Choosing a location for your engagement session can sometimes be ridiculously difficult because there’s so many locations or ideas to choose from.

“Do you have any location recommendations?” This is one of the most popular questions I get for engagement and other portrait sessions. I always recommend checking out my list of favorite engagement session locations, but this is only one way to help decide on an engagement session location. Here’s a few tips that will hopefully make your choosing process a little easier.

Think about where you first met.

If you’ve ever been to a location then something good or bad happened, then that location can become a bit sentimental. Choosing the location where you guys first met for your engagement session can be a bit of a sweet reminder that this is where you met your life partner.

Austin & Abbey had met at a local bar in Snohomish so we recreated that moment at a bar for their session.

Consider your hometown.

No matter where you live whether it’s a picturesque area or a simplistic small town, your hometown may be the perfect location for your shoot.

With R & A’s couple session, they were actually my neighbors so what better way to do their session other than in my backyard during this crazy snow storm that we had in Washington.

Go back to where he proposed.

A & A did an in-home session which is where he had gotten down on one knee.

Choose a place that you visit often.

K & K spend most of their spring and summers out exploring different trails and just exploring the state. It only seemed fitting that we went to Mount Rainier for their session

Find a place that suits your interests and personalities.

Do you love the outdoors? Do you prefer a big city? Think about how you like to spend your time together and choose a place based on that.

A & A wanted to do something that was a little more elegant and high end so we decided to head out to one of the hotels in Seattle, Washington and roam the streets a bit.

Consider the time of day.

Remember that in photography, light is everything. So if you plan to have a sunset engagement session, be sure that the light will be flattering at that time of the day! A & S’s session we did down in Discovery Park in Seattle, Washington and they had literally the most perfect lighting. Be aware that the “golden lighting” is always around sunrise or sunset but with that being said, the golden glow may not always appear.

Pay attention to the season.

Some locations are prettier during a specific time of year. If you know you want spring photos, do a little research and find out which locations look best at that time of year. A & A had chose to do their session out at one of the marina’s in Olympia, Washington and next to the marina was some cherry blossoms where it made their session a bit extra special.

Think about the types of outfits you’d like to wear.

Make sure your outfits fit the location and vibe of the place you’ve chosen. R & J’s beach session was a bit more romantic but still casual, R had worn a flowy dress while J had worn khaki’s & a button down, both outfits felt suitable for the beach along with being comfortable. It looked stunning in the beach and mountain location.

Make sure the location fits your needs.

This one is especially important if you’re bringing your doggy along on your shoot! You don’t want to choose a place that isn’t dog friendly! M & J chose to do the first part of their engagement shoot at their property in Ellensburg, Washington with their fur babies on the back of J’s grandfather’s truck.

Head to your venue.

H & D had done their engagement session at the Olson Mansion which was their wedding venue, we explored areas that we knew we weren’t going to have time to explore on their wedding day.

Go somewhere picturesque!

There’s no rules to choosing out a location for your engagement session, like you don’t have to go back to where your love story first started. You could honestly just pick a location that you saw on Pinterest and you thought was pretty, there’s no one to tell you not to do that. After your photos are captured at that location, then that place will have a meaning to you both. K & D had found this location from a Google search but both of us had never been here before so we had a fun little adventure exploring this stunning park.

Make it a theme!

If you have a special holiday, hobby, or season consider planning a session based on those details that are special to the two of you. B proposed to J at Christmas time so they chose to do their engagement session at a snowy location that represented the holidays!

Alright y’all! I hope these few tips were useful and found that these could help you decide on a location for your session! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns!