estd. 2020

ashley clarke photography

How to Choose the Perfect Locations for Your Engagement Session

Choosing the perfect locations for your engagement session is key to creating photos that feel authentic and meaningful to your love story. One of the most exciting parts of your wedding journey is your engagement session — a chance to celebrate this special season with beautiful, timeless photos. As a light and airy destination wedding photographer based in Wilmington, NC, I always encourage my couples to select locations that hold sentimental value or reflect their personalities.

Katie and Cadan’s Harbor Island and Wrightsville Beach engagement session is the perfect example of how choosing meaningful locations can add an extra layer of emotion and connection to your photos.

1. Choose a Location with Personal Meaning

Your engagement session is more than just a photoshoot — it’s a chance to tell your unique love story. The best way to make your photos feel truly special is to choose locations that hold personal significance.

Katie and Cadan selected Harbor Island for part of their session because they live there and walk their dog along the waterfront daily. Incorporating a place where they’ve spent so much time together made their photos feel genuine and sentimental — not just beautiful backdrops.

When picking your engagement session location, think about:

Where you had your first date
Your favorite places to spend time together
Spots that are part of your everyday life
Where you got engaged

2. Pick a Location That Reflects Your Wedding Vision

Your engagement session is the perfect opportunity to set the tone for your wedding day. If you’re having a destination wedding or a specific wedding style, choosing a location that complements your vision creates a cohesive story from engagement to wedding day.

Katie and Cadan are getting married on Figure 8 Island, so ending their session on the beach tied everything together beautifully. The sandy shoreline and ocean backdrop not only reflected their upcoming coastal wedding but also captured their love for the water.

Think about what kind of vibe you want your photos to have:

Beachy and coastal
Urban and modern
Romantic and garden-inspired
Cozy and at-home

3. Think About Lighting & Time of Day

Location is important, but lighting is everything when it comes to creating dreamy, light and airy engagement photos. Golden hour — the hour after sunrise or before sunset — provides the softest, most flattering light for your session.

If you’re choosing multiple locations, consider starting in one location for golden hour and ending at another for sunset. Don’t worry, I take care of all the planning and logistics!!!

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Mix It Up

If you can’t decide on just one location — that’s okay! Combining two locations that represent different parts of your love story can give your gallery a beautiful variety of backdrops. Whether it’s your favorite neighborhood spot paired with a dreamy beach or a downtown stroll followed by a sunset field, mixing locations allows your personalities to shine.

5. Trust Your Photographer

As your photographer, I’m always here to help guide you in choosing locations that fit your vision and style. Whether you’re dreaming of a destination engagement session or something close to home, we’ll work together to create a session that feels like you.

Ready to Plan Your Engagement Session?

Your engagement session should be a reflection of your story — filled with laughter, connection, and beautiful memories. Whether you’re planning a local session in Wilmington or a destination session somewhere special, I’m here to capture every joyful moment.