You engagement photo is usually the first thing people see related to your wedding, so it's kind of a big deal. We've got tons of engagement photo ideas to inspire you, and from the ultra-unique to the super sweet, they're all about showing just how much you mean to each other.
Touch Each Other's Faces
For engagement photos that really show your connection, it's all about touch. One of the sweetest poses is having one of you touch the other's face as you look into each other's eyes. This may sound a little corny, but we promise the photo will be worth it.
For an engagement photo that really pops, wear colors that contrast with your background. Shades of red against an evergreen background are guaranteed to be gorgeous.
Get Close, Really Close
Another way to show your bond is to make the photo just your faces. This type of picture has a really intimate feel that everyone who sees it will recognize. It's simple and sweet and perfect if you don't want to hassle with backgrounds or outfits.
Talk It Out
Do you love the way you can talk to each other? Capture that in your engagement photos by having a great conversation in a pretty place. Choose your favorite scenic spot and then just sit and talk together while your photographer snaps photos. Make sure you're sitting close together and smiling while you chat.
Related: 70+ Intimate Questions to Ask Your Partner for a Deeper Bond
Settle in for Some Backyard Time
If you live together, your own backyard or patio can be the perfect place to take some engagement pictures that really show your life and the way you love each other. Find a pretty spot to settle in for a chat and make sure you're touching as much as possible. You can even ask your photographer to shoot through some of the plants to give the photos a candid and romantic feel.
If you have a covered patio or an umbrella to block some of the direct sunlight, use that. Open shade on a sunny day is some of the prettiest light for portraits.
Show the Blue Skies Ahead
This is one of our favorite engagement photo ideas to show off your hope for a happy future, and it's also totally unique and interesting. Have your photographer lie on the ground under you and shoot the two of you with a blue sky in the background. It's best to have a few clouds for detail.
This photo takes a trick to make it perfect, since you need light on your faces but also not too much light in the sky to show its details. A reflector or white sheet can help bounce some of the light back onto you, and it's easier to shoot this picture on a partly cloudy day when there's a cloud over the sun.
Dress to Match Your Setting
When you're deciding what to wear in your engagement photos, think about where you'll be taking them. If you're going to be shooting at sunset, go for warm colors that will match the light (think pink, red, peach, and orange). If you're at the beach, pick cooler tones like blue or grey. You don't have to be totally coordinated, but having a few matching things can feel like the two of you are part of each other and your environment.
Related: 12 Winter Engagement Photo Ideas That Will Warm Your Heart
Do What You Love With the One You Love
If there are things you do together, especially outdoors, it's a really cool engagement photo idea to capture the two of you sharing what you love. That could be backpacking, skiing, hiking, or anything fun. Have a friend tag along and bring a camera (or their phone) to capture some pics of you enjoying yourselves.
Get Your Fur Baby in the Photo
If you have a pet together, snap some pictures of two of you with your furry friend. We promise everyone will think these are the most adorable engagement photos ever.
It's hard to get great pictures of an animal, so plan to take a ton. Don't try to pose too much (it's a disaster with a dog or cat), but get a bunch of candid photos of you playing with or snuggling with your pet.
Get a Birds-Eye View
If you have access to a drone or have a high balcony, you can get some great pictures of the two of you from above. This is such an unusual and unexpected angle, and it's a perfect way to get unique photos. Lay out a blanket and lie down together for some romantic shots. It will look like you're in your own little world.
Chill in a Hammock for Your Engagement Photos
Snuggling up in a hammock is an awesome way to show how relaxed you are together. If possible, pick a neutral colored hammock that won't distract from your faces. Look at each other instead of at the camera to really show your bond.
Relax in the Sun
Generally, super bright sunshine isn't the best light for portraits, but it can actually be part of your photo if you stage it just right. Lie on a blanket with you eyes closed and your heads together. When people see the pictures, they'll feel the warmth of the sun and your love for each other.
Shoot this photo from near the ground so you can avoid getting the photographer's shadow in the picture.
Capture Some Action Shots
Standing or sitting together is great, and you should definitely get some shots like that. But try to get some action shots, too. We love engagement photos where the shot is taken as you're moving toward the camera. Make sure you look at each other or touch a little so the viewer can see your deep connection.
This is a situation where your photographer will need to fire off a ton of shots in quick succession. You'll also want to repeat your action shot to give them a chance to get a great image. The more photos you take here, the better your chance of getting the perfect one.
Embrace a City Setting
If you live in an urban area, embrace that city backdrop and shoot right downtown. There will be lots of cool lines and angles in the background, and you'll have the feel of a bustling city around you. Make sure you get really close to one another — lots of touching and kissing. It will feel like you have your own little oasis in a busy world.
Here, you want to give the suggestion of a busy urban area without making the background distracting. Shoot the photo at a wide aperture so you have a blurry background. If you're using a phone, portrait mode is your friend here.
Set the Stage for Your Engagement Photos
One cool engagement photo idea is to set up a scene that will charm absolutely everyone. Stage a picnic or special moment between the two of you and act it out. This might sound a little weird, but we promise the result will be adorable.
Be Yourselves at Home
There's nothing like the comfort of your own home, so invite a photographer in to take pictures of you doing your thing in your own everyday world. You can cook together, share a dance, snuggle on the couch, or anything else that feels like you.
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Get Playful
Show your playful side in your engagement photos, too. Be silly and goofy. Kiss in random places (like a doorway or the back of a scooter or the middle of the grocery store). Your photos will feel spontaneous and show that part of your relationship to anyone who sees them.
Capture the Quiet Moments
The quiet moments count for a lot, so capture those, too. If there's something special you can whisper to each other or a soft kiss you can share, do that for your photos. We like the idea of putting on some gentle music and just sitting together for the photos.
Make Some Magic Together
On the flip side of quiet, there's the magic you can share together. Head out to the carnival and pose in front of the carousel or ride the ferris wheel. Light some sparklers or toss some confetti. Let your photos show how lucky you feel to experience the magic of your love.
Try a Creative Crop
Sure, most engagement photo ideas include showing your faces or whole bodies, but that doesn't mean you have to do that. A simple photo of your clasped hands can speak volumes, and it's a really great option if one or both of you are feeling camera shy. It's even a good way to warm up during your photo session.
Get Your Adventure On
Want something really unique for your photos? Choose an adventure experience you've never done before and have your photos taken while you're doing it. They might be non-traditional, but they're an awesome way to express your willingness to jump into the whole new experience of being married. Think hot air balloons, sky diving, rock climbing, that kind of thing.
Go With a Sunset Silhouette
A silhouette can be an ultra-romantic engagement photo idea, especially if you do it at sunset. Let the golden light surround you as you kiss or put your foreheads together.
To get a silhouette, you need to have your camera underexposing for the people and letting the background be the brightest thing. Have the sun behind the two of you. For added fun, shoot through a piece of plastic or a metal ring to create cool light patterns.
Show Your Bond in Your Photos
Ultimately, how you pose or what you do for your photos matters way less than showing how the two of you feel about each other. The best engagement photo ideas are ones that show that bond. When people see the photo, they'll know you were meant to be.
