Philly Engagement Photo Locations
One of the best things about the Philly area is an incredibly diverse selection of places to shoot engagement photos in Philadelphia. From the city to the shore, there’s tons of great places to explore!
Downtown Philadelphia Locations
Philadelphia Engagement Photo Locations
Philly has an almost endless amount of options to choose from. Some are specific and others are more general. Here’s a few favorites and well-known places to take engagement photos in Philadelphia. Take a look!
Waterworks
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Waterworks is one of the most popular places in Philadelphia for engagement photos. There’s a bunch of different backgrounds to choose from and you can explore the area easily. Parking is fairly straightforward in the lot off of Kelly Drive.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Art Museum
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Right beside the Waterworks area, the Philadelphia Art Museum is iconic and huge! There’s giant columns, a great view of the skyline and a bunch of options if you’re willing to walk a bit.
Permits & Rules:
No permit is required.
City Hall
Philadelphia
Nothing says Philadelphia quite like City Hall. You can take engagement photos in City Hall, under City Hall and on Broad Street looking at City Hall. Or do some of each!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
PHL Airport
Philadelphia
The airport? Yes! You can actually shoot engagement photos in the PHL airport. You may want to call first, but if you and your partner have the travel bug, PHL might be a place for you!
Permits & Rules:
Permission required.
Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia
Both Rittenhouse Square and the greater Rittenhouse area make beautiful, classic backdrops for engagement photos. You can shoot in the park and walk around the nearby brownstones.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
South Philly
Philadelphia
If you’re a foodie, you might want to consider taking engagement photos in the Italian Market. It’s screams Philly and allows for a lot of creativity (and eating).
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
W Philadelphia
center city
Many hotels will let you shoot engagement photos in them if you get permission. The W may be one of many, but it’s stylish and has an amazing view of the Philadelphia skyline.
Permits & Rules:
Permission required.
Ben Franklin Parkway
philadelphia
The Parkway has access to a ton of great options, from the Art Museum down to City Hall. If you like to improvise, we can shoot engagement photos while walking up and down the Parkway!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Kelly Drive
Philadelphia
Kelly Drive is a great spot for a diverse engagement photos in Philadelphia. There’s water, bridges, trees and Boathouse row. Plus, other than some runners, there’s usually not too many people around.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Bartram's Garden
Philadelphia
One of the hidden gems of Philly is Bartram’s Garden. Engagement photos at Bartram’s are perfect because it has so many options in one small space. Every time we’re there we discover something new!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Elfreth's Alley
Old City
The oldest street in America (we think) is a beautiful place for photos, but often very crowded! On a quiet day, you’ll have a great backdrop! On a busy one, you may find yourself waiting a bit for the best spots.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Race Street Pier
Philadelphia
You may not be able to fill and entire session of engagement photos at Race Street Pier, but it’s a really nice place to stop along the way with a great view of the Ben Franklin Bridge.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Old City
Philadelphia
The options for engagement photos in Old City are nearly endless. Come with a plan… or don’t! In Old City you can explore and move quickly through a number of great, historic places.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Headhouse Square
Philadelphia
Headhouse Square is a cool spot with a few unique angles and bars that’s nearby to many other places that you might want to shoot in. If you’re taking engagement photos at a few different Philly spots, it’s worth a stop!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Philadelphia Suburbs
Suburban Philadelphia Engagement Photo Locations
There are lots of iconic places to take engagement photos in the Philadelphia suburbs. From historic parks and beautiful gardens to breweries and main streets, there are plenty of options! Here’s a few favorites…
Ridley Creek State Park
Media, PA
Ridley Creek is not only a gorgeous state park, but it also has a mansion with surrounding grounds and old structures to provide variety. It’s open sunrise to sunset. We’ve shot engagement photos at Ridley Creek many times!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required. Free parking.
Valley Forge Park
King of Prussia, PA
One of the largest parks in the area is Valley Forge. While there are some nice structures at the park, most people go for the fields and stunning sunsets. If you’re a nature lover, engagement photos at Valley Forge park are a good idea!
Permits & Rules:
Rules are unclear, but we’ve never had too much trouble.
Longwood Gardens
Kennett Square
Longwood has been the single most popular place for engagement photos in all of PA. In 2024, they changed the rules to make it much more restrictive and expensive, although still possible.
Permits & Rules:
Permit required through Longwood.
Wissahickon Trail
Philadelphia
The Wissahickon Trail (aka Forbidden Trail) is a long, winding park that leaves the west side of the city. It has great trails, water and bridges and many access areas. Engagement photos at Wissahickon are an easy and fun walk!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Springton Manor Farm
Chester county
One of our favorite local spots for engagement photos is Springton Manor Farm. If you want a location for engagement photos that is a spacious, quiet and might have some goats, check it out!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Appleford Estate
Villanova, pA
Appleford is not only a great venue for wedding photography, but they also allow engagement photos! It’s a perfect spot for a fall engagement session with amazing tree color!
Permits & Rules:
Permission required.
