Every season we come across couples commemorating their momentous occasions like proposals or getting hitched with romantic photoshoots, weaving a range of versatile themes as backdrops. From being playful and fun to romantic and dramatic, amazingly choreographed engagement portraits have always managed to steal our hearts. Steering away from the countless cheesy run-of-the-mill couple photos, imaginative couples have always managed to create romantic portraits that reflect their souls and showcase their inner personalities in a vivid way. Snapping a photo that is truly your own and represents who you are when you are with your soulmate can require certain homework. There are so many ways to make your engagement photos stand out in a sea of shoots with predictable poses and overdone locations. 

It is important to understand the terminologies related to couple photography like "first look" and "golden hour" before planning your engagement shoot. The engagement outfits you are going to wear also hold key significance in showcasing your engagement photography theme. For instance, bright and poppy-colored engagement outfits can be great for a summer engagement portrait session. Another crucial step would be to choose an amazing engagement spot that holds certain meaning for you as a couple. From the coffee shop where you met for the first time, to the dream vacation you are planning with your boo, every spot can be an amazing engagement spot if you are already in a photogenic city. And what can be more photogenic than choosing Philadelphia for your engagement photography session?

Known to be one of America's most historical cities, Philadelphia is a commendable choice for shooting your engagement portraits. With a history in every corner, Philly is steeped with a plethora of gardens and green spaces along with pretty foliage and floral-filled spots right in the heart of the city as well as in its suburbs. Maybe this is the reason why Lauren and Nate, our next couple, swept us off our feet with their chic engagement photography session in Philadelphia.

We all know how Lauren had her heart set on tying the knot in this elegant city soaked in a wide range of photo-ops and dreamy backdrops. And hence she started with her dream through this amazing engagement portrait session in Philadelphia. We truly love their choice of the city to start "forever!" Our Philadelphia engagement photographers love how the wide range of photogenic spots feature tucked-away gardens and greenhouses as well as rolling hills of historic estates and high-rise hotel wedding venues. Whether you are a plant parent or history buff, these beautiful wedding venues in Philly will definitely make your big day magical and enchanting just like the wildflowers, roses, and succulents around you.

The city of Philadelphia is every professional photographer’s goal to capture dreamy couples in love against the sweeping panoramas that this Pennsylvanian place has to offer. Filled with historical spots and heritage landmarks, getting married in Philly seemed like the perfect idea for our stunning couple for all the right reasons. We truly love how our wedding photographers in Philadelphia enjoy bringing in the historic cityscapes steeped in cobblestone pathways and sparkling waterfronts as well as the landmarks tucked in stunning skyscrapers soaring above the Philadelphia skyline. From the western part of the city featuring the sparkling banks of Schuylkill River and a vast belt of green containing numerous Federal-style mansions to the southern part containing graciously restored eighteenth-century buildings, every corner of Philly speaks for itself in dramatic couple portraits. For couples planning to get married in Philadelphia or looking to commemorate their brand new relationship status in some of the best photogenic spots of Philadelphia can surely get what they’re looking for in the vast city.

Talking about photo-ops of Philly, the historic Liberty Bell Pavilion which has been considered as a symbol of freedom and independence in the US is one of the most iconic landmarks for engagement photography. Sitting across the Liberty Bell Pavilion lies the Independence Hall, which nestles as a crown jewel in the Independence National Historical Park. Probably America's most historic square mile, the Independence National Historical Park features several historic buildings and cobblestone streets with horse-drawn carriages that are loved for engagement photography sessions in Philadelphia. Also, if you’re an artsy type, then you can head to The Philadelphia Museum of Art that contains the second largest collections of paintings and artworks in the entire US. The Neoclassical building fronted by a broad set of stairs is the perfect backdrop for engagement portraits in Philly. 

Another significant icon, The Reading Terminal Market is a deeply rooted Philadelphia institution and has been considered as a National Historic Landmark. The most iconic couple photo backdrop of not only Philadelphia but the entire world, the legendary LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana and installed in John F. Kennedy Plaza for America's Bicentennial celebration in 1976 is the place that celebrates “love” like no other place. Filled with green areas, trees, walking paths, benches, and open paved areas, the LOVE Park has numerous photo opportunities for couple photographers to capture lovestruck duos. If you would like to spend some time away from the city hustle and bustle, then head to Fairmount Park, nestled quietly along the Schuylkill River and Wissahickon Creek. The 2000 acres park is a National Historic Landmark that is also home to several tourist attractions of Philadelphia.

All these attractions and beautiful locations come together to make Philly what it is today. Lauren and Nate chose The Ridley Creek State Park as the engagement spot, which is located in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. This beautiful engagement spot in Philadelphia is a 2600 acre Pennsylvania State Park featuring gently rolling terrain and vast lands filled with woodlands and meadows right in the heart of Delaware County. Bisected by the serene Ridley Creek, this whimsical photo spot in Philadelphia is located only 16 miles away from the center city.

