Spring is here and love is in the air! If you recently got engaged over the winter season, I want to say a huge CONGRATULATIONS! This is SUCH an exciting time in your life! A great way to kick off the wedding planning vibes, and to document this stage of your life, is by having an Engagement Session! Engagement Sessions are great for you and your partner to feel more comfortable in front of the camera as practice for your wedding day. It's also a great time to get to know your wedding photographer, AND to get photos that could become really helpful for your Save the Dates, your wedding website, your wedding invitations, guest book, wedding decor, and even thank you or holiday cards later down the line! There's a lot of positives to having your photos taken after you get engaged, so I thought I'd help you out by providing you with some spring Engagement Session ideas today!
Now you may be thinking, why do I need ideas for our Engagement Session?
As an Elopement and Intimate Wedding photographer who has documented loads of couples during their Engagement Sessions, I am a big believer that your Engagement Session should feel like FUN! You should incorporate your personalities and your interests into your session so that it feels so much more than a photoshoot, and feels more similar to a date. The reason for this is because when you're hanging out with your partner and incorporating your interests into your session, you will feel SO much more comfortable, which will then lead you to feeling like yourself in the moment, which will then lead to your photos looking natural, fun, and be an authentic representation of YOU!
I always encourage my Engagement Session couples to brainstorm some of their favorite dates into their session, or host the session in a spot you and your partner frequent often, or incorporate activities that you two enjoy doing together (appropriate ones, of course...).
To help with the brainstorming, I have lists for Summer Engagement Session Ideas, and Fall Engagement Session Ideas, so I felt it was finally time to create a list of Spring Engagement Session Ideas!
Here they are:
Flower fields, like Tulips
Walk through your favorite park
Picnic
Hit up your favorite spots in town
Studio session
Lakeside session / Beach session / cold plunge
Golf Course
Sunrise or Sunset session
Bowling / Arcade
At-home engagement session (baking? sourdough?)
Flower Fields
When I think of spring, I think of fresh air, more daylight, and flowers!
I know, florals aren't anything new or groundbreaking for spring, however they can still be incorporated into your photos in a way that feels unique and fun to you. Of course, we could incorporate flowers as decor for your session, which is always stunning. I also think you could take it a step further and have your engagement photos taken at a flower field in the spring, such as The Farm at Wolf Pine Hollow in Hancock, NH. They anticipate to open up their tulip fields for their U-Pick season by the end of April, and it will remain open for a few weeks following. There is a $75.00 fee for a professional photographer to take photos that's good for 1 hour, but you have the flexibility of going whenever the farm is open to the public. Plus, it's $2.50 per tulip stem, so you and your partner could get stunning Engagement photos in their tulip fields, PLUS leave with a gorgeous bouquet of tulips as a souvenir!
Spring Engagement Session In Your Favorite Park
A great way to get outside for your Engagement Session is by going and exploring your favorite park this time of year! Grass, new leaves on trees, and local flora will be popping up and will make for a beautiful backdrop in your photos! We're so lucky in the Keene, NH area to have access to some incredible parks that are close by that would be PERFECT for your engagement session! Tall red pine trees fill up Wheelock Park that would make for some stunning woodsy-feeling photos. My personal favorite tennis courts are located inside Wheelock Park as well if you want to have a sportier feel to your photos. Robin Hood Park also has a section with the beautiful, tall, red pines, and it also has a pond that would be amazing for photos, an amphitheater, and a quick and easy loop around the pond to explore during your session as well. The Ashuelot River Park is another local to Keene, NH that has so many different spots for photos! Riverside photos, photos near flowers, in an open field area, on the trail alongside the river and amidst the trees - your final gallery would have tons of diversity in the backgrounds of your photos for you to choose from!
