When it comes time to plan your St. Louis engagement photos, you will find no shortage of beautiful locations to choose from. The engagement session is one of the most important parts of the process with your wedding photographer. Of course, engagement sessions are an amazing opportunity to have documentation of this special time in your life. Being engaged is such a sweet season, even between all of the wedding planning. But engagement sessions offer an important opportunity for both you and your photographer.
During your engagement session, we will get to know each other before the wedding day. I can get a sense of your personality and you can get a sense of mine. Even more important, your engagement session will help you get comfortable in front of the camera. Most, if not all, of my couples, express some level of nervousness about being in front of the camera. That is totally normal! Having your St. Louis engagement photos taken will bring a sense of ease before the wedding day. It’s also a great time for me to get to know what poses work well, how you two naturally interact, and all of your best angles.
St. Louis City and County are full of beautiful neighborhoods, stately architecture, and gorgeous parks. From the busy, urban streets of some of St. Louis’ most popular neighborhoods to the quaint, quiet city parks, STL has something for every couple looking for locations for their engagement photos. Here are my top 5 locations for St. Louis engagement photos and why I love them:
Central West End is full of beautiful streets, extravagant mansions, local shops, and great bars and restaurants. If you want a Europe-meets-STL vibe, definitely choose Central West End for your St. Louis engagement photos. It’s a big neighborhood, so here are a few areas to get you started:
Forest Park, which is bigger than Central Park in NYC, has so many spots for engagement photos. One of my favorites is the St. Louis Art Museum on top of Art Hill. You can get photos on the steps of the museum and go to the bottom of Art Hill for two unique looks. There’s also a pretty bridge nearby!
Also in Forest Park, The Muny is a great place for St. Louis engagement photos. This is a classic engagement session spot for a reason. The giant chandelier and beautiful pillars are located in front of the box office. There’s also a great green space right across the street if you’d like to get some variety in your engagement photos.
Lafayette Square is one of the most unique neighborhoods in St. Louis. Right in the center of the neighborhood is Lafayette Park, and it is absolutely magical. This oasis in the city will make you feel like you stepped into a fairytale with its iron bridge, weeping willow trees, and resident swans. The houses surrounding the park are colorful and impressive. Clementine’s Creamery also has a location in Lafayette Park for cute ice cream engagement photos. Definitely a favorite St. Louis engagement photo spot!
It’s always a good idea to have your engagement photos somewhere meaningful, like a first date location, where you met, or the bar you frequent. I highly recommend calling ahead to get the okay for photos before coming in. Here are just a few suggestions to get you started: