Top 8 Engagement Photo Locations in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a gorgeous city with just two hours’ proximity to New York City, just an hour away from the waterline and a drive away from the countryside, making it a convenient place to get to or live in. Philadelphia has a strong neighborhood culture with every neighborhood having its own specific identity, cuisine, and personality. With just walking from one neighborhood to the other, you will feel like you have traveled across the map, thanks to the diversity!

Philadelphia is also rich in the art scene, with more and more artists coming up each day and more small businesses opening up. There is so much to do and see, which will set your heart racing! From the gorgeous Philadelphia Museum of Art to The Franklin Institute to the artsy cafes and shows, Philly never disappoints. Even though Philadelphia is famous for cheesecakes, the place has a lot more to offer to your taste buds. From amazing food to some of the best beer, this place is exciting and full of life. From its easy walkability, general picturesque views, strong community feeling, and a stronger history to back it all up, we love it all! If you want this stunning city to play a cameo in your engagement photo session, we have just the perfect places for you to explore.

LOVE Park

This is one of the most iconic locations for an engagement session- because of the LOVE statue (duh)! This can bring out the love-drunk cheesy teenager in you. And what better way than to spell it out to the world that you are in love with? This Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture is iconic in its photoshoot device and the nighttime photos in this location can turn out quite epic! And there are so many ways to get creative with the LOVE Park engagement session. The dramatic backdrop of skyscrapers behind the structure makes this spot a favored choice during a warm sunny afternoon day shoot. The towering buildings, the blue sky speckled with clouds, and the word LOVE spelled out loud and proud in a bright brilliant red. The fountain in the background is spraying out water into the air. Surely, there is something magical about this spot. A spot to stop and pay a bold ode to ‘love’ smack dab in the middle of the bustling city! Isn't that an endearing spot to declare your love to the world and forever memorialize the moment? 

Website: https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/love-statue/#the-history

Address: 16th Street and JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Fees or Permits: There is no entry fee for this place.

Fairmount Park

Fairmount Park, being the largest park system in Philadelphia, is the one filled with a lot of hidden gems. From stunning architectural structures to sprawling green spaces, this Park is more than just a park. It is a fairytale secret garden of its own. The Forbidden Drive Trail within the park is perfect for that woodsy vibe in your engagement photo session. A recluse from the city lights and traffic horns, this 2,000 acres expansive rolling hill with woodsy trails, calming waterfronts, and shady woods, is a gem of natural panoramas. The opportunities are immense. The deep-wood hiking photography gives your Fairmount Park engagement session an away-from-the-world feel. The Shofuso Japanese House gives your shoot a dash of whimsy and quirk, and the Boathouse Row provides a lot of romantic opportunities for you. This place is full of options and is a fresh breath of air in the middle of the cityscape. From autumnal engagement shoots in the woodsy trails to spring photography in the waterfront amidst the vibrant blooms, the options are inexhaustible with this one.

Website: https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/fairmount-park/

Address: 1 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia, PA 19130

Fees or Permits: There is no entry fee for this place. The wilderness trails for off-road biking requires a permit.

Race Street Pier

This location is perfect for those dramatic waterfront engagement shots with the tall bridge structure featuring in the background. Sure, it gets a little chilly and windy around this area but if you are ready to take that in with a little bravado, your engagement photos at Race Street Pier will certainly turn out to be amazing. The shimmering waterfront, the dramatic Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and the greenery from the park all come together to create a gorgeous setting. The pier building is a nod to the past and splits into two levels, the upper level featuring a phenomenal grand sky promenade and a lower level for social and recreational purposes. The generous seating terrace which links the two levels wraps around the pier, providing maximum dramatic magic of being around the edge of the water! It's a uniquely calming experience as you listen to the muffled squeals of the kids playing in the park and the wildlife splashing in the water as you watch the boats slowly float past. Capture the magic in your frames forever!

Website: https://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/places/race-street-pier

Address: Race Street and N Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Fees or Permits: Photo permits come at $50 and are issued for 1-hour.

Philadelphia City Hall

The Philly City Hall is quite the tourist spot, and that is not all! It is equally sought after for engagement and wedding photography purposes as well. What better than the city trademark gracing your engagement photo session? The jaw-dropping architecture of the building or the dramatic setting that it draws out can add that much-needed charm significantly to your Philadelphia engagement photography. With the capacity of around 700 rooms, the City Hall is the largest municipal building in the whole of North America. Bearing a history that can be traced back to the time when Philadelphia was founded and when William Penn envisioned Philly as a City of Brotherly Love. The building is a fully functional municipal building that houses three branches of government, but many people come to visit the City Hall because of the tremendously gorgeous architecture and the equally profound history attached to it. Capture the history and the old-timely magic of the spot to take your Philly City Hall engagement photo shoot to the next level. This spot is especially recommended for a photoshoot for that classic couple and photos which are meant to have a traditional appearance. Bright pops of color used in the couple’s attire can add a dash of juxtaposition to your Philadelphia engagement shoot, giving it a contemporary spin. The observation deck provides a panoramic view of the cityscape, allowing infinite photography angles to be explored.