Picnic
I have personally always been a lover of picnics. I would take my best friends on little picnics in high school in some of my favorite spots in my hometown of Hillsboro, NH, and they would always be so wholesome and fun! Picnics offer privacy and also authority over the time of day your session takes place at. Plus, you get to pick what you eat and drink! I think there's something quite romantic about picnics that can also be whimsical and sweet. If you're a little more on the badass side, I could TOTALY envision a picnic being perfect for your day, too! It's all about how you accessorize it, what foods you include, the picnic blanket, the beverages you pick - it can so easily be customized to suit you two and your personalities! It's also great for you to not feel like you need to stare at your photographer's camera smiling the whole time...that's not fun for you, and I promise you, it's not fun for the photographer either!
Favorite Spots in Town
This idea is one of my favorites because it's incredibly versatile! A few of the couples I've worked with previously have used this idea and their sessions are all super memorable in my mind because they were SO MUCH FUN! Basically, I'll either come to your town or city, or, if you like exploring new places, I welcome you to come to my neck of the woods in Keene, NH, or Hillsboro, NH, which is the town I grew up in. The key to this is to have at least 2 locations that you'd like to incorporate into your session within your town. For example, one of my past couples started out in front/around the restaurant they got engaged at, and then we drove down the street to one of their favorite bars that also had cornhole inside, as well as some arcade games. It was also the hottest day of the year, and yet we still had a blast! I felt so honored that I got to explore some of their favorite spots in town with them - it felt like they were sharing a piece of their heart with me.
I think Main Street in Keene, NH is the PERFECT spot for something like this! We have historical murals all throughout town, some great bars with window seats so you could go bar hopping and get some really sweet, documentary-style photographs. We also have a few tattoo shops, so you could even get tattoos together! If coffee shops and book stores are more your thing, I am so in love with the ones we have in Keene, and I know you'll love them, too!
Fun fact: did you know that Keene, NH was also a major filming location for the original Jumanji movie? So if you're a movie buff, Keene is definitely a great spot for you to explore for your engagement session!
Studio Session
While spring does make me think of sunshine and flowers, it also makes me think of rain and unpredictable weather, especially in New England. If you're nervous about the weather impacting your session, and you're really set on one date for your engagement session this spring, then planning for a studio session may be a great option for you!
What I love about studios is that they're basically blank slates for you to make your own. Some of my favorite in Southern, NH are architecturally aesthetic, which means that if you want to keep your photos simple, and you don't want a lot of props, then you really don't need to because the backgrounds will still be stunning! Good lighting is also crucial, and while I'll happily utilize flash if necessary, or if it fits my vision creatively, I do prefer working with the natural sunlight. Some of my favorite studios have these gorgeous, massive windows that really welcome loads of sunshine.
The studio I use the most is located in an old mill building in Dover, NH, yet there is one closer to Keene, NH in Hillsboro that is in one of my favorite building in town, right on Main Street! It's above an ice cream parlor, so you'll have easy access to a post-session treat if we opt to rent out that studio.
Engagement Session by the Water
I absolutely LOVE documenting engagement sessions at the beach in the spring. The colors that come across in the photos are soft and calm, allowing you and your partner to shine as the main focus. These areas are also never as busy in the spring, which means you'll have a session that feels more private and you won't feel as distracted by passerby.
If you live closer to the Western side of New Hampshire, but you still want your photos to have a minimal, beach kind of vibe, I highly recommend a lakeside Engagement Session! There are SO many great lake options in Southwest, NH! One of my favorites is Manahan Beach in Hillsboro, NH, which to locals may sound underwhelming. I grew up in Hillsboro, NH though, and the reason I love this location in the Spring time is because the beach is clean, you can be right next to the water, yet you're also next to really tall pines which are gorgeous at sunrise, AND there's a mountain in the background, so you get a lot of variety in your photos.
A bonus to these spring session by the water is that, at the end of the session, you always have the option of doing a cold plunge! Yes, it's cold, yet you feel SO alive afterwards! It's exhilarating and, as someone who wants your session to feel like a date that leaves you with lasting memories, I can guarantee that you'll never forget it. I had a couple do a cold plunge after their session, so I also did a cold plunge afterwards as well in solidarity! It was so much fun, and it's still something we talk about together years later.
