filed in Brides, Engagement Session

Stunning Garden Engagement Photo Locations in NJ and Beyond

June

Stunning Garden Photoshoot Locations in

New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

Related Read : Best Natural Engagement Photo Poses & Ideas

Congratulations on your engagement! I am so happy for you! This is such an exciting time in your life with so many fun events, moments and probably trips coming up! I remember when I first got engaged, how excited I was!

I remember getting started right away thinking about my engagement photos pretty early on in the process. I had a vision for them, but didn’t know exactly where the best place was to have them photographed. I knew I was having a garden wedding and we ended up getting married at The Madison Hotel. So I decided on waterfront/beach engagement photos. But had I not been already planning a garden wedding, I would have wanted a garden engagement session.

So, today, we are talking about one of my favorite topics- Garden Photoshoot Locations. I will share all of the beautiful locations I recommend to my brides who are dreaming of their beautiful garden engagement photos.

So, if you are one of those brides looking to have your engagement session in a beautiful garden location then this is the blog post for you. Today, I am sharing with you some of my favorite locations in the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania area for your garden engagement photos. There are so many great places to shoot in the New York metro area, but being that New Jersey’s nickname is the garden state, it makes sense that there are tons of wonderful garden locations here. As always, I recommend shooting at golden hour, or the hour before sunset. Some locations, like Central Park, I will only shoot during the hour after sunrise. For more info on when to schedule your engagement photos, make sure you check out this post about the best time for an outdoor photoshoot.

I also would like to note that any of these garden locations would also be great for family photos or even instagram photos as well. I’m labeling them as engagement session locations because most of the photos I am sharing with you are engagement photos but these places are beautiful for all kinds of photos

NJ Favorites for Garden Engagement Photo Sessions

North Jersey Photo Shoot Locations

There are so many beautiful garden locations in the North Jersey area. Here are a few of my favorites.

Related Read: Ringwood Manor Engagement Photos

NJ Botanical Gardens at Skylands Manor

The New Jersey Botanical Gardens at Skylands Manor are located and the tippy top of New Jersey in Ringwood, right near the border of New York State. Depending on where you live, this will likely be a bit of a drive, but I promise you it is more than worth it. This is probably the location that I shoot at the most. It is a beautiful place or engagement photos, family portraits or really any kind of portrait session. It’s so beautiful they even do weddings there. It is definitely a personal favorite of mine. I love that there are so many different backdrops and different locations in one. Some of my favorite spots are Skylands Manor, the fountain, the tree lined street, the beautiful arch, the gardens…really all of them are my favorites. They are open to professional photographers, however, you will need to obtain a photo permit in order to shoot there. The good thing is that you can purchase a yearly permit for $150 or 10 sessions, so that’s what I do.

Liberty State Park

Liberty State Park in Jersey City is so pretty! It’s a great spot if you are looking for a combination of waterfront, park like and iconic for your photos. And let’s be honest, you can’t beat having the historical landmark of the Statue of Liberty in the background! If you are looking for flowers, I recommend shooting here in early spring when they are blooming.

Branch Brook Park

Branch Brook Park sits on the border of Newark, New Jersey and Bellville. This is a great place to shoot when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, typically around March or April. It is close to Nanina’s in the Park and the stunning Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart so whenever I am shooting in either of these locations I always recommend it. They have a renowned Cherry Blossom festival every spring when I used to host mini sessions. It tends to get insanely crowded during the festival so I no longer offer photoshoots during that time, but it is definitely worth visiting or scheduling your session around the festival.

Taylor Park Rose Garden

The rose gardens in Taylor Park in Millburn, New Jersey were one of my favorite places to go as a kid. This is a small park that my husband and I used this location on our wedding day to shoot our family photos because it was just a short walk from our church across the street. Taylor park is also full of cherry blossoms and it is a great place to visit when they are in full bloom in early spring.

Central Jersey Locations

I am located in Central Jersey and shoot here all the time. Here are my favorite Central Jersey locations.

