Engagement Session Locations – Seattle

When it comes time to do your engagement photos, I always suggest starting with the season. Here in the greater Seattle area we have all four beautiful seasons ! I recommend going with the season the same way you might buy your produce by what’s “in season”, we don’t buy watermelon in January, so don’t try to get a sun drenched beach shoot done in Jan either.

It’s also nice to consider your relationship. What do the two of you like to do together ? Are you more of a cuddle at home and watch Netflix couple ? Or do you like to get out and hike ? Are your dogs your fur babies ? If so incorporate these elements of your relationship into your engagement photos. Your home could even be the perfect location ! Here is an example of at home engagement photos.

But if you’re going to do outdoor engagement photos, let’s look at some of our favorite seasonal locations.

There is nothing more romantic than cuddling up together in some fluffy white snow. It’s also magically luminous in photos. Snow acts as a natural light reflector filling in all those shadows that might make unflattering photos. It also bounces light all around creating the same glow that golden hour does on a sunny summer evening. If you get cold easy or just don’t like the snow then this isn’t for you. But if you both enjoy skiing or snowboarding together, or you just think snow is super pretty like we do, then this could be a great winter option ! Think, snowball fight, sitting by a fire after, sharing steaming cups of cocoa. I even think it would be really cool to capture a couple actually skiing or snowboarding ! I would follow you up on the chairlift (no joke).

To get the best snow photos you want to aim for fresh fallen snow. You want a dusting on the trees in the background. You don’t want that melted away slushy look. We will keep an eye on the weather for you (yes we are part time meteorologists ) and we will let you know the exact day / time to head out ! Check out one of our favorite Snowy Engagement Sessions here.

Some favorite winter locations are: Alpental Snoqualmie, North Bend River, Gold Bar, Stevens Pass, Gold Creek Pond, Leavenworth (Sleeping Lady Resort)

Here is an early November Shoot with no snow, if you prefer that 🙂 North Bend River Engagement Session

Spring is so beautiful in the Pacific North West. It also happens to be right before wedding Season, so a lot of our couples do their engagement photos in the Spring. One very popular location (and for a reason !) is the UW Arboretum. Here is a Spring Engagement Session we did there last year. This shoot was on May 11th. This location is also beautiful (with slightly different looks) during the end of March as well as April. Here is what it looked like last mid April , as well as April 1st. 

So as you can see even one location can change dramatically depending on the month. Another popular spot for spring engagement photos is the UW quad. This place is a little trickier as it gets so crowded. The trick is to go very early (like 8 am ) on a weekday.

Another location I love that is a little more out there but so worth the drive ! Is Christiansen’s Nursery. Here is a styled wedding shoot we did there last April (towards the end) . It would be a great place for an engagement session !

This couple did their engagement session on Queen Anne where they lived and we went to their favorite IceCream spot and then for a walk. It doesn’t have to be elaborate.

Summer is one of our favorite seasons here for shooting. We love nothing more than the sun, especially the last couple hours of the sun. This is called Golden Hour. It is magic. Some places get this all year round (Hey there CA) but here in the Seattle area we only get it a few months of the year, so it’s cherished ! Summer Engagement sessions are so fun ! You can usually do them on a weekday after work (although we suggest taking the day off and making it as relaxing as possible). The sun stays out as late as 10 pm late June to early July so we usually start shooting around 8:30 pm.

Some favorite locations for summer engagement sessions are, Discovery Park, Woodland Park Rose Garden, Golden Gardens,  Blueberry Farms, Whidbey Island , Quincy WA, Wineries,  Swimsuit on the beach session ! (yes you can do this in Seattle as well). The options are endless. Click on the locations above to see examples in all of these locations.

Imagine a dockside picnic with champagne that ends with both of you jumping in 🙂 Maybe you love Paddle boarding ? We can go Paddle Boarding. Want a sailboat ? I can help you get one.

Fall is a great time of year for engagement photos. You most likely still have a leftover tan from the summer, you are getting ready to enjoy some downtime with each other and prepare for the coming Holidays. You can use your engagement session photos as your Holiday card 🙂 So where do we suggest doing fall engagement photos ? Here are some of our favorites.

Greenlake, North Bend, Magnuson Park, Leavenworth, Rockwood Farms, Discovery Park, This was shot in a parking lot in Woodinville ! Apple Orchards !

Some other locations that aren’t necessarily seasonal are city rooftops, ferry boats, cafes, etc. Just let us know what you have in mind and we will help your engagement photo dreams come true !