One of my favorite parts of planning an engagement session with couples in picking the location. I always encourage them to think about locations that would be either be personal to them or a location that goes with the type feeling/vibe they want to portray.
#1 LOCATIONS THAT ARE PERSONAL TO YOU:
This could be a place you visit a lot like a local park, coffee shop, or museum. You could even have the session in your home if you’d like a cozy and personal touch. I’ve also had couples travel to far away vacation spots because those places mean something to them. Honestly I think the session feels so much personal if it’s at a location that you go to together. Here are some examples of that:
The bride grew up going to Valley Forge with her family, so she picked it for her engagement session location so she could relive those memories with her fiance.
This couple got engaged in Old Town Alexandria, so naturally they wanted to go back for their engagement session :)
If you live and work in Washington DC, why not have your session there too so you can remember this awesome time in your lives. You may want to take a tour of Washington DC (which can be applied for over here), to scout out potential locations that you may have not known about. You’ll be able to see the beauty that it has to offer right on your doorstep.
These amazing people work in New York City and it was so fun to explore and photograph them in some of their favorite spots!
#2 LOCATIONS THAT GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC FEELING OR VIBE:
Sometimes when couples can’t think of a personal location, or if they are traveling to me and need me to location scout for them, I ask them what kind of feeling or vibe they are looking for. Some examples could be a wild flower field, groomed gardens, downtown city, waterfront, or even the beach! Endless options! Here are some sessions I shot for couples that wanted a specific feeling to their location so we picked in together:
This couple wanted a beautiful garden with lots of flowers and greenery, so we decided on the Hershey Gardens.
This bride wanted a European feel to their session so we found this awesome museum in the middle of Philadelphia.
Beach vibes! What could be better!
Went to a plant nursery for this session and OMG! Stunning!
This couple drove 4 hours to meet me for an engagement session and her request was “a wildflower field”. I was nervous because it was late in the summer and most of the flowers had already come and gone. But at this wildlife sanctuary there were tons of little yellow flowers everywhere and she loved it.
So if you are preparing for your engagement session and are stuck on what to do as far as locations, think about what places are special to you or what kind of feeling you want the location to give you. Random locations can be pretty, but it’s always better to put a bit of thought in to the WHERE. If you do, the finished product will be that much more meaningful!
