No Austin engagement photo session is the same with Tess Leslie Photography.
In my opinion, choosing the perfect spot for your engagement photos is about more than just beautiful backgrounds; it’s about finding a location that reflects your unique personality and interests. There are quite a few reasons to personalize your engagement photos:
- Choosing a location that is special to you adds meaning and depth to your photos, making them a genuine reflection of your relationship.
- Using this approach helps you overcome decision fatigue since there are no shortage of Austin engagement photo locations.
- Oftentimes these locations allow you to incorporate an activity into your photos, which inspires authentic candid moments, helps you feel more ease in front of the camera, and gives you something to do with your hands (everyone’s favorite photoshoot-related question!) It also makes the session more fun!
Luckily, Austin offers an array of beautiful and diverse settings that can bring your love story to life. In this blog post, I’ll share some of my most memorable Austin engagement photo locations from past sessions, and include a list of extra ideas I’m dying to visit with a future TLP couple.
Unique Austin Engagement Photo Locations
Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge
The Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge is my favorite spot to capture the iconic views of Downtown Austin. This location would pair nicely with a nearby coffee shop or a trip to Auditorium Shores and the Long Center.
Mueller Lake Park
Some of my favorite engagement sessions have started at one of Mueller’s beautiful bars or eateries and ended with a stroll around Mueller Lake Park. It’s a perfect choice if you want to bring your dog.
Southwest Greenway
Just down the road from Mueller Lake Park, the Southwest Greenway is a gorgeous greenspace maintained by the Wildflower Center. It features a butterfly garden, some funky sculptures, and tons of Texas native flowers. Check out Liat and Roz’s engagement session for more photo ideas.
South Congress
South Congress is everyone’s favorite date night spot for a reason! There are endless creative photo spots to take advantage of, including Jo’s Coffee, Homeslice Pizza, and Amy’s Ice Cream. Get more ideas looking through Namrata and Justin’s engagement photos.
Your Favorite Local Bar
Choose your favorite local bar to be the backdrop of your engagement photos. Austin has no shortage of cool, one-of-a-kind joints – like Drinks Lounge and Liberty Bar featured in the photos above.
Your Wedding Venue
What better place to announce your upcoming nuptials than the place where you’ll be getting married? Taking your engagement photos at your wedding venue has quite a few benefits — most of the time you won’t have to pay a venue fee and it’s a great way to explore the venue with your photographer to find all your favorite photo spots before the wedding day.
Your Favorite Hiking Spot
If you’re an outdoorsy couple, show off your interests by choosing your favorite hiking spot for your engagement photos. These photos were taken at Reimer Ranch; other iconic hiking spots around Austin include the Greenbelt, Turkey Creek Trail, and Mckinney Falls State Park.
Blanton Museum of Art
While Blanton no longer allows photo sessions inside the museum, you can take advantage of their recently renovated and gorgeous grounds.
Laguna Gloria
Laguna Gloria is an all-time favorite engagement session spot (and wedding venue). Walking around the grounds makes you feel like you’ve been transported to a European villa. It also has a stunning indoor option, as well!
In Your Home and Around Your Neighborhood
You’re most comfortable in your own home, which makes it a great engagement photo location option! There are endless ways of showing off your personality and interests during an in home session. You can cook a meal together, play with your dogs, or do an activity you love to do together.
The Hyde Park Neighborhood
Hyde Park is a quirky neighborhood with some of my favorite spots in Austin. Start your session with a coffee at Quack’s Bakery and then take a stroll through the neighborhood or explore the Elisabeth Ney Museum.
Jester King Brewery
I may be biased about this one because Jester King is where I got engaged, but the brewery makes a beautiful, laidback backdrop for your engagement photos.
Additional Unique Austin Engagement Photo Ideas
Here are a few ideas for engagement photo sessions that I haven’t gotten to photograph yet — but I know would be an unforgettable experience.
- Go sailing or boating on Lake Travis
- Hunt for rare vinyl at a record store, like End of an Ear
- Go dancing at Sagebrush or the White Horse
- Play games at Cidercade or Pinballz
- Go paddleboarding on Town Lake
- Take a pottery class at Broad Studios
- Browse books at your favorite indie bookstore
- Check out a local show at one of Austin’s outdoor venues
- Rent a retro boat on Town Lake
Engagement Photo Locations Beyond Austin
Feeling adventurous? These are some of my favorite engagement photo locations beyond Austin. Some a relatively short drive and some require a weekend away – what better excuse for a vacation!
Downtown Bastrop
Live out your small town romance dreams with an engagement session in downtown Bastrop. It’s just a 30-minute drive from Austin and it’s downtown area features a cute library, record store, and plenty of bars. There’s also a park with river views walking distance from the downtown area.
Enchanted Rock
Less than two hours away from Austin, Enchanted Rock is a breathtaking hike with stunning views. It’s hard to believe it’s close enough to Austin that you can visit and come back in the same day! If you’re interested in taking photos at Enchanted Rock, check out my guide to the park.
Drive to the Beach
You have a few coastal options in Texas if you’re looking for engagement photos with an ocean view. Galveston Island is the closest; it’s a 3 hour drive. You can also take a trip to Port Aransas (4 hours), Corpus Christi (3 hours), or Padre Island (4 hours). Check out Gabby and Danny’s Galveston Island engagement session for more inspiration.
Hike a Mountain in Big Bend
For the adventurous couple, there is no better destination engagement photo location than Big Bend. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s quite the drive – 7 hours – but it’s worth the breathtaking vistas as you can see in this unforgettable proposal.
Visit the White Sands National Park
White Sands might seem like a world away, but technically you can take a 45-minute flight to El Paso and then the park is only 1.5 hours away. For more sand dune vistas, you can also check out Monahans Sandhills State Park, 6 hours away. Check out how Rachel and Lucas incorporated fun activities in their White Sands engagement photos.
