Choosing a Location for Your Engagement Photos (and Making It Feel Like a Date Night)

Engagement photos tend to land in a quieter space of the planning process. They matter, but they don’t feel as heavy as the wedding day itself. There’s no timeline, no guests waiting, just the two of you and a little time carved out together. And that’s what makes them so meaningful.

This session is a pause. A moment to step out of planning mode, slow down a bit, and spend time together doing something that feels familiar. The goal isn’t to create a highlight reel. It’s to capture what it feels like to be you two right now. If you’re planning your engagement photos and feeling unsure where to start, this post will walk through the parts that matter most: choosing a location for your engagement photos, staying comfortable, wearing something that feels like you, and letting the session feel more like a date night than a photoshoot.

Why Engagement Photos Matter (Without Making It a Big Thing)

Engagement photos don’t need to be a production to be meaningful. They matter because they document a season that goes by quickly. You’re engaged, making plans, thinking ahead, and also still very much living your everyday life together. These photos hold that in-between space. They’re also a chance to get comfortable being photographed together in a low-pressure way. You learn how it feels, how you move together, and how to simply exist in front of the camera without overthinking it. But mostly, they matter because they give you time. Time to slow down, walk, talk, laugh, and remember that at the center of all the planning is the two of you.

Choosing a Location for Your Engagement Photos

This is where most couples get stuck, and honestly, where a lot of unnecessary pressure creeps in. The best engagement photo locations are rarely the most dramatic or far-flung. They’re the places where you already feel like yourselves.

When thinking about where to take your engagement photos, start here:

• Where do you spend time together?

• Where do you feel relaxed?

• Where do you naturally linger instead of rushing through?

That might be a favorite trail, a lakeshore you return to every summer, a quiet neighborhood you walk through in the evenings, or a small town you love wandering around on weekends. Especially here in Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, the landscape does a lot of the heavy lifting. You don’t need to search for something out of the ordinary. The ordinary places you love tend to photograph beautifully because they already hold meaning.

Outdoor Locations vs. Familiar Places

Outdoor locations are popular for a reason. Forests, shorelines, and open spaces offer natural light, room to move, and a sense of calm that’s hard to replicate indoors. That said, nature doesn’t have to mean super remote or rugged. Some of the most successful engagement sessions happen in places that are:

• Easy to access

• Close to parking

• Comfortable to spend time in

Public trails, city parks, waterfront areas, and quieter neighborhoods often work better than locations that require long hikes or exposure to the elements the entire time.

Making Your Engagement Session Feel Like a Date Night

When couples tell me they’re nervous about engagement photos, it’s rarely about the camera itself. It’s usually about not knowing what to do, how to stand, or how to act once the photos start. That’s where my role comes in. I’ll guide you the entire time with gentle direction and prompts so you’re never left guessing. The difference is that instead of putting you into stiff poses, I build that guidance around simple, familiar activities that help you relax and move naturally together.

That might look like:

• Walking a trail you already love

• Grabbing coffee before or after the session

• Sitting close for a picnic or a quiet moment

• Pausing to talk, laugh, or take in your surroundings

These moments give you something to do while I shape the photos around how you naturally interact. Movement helps. Conversation helps. Familiar settings help. You don’t need to know what to do with your hands, and you don’t need to be “on.” The more the session feels like real life, the more natural and true-to-you the photos will feel too.

What to Wear for Engagement Photos (Comfort Comes First)

What you wear matters, but not in the way social media sometimes makes it feel. The best outfits are the ones you can move in, sit in, and walk in. Outfits that are truly comfortable for you.

A few guidelines that consistently work well:

• Choose clothes that feel like you, just a slightly elevated version

• Prioritize layers, especially in the Midwest

• Stick to textures and natural fabrics when possible

• Wear shoes you can actually walk in

Layers are especially helpful for engagement sessions in Michigan. Jackets, sweaters, scarves, and coats can be worked in naturally and removed briefly if needed. If you’re unsure where to start, outdoor brands often share simple layering guides that apply well to photos too.

Staying Comfortable During Your Session

Comfort directly affects how relaxed you feel, and relaxed couples always photograph better. This doesn’t mean braving the cold or pushing through discomfort. It means planning with intention. A few things that help:

• Choosing locations that allow for movement

• Wearing layers that can be adjusted easily

• Keeping sessions paced and unrushed

There’s no award for enduring discomfort. Engagement sessions work best when you feel taken care of and present, not rushed, cold, or hungry.

Choosing a Photographer (Without Overthinking It)

This doesn’t need to be complicated. The right photographer is someone you feel comfortable with. Someone whose work feels consistent and professional and whose communication feels clear and calm.

Ask yourself:

• Is their editing style consistent and in line with my vision?

• Can you imagine spending time with them?

• Do they explain things in a way that makes sense to you?

Style matters, but so does trust. The way a session is guided often matters more than the location itself.

Letting the Session Be What It Is

Not every moment will be perfectly polished, and that’s a good thing. Wind happens. Hair moves. Hands get cold. Laughing fits interrupt moments that were supposed to be quiet. Those details are part of the story. The goal of engagement photos isn’t perfection. It’s presence. When you allow the session to unfold naturally, you end up with photos that feel honest, grounded, and true to who you are together.

A Thought to Carry With You

Choosing a location for your engagement photos isn’t about finding the most impressive backdrop (though I am totally down to visit that gorgeous beach or rocky overlook). It’s about choosing a place where you can slow down and be yourselves. When the location feels right and the pressure is low, everything else tends to fall into place. Your engagement session doesn’t need to be anything more than what it already is: a small, meaningful chapter in the middle of a very full season.