because he probably wasn't coming to the wedding. It's good he didn't come to the wedding because he (almost) stole the show at their engagement photos!
According to their photographer Larkin of Larkin and Trevor Photography, “Caleb and Eddie work in the most adorable, picturesque neighborhood filled with unique old architecture and beautifully landscaped streets, so they knew all the best places to explore together! Knowing a place well is especially important when you choose to bring a fur baby along, and it’s a major bonus when your pet is already comfortable in that spot like their dog Charlie was. No matter what, we always suggest bringing along someone who can get your pet’s attention for photos and then take them while you finish up your session!”
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Photography: Alexandra Elise Photography
Several photographers suggest shooting your engagement photos at locations with multiple backgrounds. Somewhere you met, a place you love visiting, somewhere you cannot go to on the day of the wedding but has meaning to you are all good places to consider. When Holly and Dan had their engagement session, they explored parts of Brooklyn, their home, and also took photos with iconic landmarks, including the Brooklyn Carousel, which I think made such a fun and whimsical backdrop to their photo.
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5. Historic Homes and Gardens
Photography: Katie Finnerty Photography
Similar to this, Katie Finnerty, a wedding photographer based in Buffalo, NY specializing in lifestyle and fine art wedding and engagement photography says, “There are so many beautiful places in this region that it's hard to narrow it down to one best option. But my favorite engagement session locations tend to have some combination of nature (and this can be anything from a manicured garden to an overgrown field in the woods!) and interesting architecture, [like at the George Eastman House]. And a breathtaking view certainly doesn't hurt! Any two of these makes it a great location in my book. If you've got all three, it's a dream come true!”
6. Locations with Interesting Architectural Details
Photography: Laura Rose Weddings
When I asked Laura Rose of Laura Rose Wedding Photography for the best place to have engagement photos, she replied, “My favorite location in New York so far has been Delaware Park in Buffalo. It offers so much variety and versatility. I love having the mix of a beautiful natural setting coupled with gorgeous white stone architecture. I was immediately drawn to it and said it reminded me of Central Park (without the large number of tourists). My couple informed me it was designed by Frederick Olmsted, the same person who designed Central Park. [I love that] it offers tons of locations all within walking distance of one another.”
7. Roof Tops Make Stunning Engagement Photo Locations
Photography: Larkin and Trevor Photography
Nature not your cup of tea? Have your engagement session at a location with dramatic architecture or on a roof (or both)! If you live in an area with iconic buildings or views, have some of your photos taken there. Caleb and Eddie were getting married in the Finger Lakes region of New York, so they opted to have their wedding photographer travel to D.C. to shoot them in their neighborhood and among some of the city's most iconic architecture, such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This is seriously one of my favorite buildings in all of Washington and I adore this photo so much. Isn't it spectacular?
According to their photographer Larkin, “It almost goes without saying, but you can’t go wrong with jaw-dropping scenery for your engagement session. We had to take a few minutes to just stop and stare at our surroundings when Caleb and Eddie brought us to the roof of the Kennedy Center! We could’ve stayed there and taken pictures for hours, and it was an added bonus that we got to cross such a unique place off our bucket list!”
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The Best Engagement Photo Locations
Well, there you have it, friends. Whether you decide to have your engagement photos where you're getting married, around your neighborhood, or you travel somewhere more exotic, there are many options for engagement photo locations that will help memorialize this incredibly special time in your life. Whether you want photos that are emotion-driven and sentimental to you or you want jaw-dropping scenery or architecture, I hope this list will give you and your photographer get the perfect shots! And if you're excited to plan your wedding, hit me up! I only have a few weekends left before my rates increase for 2023!
Happy planning!
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Clockwise from Top Left: Larkin and Trevor Photography, Mary Dougherty Photography, Alexandra Elise Photography, Laura Rose Weddings, and Michelle Scott Photography.
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