The 17 Best Places for Engagement Photos in Austin + Guide
Howdy, we’re Samuel & Karly, and this is our guide and list of the 17 best places for engagement photos in Austin. Enjoy 🙏
My fiancé and I always get very nervous before taking photos because it can be kind of awkward at times. Not with this duo! Sam and Karly are awesome. They made us feel very calm and relaxed during our engagement photo session and it really showed in our photos.”
— THIRD EYE COUPLE ☯️ MEGAN & ERIK
An engagement session will level up your wedding photos.
As full time wedding, elopement, and engagement photographers, we’ve found that an engagement photo session is literally the best thing you can do to ensure authentic wedding day photos.
Establishing a comfortable working relationship with your wedding photographer prior to the actual wedding day will mean you’ll feel at ease being yourself from the start.
This means great photos.
At the beginning of your engagement shoot, expect there to be about a 17 minute “warm-up” period. Just like playing a sport, or instrument, it takes a little bit of time before we all get into the flow. Photo sessions are no different.
For most of us, being photographed is one of the most awkward things to do, and that’s ok. Just allow yourself to feel a little weird for the beginning of the shoot, and it will pass before you know it, opening the gates to your true emotional soul.
What should we expect during our engagement photo shoot?
To say it most simply, expect a “photo-walk.” You and your partner will walk around while being casually photographed in all the most beautiful places.
Most of our engagement photos are candid, capturing your most authentic moments. We will also typically include a small variety of organically posed shots when we come across those perfect photo opportunities.
For us, it’s always the same principle when posing our Third Eye Couples. You embrace one another, enjoy each others space, and we take pictures (and sometimes video!).
What to wear for engagement photos?
Engagement photo shoots come in all styles, and you’re free to dress anyway you’d like.
We often see couples coordinating with complimentary colors or same style outfits. That said, do what feels right to you.
We support everything from dresses, tuxes, dragon onesies, Hogwarts uniforms, viking regalia, to casual comfortable everyday wear.
It’s also common to bring multiple changes of clothes or costume. After all, most of us are only professionally photographed once or twice in our whole lives, may as well make the most of it!
If your engagement session is in the fall or winter consider bringing a jacket to wear while walking in between photo locations.
For those bold and weird adventurers interested in our intimate highlining packages, you could wear just your birthday suit and a climbing harness.
What to bring to an engagement shoot?
When being photographed you’ll want to make sure your pockets are empty, so we recommend bringing a small bag that you can carry all of your personal effects in.
Wallet, phones, keys and so on can all go into this bag and set down at each photo location. Either Karly or myself will also typically have a bag that you’re more than welcome to use.
There’s something to be said for never setting any of your belongings down, especially when your constantly moving between locations. Albeit you do have 3-4 people’s worth of awareness so the likelihood of leaving your belongings anywhere is extremely low.
We also recommend bringing something to drink, especially in the spring and summer.
All this said, it’s also totally normal and acceptable to just leave everything in your vehicle or at home. Again, if you’ve got anything you want us to carry we’re happy to do so.
When’s the best time for an engagement shoot?
We highly recommend weekdays for engagement photo sessions, due to the crowded nature of locations during weekends.
We also recommend 1 hour before sunset, and occasionally sunrise, depending on location.
How long after getting engaged should you take engagement pictures?
On average we’d say within 1-2 months of being engaged you should book your engagement session with a photographer and possibly a videographer (yes we do both 🤠).
This is a great opportunity to trial run and get to know your photographer long before the wedding.
This is very important.
Consider how much time you will spend with the photographer on your wedding day, the last thing you want is someone you don’t vibe with.
How long does an engagement shoot last?
30-60 minutes, typically.
We recommend blocking out 2-3 hours total time in your day to accommodate transportation and a relaxed photo shoot pace.
Also consider turning your engagement session into date night because you’ll usually be shooting near sunset, so afterwards you can enjoy some dinner, especially if your Downtown Austin.
We highly recommend these enlightened favorites; Flower Child, Picnik, ATX Food Co., Casa de Luz, or Juiceland.
Our list of the 17 best places for engagement photos in Austin
- BARTON SPRINGS – trails with natural beauty of the purifying springs, check out the ultra hip, colorful, playful Juiceland nearby
- ZILKER BOTANICAL GARDENS – perfectly curated gardens right near downtown
- AUDITORIUM SHORES / BUTLER PARK – park view of Austin skyline
- ZILKER METROPOLITAN PARK – wide open park with city skyline view
- THE BOARDWALK AT LADY BIRD LAKE – boardwalk view of Austin skyline and lake
- THE TEXAS CAPITOL – iconic architecture, historic, and curated park
- AUSTIN CENTRAL LIBRARY – curated gardens, bridge and city architecture
- DOWNTOWN AUSTIN – park at Guadalupe and 3rd and photo walk the stylish areas around 2nd
- ENCHANTED ROCK – well, its a rock, that’s massive and enchanted. You can walk all around on it and get super unique images. A great choice for a natural setting
- LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER – flowers everywhere!
- MCKINNEY FALLS STATE PARK – more natural beauty with ponds, rock formations, grassy fields and spring flowers
- PFLUGER PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE – lovely bridge with scenic beauty in all directions, skyline and graffiti train bridge included
- SOUTH CONGRESS – lots of unique, colorful storefronts and new, modern structures and home to “I Love You So Much” mural at Jo’s Coffee
- SOUTH FIRST STREET – home of iconic “Greetings from Austin” mural on the neon signed Roadhouse Relics
- UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CAMPUS – beautiful architecture and courtyards
- BLANTON MUSEUM – epic modern artistic aesthetics
- PACE BEND PARK – home to our highline package where you’ll be suspended in the middle of the air across a 100 meter cove of water.
I was so nervous about taking pictures but these two photographers made me feel so comfortable! I tend to be very awkward in front of the camera but they guided me through all the poses and made it feel very natural and relaxed. All the poses we did were very organic and not cheesy, which I love.”
— THIRD EYE COUPLE 🕉 MORGAN & RUBEN
If you’re researching engagement photo shoots you’re probably also looking for quality wedding vendors…
HERE’S OUR LIST OF PREFERRED WEDDING VENDORS IN AUSTIN
AUSTIN WEDDING PLANNERS
AUSTIN WEDDING & EVENT LIGHTING, DJ, RENTALS & ENTERTAINMENT
- ALTARED WEDDINGS & EVENTS
- MOONTOWER FURNITURE RENTALS
- TABLE MANNERS PLACE SETTINGS
- MONARCH EVENT RENTALS
- ARCHIVE EVENT RENTALS
AUSTIN WEDDING FLORISTS
AUSTIN WEDDING COFFEE & BARISTA
AUSTIN WEDDING CALLIGRAPHERS & DESIGN
AUSTIN WEDDING LIVE MUSIC
We’re so grateful to have worked with these Austin wedding vendors and know for sure that you’re going to love them as much as we do!
“Samuel and Karly of ThirdEyeSamuel exceeded our expectations in every way and gave us a truly unique experience, while capturing the events so eloquently. They are true masters of their craft; not just in their ability to take beautiful and artisitic photos, but their professional communication skills, creativity, vibrant energy, humor, and product turnaround time. We cannot express enough how happy we are to have chosen ThirdEyeSamuel to share this occasion with. If you’re looking to hire one of the best Austin Wedding Photographers and Videographers, or Adventure Elopement Photographers and Videographers look no further!”
If you found this post helpful share it with your partner or someone who you think it will benefit. Thank you. 🤠🙏🏴☠️
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