Website: https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/city-hall/

Address: 1 S. Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Fees or Permits: Timed tickets are required to visit the observation deck.

Academy Of Music

Sprinkle a heavy dusting of drama to your engagement photoshoot by letting this gorgeous location set the perfect backdrop for you. Being the oldest opera house in the country which is still functioning, this place is a historic landmark on its own. If you are that couple who is passionate about arts and culture and would like the cornerstone of culture itself to grace your Academy Of Music engagement photoshoot, or you just have an appetite for the grandeur and the drama, this is the perfect place for you! This is a place that has seen many great performances and applauses and witnessed the glitz and glamor of several fun evenings. The music hall is designed with charming architecture and ornate designs that speak of time unknown. Capturing the rich canvas in your photo frames is no less than the art itself. The rich red, the opulent golds, and the shine of the crystal chandeliers will enable you to take a trip down the lanes of time, and live your dramatic dreams of the yesteryears. Bring the velvety blacks, the sinful scarlets, and the shimmery metallics out of your wardrobe to bring this rich photoshoot alive.

Website: https://www.academyofmusic.org/

Address: 240 S Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Fees or Permits: Special permission required.

Assembly at the Logan Hotel

Beat the gravity by scaling the height with the Assembly. With a modern rooftop bar that casually looks out to the amazing skyline that the city offers, this location can take your breath away! Located at the height of the ninth floor, right above the Logan Philadelphia Hotel, this location packs a punch with its panoramic views and paints an elegant setting. Catch the best of the sky by capturing the horizon around the sunset, and you will be left with some amazing captures. Fight the elements and keep the cold away by making things a little cozy. Light up the fire pit and add in a cozy blanket and let your engagement photographer click the best photos at Assembly at the Logan Hotel! Keep things light and airy by adding in elements of white and let nature do its thing. The blaze of the fire, the sinking sun, the burning sky, and a couple in love-there is no way the engagement wouldn’t come out amazing! 

Website: https://assemblyrooftop.com/

Address:1840 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA 19103

Fees or Permits: Special permission required.

Bushkill Falls

Just a comfortable two hours’ drive away from Philadelphia, lies the Niagara of Pennsylvania or the Bushkill Falls. This park is an amazing relief from the bustling city, with a total of cascading waterfalls throughout the park. While some are a little tamed and easy to reach, others might require quite a hike. However, the view is always worth the climb. There are beautiful trails and shady forests which make this a perfect setting for an enchanting woodland engagement photoshoot. The gurgling streams and muffled roar of the waterfalls, and the chirping of the birds as you get lost in the dreamy paradise of the woods are all very enticing. For the thrill-seekers and nature lovers, this is the perfect location to craft your Philadelphia wedding photography around. Play up the mystical drama of nature by either going for an ethereal forest goddess vibe or go for a more earthy natural vibe. The contrast of a dreamy glammed up look against this misshapen location also brings in a fine and interesting contrast that works wonderfully with a Bushkill Falls engagement photo session.

Website: https://www.visitbushkillfalls.com/

Address: Bushkill Falls Road, P.O. Box 151, Bushkill, PA 18324

Fees or Permits: The admission tickets are priced at $17.50 per adult.

Longwood Gardens

You step into a forlorn dream as soon as you set foot on the grounds of a Longwood Gardens. It is a queen of all the parks and gardens you can think of. This place gives you a piece of spring even when you're battling the winter blues. The Longwood Gardens sprawls over a massive 1,077 acres filled with the best of nature. Covering over twenty outdoor gardens, amazing heated greenhouses and conservatories, and magical indoor gardens to stroll through, this place is like a candy store for the quintessential Philadelphia engagement photographer. The magical botanical gardens are a canopy of cascading flowers and the fountains make this location a perfect choice for a Longwood Gardens engagement photoshoot. With exotic orchids and blooms from all over the world, this location is like a lap of nature and will give your Philadelphia photography a dreamy ethereal feel. Dress up your engagement shoot by donning airy ethereal clothing to amp up that heavenly Eden Garden vibes. Or go for woodland paradise earthy tones and lush unkempt greenery in the background. The world is your oyster when it comes to photography in Longwood Garden and the opportunities are inexhaustible.

Website:https://longwoodgardens.org/

Address: 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348

Fees or Permits: Timed tickets are available for 25$ for adults. A photo permit is required.

Please note that permits and fees are subject to change. Please confirm the policies with the location before planning your session.