Sayen House & Gardens

Sayen House and Gardens is located in Hamilton Square, New Jersey. This is a beautiful location almost all year round, although I love it most in early spring for the beautiful flowers blooming everywhere in tons of different colors. This is a great option for clients who do not want to spend money on obtaining a permit as we are allowed to shoot here for free. There is also no entrance fee which is great!

Cross Estate Gardens

Cross Estate Gardens is located in Bernardsville, New Jersey. I actually just photographed a session here yesterday and I’ve personally used it for our own family photos in the fall. This is a very popular choice with my clients and I like recommending it because it is another free location. When I was there yesterday we were the only people there! It was so nice to have the entire place to ourselves. Its the perfect place for engagement or family photography and I’ve even seen weddings shot here. The gardens are beautiful all year round and in the fall, I love it for its whimsical fields.

Pro Tip: I typically recommend scheduling engagement photos about an hour to an hour and a half before sunset, however, this location is covered with a good amount of shade and gets dark pretty quickly. I always schedule sessions here at least 2 hours before sunset for best lighting results!

Willowwood Arboretum

Willowwood Arboretum is located in Far Hills, New Jersey and I used to shoot at here all the time in the beginning of my career. It is really beautiful and yes, full of willow trees. But it does require a permit for professional photography so I don’t recommend it often as there are so many other beautiful free places to shoot.

Freelinguysen Arboretum

This beautiful garden is located in Morristown, New Jersey and is another location I used to shoot at quite a bit. Again, it is beautiful, but does require a permit and I just feel like there are better free options in the area. Still, if you are looking for new locations to shoot, this is a beautiful park.

Central Park of Morris Plains

I love this location if you are looking for more of an open field. I typically recommend this location in the fall or late summer because I love when the tall grass gets a little yellow.

Princeton University Gardens

Princeton University is the perfect backdrop for someone looking for architectural shots, but did you know they have a garden on campus? I photograph engagement sessions around the university all the time, but we rarely make it to the gardens. A few years ago, I had a couple who were getting married nearby at Chauncey Hotel and they really wanted to shoot in the gardens and I am so glad we did because it was gorgeous! I definitely feel like this one is a hidden gem. And the great news is that you do not need a photography permit to shoot here! I had no idea how large the Princeton University campus was. Did you know it sits on 500 acres of land? I had no idea! There are so many beautiful hidden gems on this campus including the gardens, the campus buildings and tons of trees. I also love how centrally located it is, making it pretty easy to get to no matter where your clients are coming from.

Jersey Shore Garden Locations

The Jersey shore is known for their beautiful beaches, but did you know there are some truly stunning garden locations there as well? Here are some of my favorites.

Bear Creek Herbary

This garden and greenhouse location also has so many beautiful spots. It is located down the shore, which offers a nice contrast to all the beach and waterfront location. Its great in the summer months because of all the gorgeous blooming flowers.

Divine Park

Divine Park in Spring Lake, New Jersey is a great choice for people who cannot decide between a garden engagement session and a beach one since the sandy beaches are right up the street! This beautiful park boasts cherry blossoms in the spring and 2 stunning wooden bridges, along with a lake front so you really can’t go wrong here!

Deep Cut Gardens

Deep Cut Gardens is located in Middletown, NJ and it used to be one of my favorite locations. It does require a photo permit and if your photographer lives outside of Monmouth County you can expect to pay even more. Still, it is a pretty location, however, even with the photo permit you are not allowed to shoot in the greenhouse which in my opinion, defeats the purpose of going there so I no longer recommend it to my clients.

Allaire State Park

Allaire is a large and beautiful park located in Wall Township, NJ. I love shooting here in the fall because of all the colorful leaves. It can get crowded so check before you come to make sure there isn’t a festival scheduled.

New York Garden Engagement Shoot Locations

Planting Fields Arboretum

Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, New York is a beautiful mix of gardens and architecture. This is another one of my favorite locations for engagement photography, although I see quite a bit of wedding photography there too. My favorite time to shoot here is in July when the rose garden arch is in full bloom! You do need a permit to shoot here and Pro Tip– If you are a photographer scheduling back to back sessions like I did, each couple will need to obtain their own permit, unfortunately.