Golf Course
If you and your partner like to golf, spring is a great time of year to have your engagement session at a golf course! Sunset is my favorite time of day to do this because there's just something about the way the golden sun hits you on a golf course! I've documented a two engagement sessions on golf courses, and it's so much fun because you can show me around your favorite spots on the course, and, because I'm not a golfer personally, I view the course with a totally unique perspective! Honestly, the photos I've taken at golf courses have become some of my all-time favorite Engagement photos I've taken! You'll never regret getting creative and incorporating your interests into your Engagement Session!
Some beautiful golf courses around Keene, NH include the Keene Country Club, Angus Lea in Hillsboro, NH, and, my favorite one, The Shattuck Golf Club in Jaffrey, NH!
Sunrise or Sunset Hikes
If you've read my other Engagement Session Ideas lists, you've probably seen this idea. And hey, it's not creative or groundbreaking in any way, but that doesn't mean it's any less spectacular. I find that hikes are different every time I go, making each session feel completely unique as well. I will always recommend going at sunrise or sunset, because those are THE best times for privacy and stunning views! Sunrise is my personal favorite because I feel like less people wake up for it (understandably), but it makes your Engagement Session experience that much more special. The colors as well, holy cow they take my breath away every time.
Now I love the White Mountains, but I have to say that Southern, NH is so underrated when it comes to great hiking spots with epic views! And for your Engagement Session, I know you probably don't want to be a sweaty mess by the time we get to the top, so I've curated a list of quick and relatively easy hikes that have INCREDIBLE views at the top! Places like Keene, Marlow, Stoddard, and Deering, NH, just as examples.
Bowling / Arcade Photos
For the playful couple who loves having FUN just as much as I do, then bowling and/or visiting an arcade may be the perfect Engagement Session idea for you! Going to a bowling alley will give you retro, vintage, playful Engagement photos to match your personality. I love using film at bowling alleys as well to help translate the vintage vibes into photographs for you. The photos can also look editorial with different prompts and poses I can help you with, and you'll be laughing throughout it all I'm sure! Top it off with some bowling alley pizza and boom, you've got yourself really unique and really fun Engagement photos!
Most bowling alleys have arcades in them as well these days, which I for one LOVE! It helps keep the fun going, and it also adds to the playful feeling of your Engagement Session. Collect your tickets, maybe put them in your back pocket, compete against each other at ski ball or basketball, or race each other in a racing game! Some arcades even have a pool or air hockey table. All of these games would be adorable, playful, and you will have SO much fun taking your Engagement photos! Cheesy smiles at the camera who??
At-Home Session
Lastly, spring also reminds me of spring cleaning. No, I don't think you cleaning your house together will make for the best Engagement photos, BUT I think it could be fun to utilize your home for your Engagement Session! Windows open, maybe you and your partner make a sourdough loaf together, or you each make focaccia and you each decorate one, or maybe you bake cookies or a cake. If you're not much of a cook or baker, maybe you like to cozy up on the couch together and read books, or watch a series together with popcorn at the ready.
Maybe you have a backyard that feels like your happy place, and you want to spend time out there, beneath some twinkle lights, roasting marshmallows over a fire. If it's later in spring when the weather gets warm, maybe you want to blow up a kiddie pool, have a fruit and dessert board, and get some playful and cute photos having a little sunbathing day!
Your home is the heart of your relationship in a lot of ways, so incorporating your favorite parts of your home into your Engagement Session welcomes a different level of intimacy that's really wholesome to document.
Those are my Spring Engagement Session Ideas! Did any of these ideas inspire you for your own Engagement Session?
Ultimately, if you and your partner focus on incorporating your personalities and your interests into your Engagement Session, you can never go wrong! You'll be left with Engagement photos that feel true, authentic, and so much fun!
If you're looking for a photographer to document your Engagement Session, and maybe even your Elopement or Intimate Wedding down the line, I hope you'll consider me! I still have some availability this spring, and would love to help you bring your spring Engagement Session ideas to life! Get in touch today to the conversation started!
Thanks, and speak soon!
Christy
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