Great Places To Get Your Engagement Photos Done In Vancouver

When it comes to engagement shoot locations there are plenty of options in and around Vancouver! Couples often ask me, where should we get our engagement photos done? To that I say, is there anywhere that’s special to you guys? Anywhere you guys spend a lot of time together, or had a significant event happen? If so, go there, because there's nothing better than a place with some meaning behind it. If not, I’ll ask what they’re looking for in terms of photos. Often times we’ll end up at one of the following locations!

Jericho Beach

Jericho Beach is one of Vancouver's main beaches and is conveniently located in West Vancouver. There's a string of beaches in that area so it can be a bit confusing as to where to go. To start, you’ll want to park in the parking lot across the street from Brock House. The great thing about Jericho Beach is it’s also a large park so there's plenty of places to shoot beyond the beach!

Kits Beach

Kits Beach is Vancouvers most popular beach and is absolutely packed between May and September. With that said, it’s a great place to shoot between those months as its significantly more quiet. Specifically I love how versatile the beach is as it can offer a variety of different looks. When I shoot there I like to start by the yacht club, then work my way to Vanier Park, and then finish off at the actual Kits Beach as the sun sets.

Pacific Spirit Park

Pacific Spirit Park is forest that’s named as a park thats right next to UBC. Theres so many spots around this park that I honestly haven’t explored all of it. The great thing about this location is that you can be out on a busy street and within 5mins of walking you will be in the middle of a forest with thick walls of trees. Oh, and the free parking and abundant spaces is a plus too!

Spanish Banks

Neighbouring Jericho Beach, Spanish Banks offers the best view of the North Shore Mountains of all the beaches in the city. Like Kit’s Spanish Banks can get pretty busy between May and September, but from my experience in May and September it’s quiet enough to shoot at during sunset. Parking is free!

Stanley Park

Stanley Park is the most popular park in the city, but it’s also the largest park in the city! This means that despite how busy it can get in the summer, you can still shoot here year round and have it look like you’ve got the park all to yourselves! Except for the beaches though, those will be quite full in the warmer months, but if you want water there's still the Lost Lagoon!

UBC

UBC is a super versatile spot to shoot in! Beyond just going around the campus you’ve got the Botanical Gardens, the Rose Garden, Cecil Green and you can even make your way down to Wreck Beach! UBC can work well at any time of the year, and theres plenty of parking to be found around the campus.

Whytecliff Park

Whytecliff Park is one of the most popular rocky beach parks. It can get busy during the summer months, but is usually fine on weekdays. The park is large enough to offer a variety of different backdrops while being small enough to be easy to navigate. Watch out for the high tide though if you’re gonna venture to the little island as the pathway will be under water!

Porteau Cove

Porteau Cove is about an hour north of Vancouver, and halfway to Squamish. Due to its distance from the city, this spot is relatively quiet. There is a camp ground there and there's a sunken ship that people go scuba diving at, but you’re unlikely to come across another couple doing their engagement shoot there! Porteau Cove is also the closest place to Vancouver where you can see the milky way on a clear evening!

Caulfield Park

If you like the rocky beach aesthetic of Lighthouse Park or Whytecliff Park, but don’t want the crowds, then Caulfield Park is the place for you! Geographically, it’s in the same area as the other two parks, however, it’s much smaller as you can see one end of it while standing at the other end. The secluded simplicity of this park makes it one of my favourite places to shoot in Vancouver!

Your Place

Sometimes the place that’s most special to you is your own home! The great things about getting photos done at your home are that it’s where you’re comfortable, it tells your story and you can pretty much guarantee that no other couple has had their photos done there before! Occasionally, I’ll start a session at a couples home and then venture off for a stroll around their neighbourhood.

Pitt Lake

Pitt Lake seems kinda far away, but it’s less than a 45min drive away from Vancouver. It doesn’t really get busy there as it’s secluded enough not to have cell service at parts, but its a fairly popular spot for engagement shoots and even wedding portraits. There are actually several spots in the area that are all within a five-minute drive of each other. With its valley of mountain views, this is one of the most Instagram worthy spots that you can go to for your engagement session!

Deer Lake Park

Deer Lake Park is a popular spot for wedding photos, especially if any part of the wedding is happening in Burnaby. Recently, however, I went on a walk on the other side of the park and found that it has much more to offer than the more popular side. This spot, though a bit of a walk is definitely worth checking out if you have the time on your wedding day, or if you’re just looking for a simple engagement session. It offers plentiful tall grass to use as backdrops, lakeside views and more diverse looking boardwalks than the other side does.

-

Engagement prep and tips:

1. Wear clothes you feel comfortable in. Don’t feel the need to be anyone else but yourself!

2. Footwear is important as I get my couples to move around a lot 

3. If we have a sunny day we’ll aim to shoot at around sunset, though this is location dependant 

4. Is there a location that’s special to you guys? Does that spot work for photos? If not, I’m happy to come up with one for you!

5. if it rains, we’ll reschedule! I want you to have the best photos possible. 

6. Approach the session as if it were a date. It’ll be a lot more fun that way! 

Interested in working together on an engagement shoot? Get in touch!