Central Park in New York City

Central Park is of course an iconic location with tons of beautiful spots to hit including, Bethesda fountain & terrace, bow bridge, the cherry blossoms in early spring, the boathouse and so many more. I love photographing engagement sessions here, but it would also be a great place for a family photo session. I also love that you can get that park/garden like feel while also having a beautiful view of the city.

Gramercy Park

Gramercy Park is the most exclusive park in NYC. Only a handful of VIP residents have access. But the neighborhood, where it resides is also beautiful. On the corner of 19th and Irving is the iconic ivy colored building and each block has brownstones covered in plants and flowers. It’s a great choice if you are looking for garden and urban.

Prospect Park

Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY is another beautiful park. A few years back, I photographed a wedding at the Prospect Park Boathouse and it was so beautiful I would love to go back! This would be a wonderful place for engagement photos.

New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx is on my list of places I would like to shoot. I have seen some beautiful sessions done here! And many wedding photographers I know shoot here.

Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

Can someone please have their engagement photos here and hire me to photograph them? This is a location that has been on my list for years. I would love to shoot a wedding in the beautiful conservatory and the gardens just look amazing. Definitely worth a look!

Snug Harbor, Staten Island

The Snug Harbor Botanical Gardens are on Staten Island and I had never heard of this location until Jenna mentioned it and requested it for her engagement photos. I am so glad she did. You do need a permit, but it is so beautiful its definitely worth it!

Favorite Spots in Pennsylvania

Terrain at Styers

Terrain at Styers is located in Glens Mills, Pennsylvania and is a popular spot among photographers and another gorgeous location for photos. A few years ago I photographed a wedding here, and I always thought it was the perfect location for engagement photos. There is a permit fee of $150 for one hour of professional photography but it my opinion, it is more than worth it for all the beautiful spots this location has to offer. And exciting news- another, closer location will be opening up next summer in Doylestown, PA!

Longwood Gardens

Okay, I know I’ve been saying this about a few of the locations in this list, but Longwood Gardens in Kennet Square, Pennsylvania is another favorite of mine. So far, I’ve actually only photographed wedding photos here but I’m hoping someone chooses it for their engagement photos too because it really is such a great location. The fountain, shown here, is a really popular location and it was the perfect spot since this wedding was shot in December. But there are tons of formal gardens and other backdrops to shoot in the warmer months. Believe it or not, you do not need a permit to shoot here, you just need to pay the entrance fee of $25 per adult. I think it’s nice that you get to tour the gardens while we shoot!

Appleford Estate

Finally, the beautiful Appleford Estate, located in Villanova, PA. They typically do weddings and events here, but I think it would be worth reaching out to see if they would all you to have your engagement photos on site. This stunning location features 24 acres of property and gardens with tons of options for photos. I imagine during the week they would allow portrait sessions but I would definitely recommend asking before you go!

Other Garden Locations Worth Mentioning

This blog post has gotten a little long, so I don’t have time to get into all of the beautiful locations that New Jersey has to offer. But here are a few more locations for you to research for your engagement photos. Some of them I have photographed and some are still on my list to visit.

Reeves Reed Arboretum in Summit, New Jersey
Leonard J. Buck Arboretum in Far Hills
Jockey Hollow in Morristown
Colonial Park Arboretum in Somerset, NJ
Natirar Park in Peapack, NJ
Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton
Hackle Barney State Park in Chester
I love this one during the fall!

So there you have it! 24 garden engagement photo locations in New Jersey and beyond. If you choose one of these locations I would love to know your thoughts. These locations are a culmination of 6 years experience as a professional wedding photographer. Location scouting is one of the trickiest parts of being a photographer because there is a lot that goes into finding the perfect engagement session location. So I hope this helps you find your dream location. Don’t forget to let me know what you choose and how it went! Also feel free to leave questions and I will try my best to get back to you!