Boston’s 12 Best Locations For Your Engagement Session

You're engaged! What an exciting time. Family and friends are celebrating with you, and you get to plan the most amazing event of your life. And now it's time to announce your engagement and document it with some romantic photos that you'll have for a lifetime.

You'll want to have beautiful pictures to remember this special time in your life. If you're living in the Boston area, there are countless outside destinations with natural lighting and stunning scenery to hold your engagement ring session.

You've seen some places that are often overused so want something unique for you and your fiance. To help you out, we've teamed up with some of Boston's top wedding and engagement photographers to find out the most spectacular and beautiful places to hold your engagement session. Check out these 12 stunning locations you'll want to consider:

1) The Carlson Apple Orchard (Harvard, MA)

Photography: Newbury Photographs

Located 45 minutes outside of Boston, The Carson Apple Orchard provides breathtaking scenery for an engagement session. Visit in the fall to see the gorgeous foliage this orchard has to offer. If you are looking for a more interactive engagement session, this location is definitely for you! Have your photographer capture you and your fiance apple picking.

Expert opinion: "Depending on the time of year, The Carlson Apple Orchard in Harvard, MA is great with beautiful apple trees."- Nicole, Newbury Photographs

2) Wingaersheek Beach (Gloucestor, MA)

Photography: Deborah Zoe Photography

Take a drive 45 minutes outside of Boston to find this hidden gem in Gloucestor. The low tide at Wingaersheek Beach provides a beautiful walking path on the soft sand and will give you that incredible scenery to make your engagement photos that much more special.

Expert opinion: "The biggest piece of advice I can share to couples who are planning an engagement session is to choose a type of location or a specific place that is deeply meaningful to you. Maybe you love the beach or your family has a house on the lake. Perhaps you love the outdoors or running together on the weekend. It could even be your favorite restaurant or the place of your first date. Of course, not all locations have to be personal, but the more connection you have to a location, the more comfortable you will feel and the more meaningful your images will be...Many of my couples will come to the session with preconceived expectations of awkward poses and interactions and leave saying 'That was SO much easier than I thought and a whole lot of fun!!' The engagement session is our opportunity to work together before the wedding day so that when the big day arrives you can forget about the camera and focus on what truly matters." - Deb, Deborah Zoe Photography

3) The Seaport District (Boston, MA)

Photography: Annmarie Swift

Head downtown to the Seaport District to embrace the urban scenery. The amazing thing about this location is the architectural variety the city skyline provides. Take a stroll down the harbor and capture the beautiful essence of the water and city of Boston.

Expert opinion: "I absolutely love shooting in locations around the city that capture classic and clean architecture, incredible texture, and neutral color palettes that don't distract from my couples! The Seaport District is one of my favorite spots to capture portraits on the water. The cool blues mixed with the great skyline is always a favorite with ASP Brides!" - Annmarie, Annmarie Swift Photography

Photography: Julie Surette Photography

Right outside of the city you can find the Arnold Arboretum, an incredible botanical tree garden. Depending on the season, the beautiful trees will either be bloomed, have spectacular fall foliage, or be perfectly dusted with snow. This is an amazing location for all seasons.

Expert opinion: "The Arnold Arboretum is gorgeous in any season and this is why I love shooting engagement sessions here. I especially love the Arboretum in Spring when all of their amazing cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. It's just stunning and so perfect for a romantic engagement session."- Julie, Julie Surette Photography

5) Old Stone Church (West Bolyston, MA)

Photograpy: Tiffany Von Photography

Another location that captures the beautiful fall foliage Massachusetts is known for is the Old Stone Church. This location has scenic options for a waterfront photo shoot or a more rustic backdrop when shooting in front of the gray stone church. Whatever season, this location is a breathtaking spot.

Expert opinion: "Old Stone Church is hands down my favorite place to photograph in the autumn. It’s a well known nook in central Mass, and a great place to walk around and explore. Nestled on the property is a gorgeous historic stone church, surrounded by rocks, water, trees + plenty of foliage. I love how it changes with the season, it always feels stunningly different to me. A great place to visit if you’ve never been!" -Tiffany, Tiffany Von Photography

6) The Boathouse At MIT (Cambridge, MA)

Photography: Sweet Lady Jane Photography

Yet another waterfront location! Head on over to MIT in Cambridge to find this private spot to capture an intimate engagement session. Not only will you find a gorgeous waterfront location, but you will also have a spectacular view of the beautiful Boston skyline.

Expert opinion: "The city skyline is a 'must have' that comes up time and time again when discussing engagement sessions. I love to go across the river to Cambridge, where the view is somewhat unique. The docks at the MIT boathouse are stunning. Water, sailboats, the Citgo sign in clear view...what could be better?"- Katie, Sweet Lady Jane Photography

7) The DeCordova Museum (Lincoln, MA)

Photography: Leise Jones Photography

With close to 30 acres of spectacular land, the DeCordova Museum is an ideal outdoor setting for your engagement shoot. Located just half an hour outside of Boston, these grounds are ubiquitous with amazing sculptures that are sure to add a unique flare to your engagement session.

Expert opinion: "The DeCordova Museum in Lincoln has gorgeous grounds doted with unique sculptures, all of which mean really cool photos. You have to be off the grounds before the museum closes in the evening, but the stunning location is worth rearranging your schedules." - Leise, Leise Jones Photography

8) Downtown Newburyport (Newburyport, MA)

Photography: Dragonfly Photography

If you've never visited the adorably quaint town of Newburyport, you're missing out. Lined with cobblestones and charming restaurants and shops, Newburyport has endless spots (including waterfront views and beaches) to capture the perfect picture!

Expert opinion: "Downtown Newburyport, this city has it all! Water, Old historic buildings, art and cobblestone! A photographer's dream! Samantha and Taylor had a blast following me around one of my favorite shooting locations. We got there before the streets were crowded with tourists and the sun was blazing."- Rachael, Dragonfly Photography

9) The Public Garden (Boston, MA)

Photography: Newbury Photographs

Wanting to stay in the city but still looking for beautiful landscape and architecture? You should definitely check out The Boston Public Garden. Not only is this location extremely convenient, it is jaw dropping gorgeous. Capture a timeless yet romantic look at this location during anytime of year!

Expert opinion: "The Public Garden in Boston... A walk through the garden and surrounding areas provides for a variety of beautiful settings for photos and a mix of both cosmopolitan and natural elements."- Nicole, Newbury Photographs

Photography: Annmarie Swift Photography

Expert opinion: "The Public Garden, In almost any season. The Boston Public Garden offers a timeless Boston background and a wide variety of textures and backgrounds for portraits! You didn't hear it from me, but the bridge is more likely to be empty at sunrise (which is exactly when you'll find me there!)" -Annmarie, Annmarie Swift Photography

10) The Museum Of Fine Arts (Boston, MA)

Photography: Annmarie Swift Photography

Another convenient location that will provide endless beauty for your engagement session! The Museum of Fine Arts is an elegant and iconic spot set right in the city of Boston. This exquisite location provides a luxurious backdrop for more formal pictures.

Expert opinion: "For the classic couple, especially those looking for a more formal setting, The Museum of Fine Arts is great! The sharp lines and clean face of the building lend to a cohesive image collection beautifully!" -Annmarie, Annmarie Swift Photography

11) Beacon Hill (Boston, MA)