How to pick a location for your engagement photos
With so many beautiful options on the West Coast, how do you go about picking just one location for your engagement photos?! It seems like such an impossible decision! From the golden, rocky gatherings of Joshua Tree to the moody, lush forests of the PNW, there are so many incredible spots to celebrate your engagement and capture your love.
That being said, it is absolutely possible to pick the perfect spot for your engagement shoot!
Here are just a few ways you and your love can narrow down your options from the entire West Coast to the perfect place for your two.
Make a list of wants and don’t wants
When you imagine your engagement photos, what do you see? Do you see golden fields, a neutral desert, crashing waves, or misty forests? Are you wearing your favorite sweater or maybe a flowy dress you bought last summer that you feel extra confident in. When it comes to picking a location, make a list of what you’d like your engagement photos to look like and a list of don’t wants. For example, maybe you want it to be colorful and warm. If so, you’re probably going to want to consider doing your session during the spring or summer when flowers are in bloom and the sun doesn’t set until after 8 PM. If you want to be all snuggly and moody, consider doing a time in the fall or winter surrounded by large redwoods and a foggy bay.
Decide what vibe you want for your engagement photos and go from there!
What kind of couple are you
If you described your relationship to your friends, what would you say? Are you the outdoorsy type that like to spend your weekends hiking and exploring new places? Maybe you’re laid back and enjoy spending the weekend talking and drinking at your favorite brewery. Or maybe you’re super romantic and love doing picnics or watching the sunsets on your date nights. Whatever you two enjoy doing together, do that! The best way to feel comfortable during your session and really celebrate and capture your love story is to do something you enjoy doing together!
You don’t have to do your engagement photos in a golden field. You can have them taken at your favorite brewery, biking around your neighborhood, or doing an activity you love like pottery, painting, or cooking.
The best engagement photos will represent you two as a couple!
Pick a location that’s special to your relationship
Do you have a special place that you two love to visit or have fond memories of? Consider choosing that spot as your engagement session location! This can be the place you first met, where you got engaged, your first home together, or anywhere that has any special significance to you two. Taking photos in a location that has meaning to your relationship is incredibly sweet and romantic. It’s an amazing way to celebrate how you two have grown and your future together.
Plus, taking photos in a spot that’s special to you two will make your photos extra unique to you and your love.
Ask your wedding photographer
Do you already have an engagement or wedding photographer? If so, ask them! It’s more than likely your photographer has helped more than one couple in the past pick a location for their engagement photos. If you’re using a local wedding photographer for your engagement photos, they will know all of the stunningly beautiful and amazing locations in their area. Describe the vibe you’re going for, who you are as a couple, and your needs (easy accessibility, local, outdoors/indoors), and see what they recommend.
When I start working with a couple, I will send them my Session Guide, which includes tips on what to wear, tricks on how to feel comfortable having your photo taken, and my favorite Santa Barbara and West Coast locations. This is a great resource for my couples to go through together, get a better idea of what they want, and then ask me any questions they might have. Together, we can create the perfect engagement session that is unique to them!
Whatever you do, make it you!
My best advice is to think about where you’ve always imagined having your photos taken, who you are as a couple, and picking a location that ultimately feels like you two and your relationship. The best photos will be taken in a place you’re comfortable, excited, and able to express yourselves and your love.
Cheers,
Emma