Located about 5 miles north of the county seat of Media, this oasis of open space right in the middle of a growing urban area features amazing recreational activities like hiking, biking, fishing, and picnicking. These recreational facilities make this a fun spot for an engagement photography session as one can indulge in these relaxing activities while still being surrounded by the beauty of whimsical woods with his or her soul made by the side. The five-mile trail at this spot goes through the formal garden which was designed by the Olmsted Brothers and Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation, as well as the pre-revolutionary farmstead. The park is adjacent to the John J. Tyler Arboretum, which is just 16 miles away from Downtown Philadelphia.

The season of fall is indeed a great time for so many things from pulling out our cozy sweaters to drinking hot chocolate! And the beautiful engagement photography session of Nate and Lauren was scheduled on a magical fall day. The overcast skies and the moody elements lent a dramatic and intense feel to the fall engagement photography session. Our Philadelphia engagement photographers did a fantastic job of capturing the beautiful souls against the quaint backdrops of Ridley Creek State Park.

The day of this fall engagement session in Philadelphia started early as our wedding photographers started documenting Lauren and Nate against the breathtaking backdrops of Ridley Creek State Park. Our stunning would-be bride Lauren wore a long floral maxi dress as her engagement outfit. The spring-inspired engagement outfit looked ethereal against the moody and pensive backdrops of the state park. The maxi dress of Lauren had a flouncy and ruffled hemline, along with a thigh-high slit and a plunging V-neckline. The playful and flirty mustard and blue floral details printed all over the maxi dress give away a very mystique vibe to her overall bridal engagement look. She paired it with an elegant bracelet, a minimalist pendant chain, and a pair of simple earrings. Her bridal hairdo was simply side-parted as her long dark blonde curls caressed her gorgeous face. Her cute and quirky bridal sandals were a pair of yellow strappy wedge shoes that amazingly complimented her overall charming engagement outfit.

Nate brought out his A-game of casual power dressing by wearing a chic blue shirt with a pair of light gray pants that strike the chord between not too casual or formal. He also wore a dark brown belt and a pair of tanned brown shoes which together came out as an amazing casual groom engagement look. His neatly trimmed hair and quirky striped blue socks along with his chic wristwatch effortlessly complimented Lauren's gorgeous look, and together they looked charming and lovely.

The best part of this engagement portrait session in Philadelphia was bringing their fur baby to the photo session. Their beloved four-legged BFF fitted seamlessly into their engagement celebrations just like he fitted in their lives. The gorgeous labrador was their baby and we loved how they took this opportunity to show off their pooch to the entire world. The handsome boy also had a bandana around his neck which had polka dotted prints to match with his parents' engagement outfits. How cool is that! Having their fur baby play a significant role on one of the biggest days of their lives created a lot of fun memories that were beautifully captured in pet engagement portraits. Accessorizing the pup to match with their engagement wardrobe honored the presence of their beloved baby in the best way possible.

From posing in front of the artistically arched hallways that featured quarried exposed walls with rustic details and sandstone floors to the pet-inspired engagement portraits clicked with their beloved four-legged baby, the engagement photo session of Nate and Lauren was dramatically beautiful. The rustic-chic monuments of Ridley Creek State Park featured moss-filled details and the background foliage of this Pennsylvanian state park looked straight out of a woodsy paradise. The surreal and profound moods were brought into life with the autumn foliage in the background featuring burnt oranges and auburn tree leaves swaying gently in the background.

Our Philadelphia engagement photographers did an amazing job of capturing them against the best backdrops of this photogenic spot of Pennsylvania. After doing a few rounds of portraits in the monuments they moved to the iconic garden of this estate. The garden-inspired engagement portraits looked fabulously unreal with the gable roof of a country house filled with mossy drapes and a stone fountain that looks straight out of the Elizabethan era. The fairy tale captures of Lauren and Nate looked straight out of the English countryside as they lazily stalled around the property while being accompanied by their gorgeous pooch. From never missing a chance to steal a kiss every now and then to them using a transparent umbrella as a quirky engagement photography prop, this Philadelphia couple was full of surprises for our talented engagement photographers who danced to their rhythm and clicked pictures that looked magical.

A quick change of engagement outfits was done as the couple changed into their second engagement wardrobe. This time Lauren wore a deep wine top with long and flouncy sleeves. She matched it with a pair of blue denim and nude-colored block boots. Matching with the classic engagement look of the bride, Nate wore a light beige turtle neck with quarter button-downs with a pair of blue denim and beige-colored casual shoes. The biggest surprise was, their lovely pooch had a wardrobe change too! This time he was wearing a wine-colored polka dot bandana to match with his mum and dad. The carefully planned engagement outfits of this couple look picture perfect in all the engagement photos.

As the day came to a close the last of the engagement portraits were clicked with Lauren and Nate flashing their “Save the Date” sign which was a rustic wooden sign block with white calligraphy letters. The couple had some memorable couple portraits with their signage, ranging from embracing each other while holding the same to hanging it as a backdrop and posing in front of it. The adorable couple portrait session came to a close as this amazingly fun-spirited couple took us to a memorable day through the iconic spots of Philadelphia.