Okehocking Preserve
West chester, PA
One of the many beautiful preserves in Chester County is Okehocking. While known for it’s off-leash dog park, the vast rolling and sunsets make Okehocking Preserve a nice spot for engagement photos.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
At Home
Anywhere
We love a personal touch, so starting your engagement session in your home is a great way to get some photos where you spend a lot of time. Plus it gets you comfortable and possibly a drink in your hand!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Downtown Phoenixville
Phoenixville, PA
Engagement photos in Phoenixville will showcase its cute downtown area. No stop in Phoenixville is ever complete without a beverage or bit to eat at one of dozens of local shops.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
At the Gym
Philadelphia
For the fitness gurus, shooting in a gym during off hours can be really fun! It’s like a jungle gym for engagement photos! If you spend a lot of time there, it’s definitely worth asking!
Permits & Rules:
Permission required.
Take a Hike
Anywhere
For the adventurers, we love a good hike! It’s a great way to have an active engagement session and even to incorporate pets if you’d like to!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
ChesLen Preserve
Chester county
Another gorgeous preserve in Chester County! ChesLen is sprawling and known for its vast open fields and streams. Nothing looks more like Chester County than engagement photos at a preserve.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Downtown West Chester
West Chester, PA
West Chester is one of the suburban gems around Philadelphia. It’s got a decent sized downtown area that’s great to use as a starting point to explore from. We’ve shot lots of West Chester engagement photos over the years!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
New Hope
Bucks County
One of the fanciest retreats from Philadelphia is New Hope. It’s not only home to some celebrities, but it’s beautiful and has access to water and bridges. You’ll love your New Hope engagement photos!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
A Local Farm
Anywhere
Over the years, many of our couples have asked a family friend about using their farm for engagement photos. We love a good farm and the options it presents for lighting and creativity!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
A Brewery
Philly Suburbs
A lot of people like to start off their engagement session with a drink! Heading to a brewery is a nice way for a laid-back engagement session.
Permits & Rules:
Varies.
Nearby Areas
Travel Engagement Photo Locations
As you may know, we love to travel for engagement photos. Whether you’re interested in the shore, the mountains, or a trip far away, we’re in! Here’s a few ideas…
Hershey Gardens
Hershey, PA
Hershey is a really cool town to shoot engagement photos in! There’s a nice Main Street, Hersheypark, and Hershey Gardens. The gardens are great and like a miniature Longwood Gardens.
Permits & Rules:
Permit required.
Lancaster County
Lancaster, PA
Not only does Lancaster have a bunch of gems, they have a really cool downtown area. It’s kind of like Old City, but more accessible. We’re big fans of Lancaster engagement photos!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Downtown Lititz
Lititz, PA
Within Lancaster County is the borough of Lititz, a quaint town that makes a really sweet backdrop for engagement photos!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
A Family Property
Anywhere
A place doesn’t have to be a public garden to work for engagement photos. Over the years, we’ve shot many sessions at a family’s property, lake houses or boats.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Reading, PA
Berks County
The Reading area has a surprising amount of good places to shoot, especially the Wyomissing area! Hit us up for some engagement photos in Berks County.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Penn State
State College, PA
We are… Happy to go to Happy Valley! So many of our couples have gone to Penn Sate and we’ve been on campus a bunch for some Penn State engagement photos.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
New York City
New York, NY
We’ve shot in all 5 boroughs of NYC and we love getting to the big city! Whether you want engagement photos in Central Park, Brooklyn or with a skyline view from Jersey, we’re in!
Permits & Rules:
Varies.
Shawnee Inn
Shawnee on the delaware
The Delaware Water Gap makes a wonderful backdrop for engagement photos and one of the best spots is Shawnee on the Delaware. It’s a huge property and has a bunch of really nice spots to shoot!
Permits & Rules:
Permission required.
Downtown D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Engagement photos in D.C. are so cool because the whole town is basically built for it. We recommend sunrise and definitely get a permit!
Permits & Rules:
Permit likely required.
Jersey Shore
New Jersey
The Jersey shore has a million different places to shoot and a lot of our clients have places that they love to go with their families. We’ll go down the shore any time for some Jersey Shore engagement sessions!
Permits & Rules:
Varies.
Delaware Beaches
Delaware
We’ve been all up and down the Delaware beaches and we love cool towns like Lewes, Bethany Beach and Rehoboth (we’ll count Ocean City too). Beach sessions in Delaware are always fun!
Permits & Rules:
Varies.
Princeton
Princeton, NJ
One of the prettiest towns in New Jersey is Princeton. It surrounds the university and the beauty of both is unmatched! Even if you’re not a Tiger, you can still go to Princeton!
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Destination Engagement
Anywhere
Where do you want to go? We’ve shot destination engagement sessions in Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe and more! We say yes to nearly any adventure.
Permits & Rules:
No permit required.
Your Alma Mater
Anywhere
Did you meet in school? Do you love your college? Maybe shooting and engagement session at your alma mater would work! Let us know where and we’ll go to school with you!
Permits & Rules:
Varies.