Top 9 Engagement Photography Locations in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, the city where dreams come true! This is the place where every aspiring talent escapes to, armed with dreams in their eyes and a rucksack in tow. This is a city filled with promises and experiences. Known for its Mediterranean climate and iconic tall palm trees, this is a city colored with vibrant strokes of creativity and ethnic diversity. LA lies right on the cusp of different terrains, making it multi-faceted. There is the Pacific Ocean adjacent to it, and mountains and deserts within an easy reach. With the tinsel town of Hollywood, sparkling just within reach and everyone passionately chasing their dreams to reach the promised land, this city provides affordable wedding photography opportunities by the handful. 

Honestly, it is easy to see why people love the city. The LA sky is arguably the prettiest and the weather is like an endless summer! The air is filled with wild electricity and the creative energy is infectious. There is beauty around every corner and every frame looks Instagrammable. If you have chosen LA to be the backdrop for your engagement photo session, you have chosen well. There is surely an unmistakable pride that can be seen in the Los Angeles residents, and it's surely well-placed. The Los Angeles engagement photography can lend a ‘cool’ and artistic edge to your engagement photos, something which you will treasure for years to come. There are various locations to suit your particular vibe, making LA particularly variable and inclusive. Let us go through some of the engagement session locations in Los Angeles you wouldn’t want to miss.

Santa Monica Pier

Capture the spirit of love as you go sweeping down the rollercoaster of the Santa Monica Pier, situated just a small mile from the Santa Monica suburbs. The thrill of the air in your hair and the sharp turns and cuts just about manages to mirror the thrill of being newly engaged. Explore the child-like awe of a fun ride with your special person by your side, and let this playful kaleidoscopic background add a swirl of color to your engagement pictures. Share a candyfloss, grab a fizzy drink from the vintage soda-fountain, and let your fiance win you a keepsake from the arcade. As the day fades to dark, the shimmering lights from the rides add just the dash of magic to the pictures. The smell of delectable street food hangs in the air along with that unmistakable festive flair. With the waterline along one side and the colorful rides on the other, this is the perfect place to sneak in a few pictures with your partner! Think along the lines of a summer day, dripping ice cream and tan lines.

Website: https://santamonicapier.org/

Address: 00 Santa Monica Pier, Suite A Santa Monica, CA 90401

Fees or Permits: The parking fee is $4 per hour and $12 maximum. No permit is required.

LACMA

Are you that couple with the artsy soul? This is the perfect spot for you to commemorate your wedding forever! The gorgeous strips of palm trees and the sand-colored walls provide just the perfect backdrop for you to paint your engagement photographs just the way you want. There are various intriguing art pieces which can make an appearance in your pictures. LACMA will let you live your love story dreams as you can pose in front of its iconic lamp posts, the Urban Lights which were featured in several Hollywood movies like ‘No Strings Attached’ and ‘Valentine’s Day’. The lights shining like a thousand suns, the blue sky in the backdrop, and the gorgeous palm tree, all contribute to a beautiful setting for you and your fiance to get some lovely dramatic pictures captured. Go all out with opulent clothing to add to the drama of the surroundings. 

Website: https://www.lacma.org/

Address: 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036

Fees or Permits: The entry fees are $25 per adult. While personal photography is permitted inside, you might need a special permit for a full-on photoshoot.

Venice Skate Park

The casual setting breaks the tension and the playful nature of skateboarding lets the couple relax and just have fun. Your Los  Angeles engagement photographer can capture the spirited nature of the couple, as Venice Skate Park explores the inner child in you. This is perfect for the duo who loves to be out in the sun and get moving. Additionally, the bright and vibrant murals aptly display the artistic flair of the city, in the amazing Venice suburbs. This location comes alive as the sun sinks for the day and the sky showcase a rage of explosive colors. The ramps and the concaves of the skate park against the disarming LA sky dotted by the silhouettes of the iconic palm trees are quite the sight. Let your affordable LA wedding photographer click away from this amazing view because it is the one for keeps!

Website: https://www.visitveniceca.com/2015/06/17/venice-skate-park/

Address: 1800 Ocean Front Walk. Venice, CA 90291.

Fees or Permits: Filming is not allowed unless authorized by the City of L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks. For permit and filming information, call 310.399.2775. 

Griffiths Park Observatory

The Observatory is a beautifully romantic location, situated in the southern slope of Mount Hollywood, Griffith Park. Standing at the height of over 1000 feet above sea level, this is the perfect spot to capture the love between you and your spouse with the most jaw-dropping backdrop to complete the picture, quite literally. With lovely views to soak in, and several trails surrounding areas, this location is the perfect playground for the engagement photographer to experiment with. The allure of this place lies in its hilly wilderness which looks over the sprawling city lights. The feeling of being so far away from the chaos while still being able to join the madness in a short while is exhilarating. From exceptional sunset views to the perfect view of the Hollywood sign, this location has a lot to offer. 

Website: https://www.visitcalifornia.com/attraction/griffith-park-observatory

Address: 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States

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

El Matador Beach

This beach is quite a sight in itself. With rough jagged rocks spotting the gorgeous beach, it’s no surprise that this beach is one of the most coveted spots in the city. Even though it is quite a busy spot, try to catch the golden hours at this stunning beach, and it will not disappoint. The best part of this beach? The keyhole rock and the incredible view from the top! Just a short distance away from Los Angeles in Malibu is a gem of a beach with its three small cliff-foot beaches. Punctuated by jagged rock formations, the shoreline casts interesting backdrops for your engagement session. A short walk from El Matador Beach leads to a white-railed wooden staircase, which provides you with more affordable wedding photography opportunities. The sandy hues of the beach, the golden grass, and the limitless sky give you the perfect background for your Los Angeles engagement photography to unravel. 

Website: https://www.californiabeaches.com/beach/el-matador-state-beach/

Address: 32350 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265, United States

Fees or Permits: There is no entry fee for this location. A permit will be required for engagement photography. Call 818.880.0358 for a permit.

Travel Town Museum 

This may not be the first place you think of when you think ‘engagement photography’. But when your photobook comes together, you will be happy to have chosen this place. It has a subtle romantic thread of vintage trains and faraway places. There is something about posing in front of vintage trains with your loved one which is hard to put a finger on. The epic tales of history along with the metaphor of going places and embarking into new adventures with your partner in the years to come paint a beautiful picture altogether. Whether you are rail enthusiasts, curious of the bygone days, or your loyalties to the vintage extend only to budget wedding photography,  Travel Town Museum has a little something for everyone. Take a ride to the past with this lovely location and dress up in vintage attire for that World War II feel in good measure.

Website: https://www.traveltown.org/

Address:  5200 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States

Fees or Permits: Entry to the park is free while the train rides cost $3.50 per person. 

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Aligning perfectly with the Walt Disney quote, “When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do”, this location is a wonderful surprise stemming from curiosity and the love of a true ‘Disney heart’.  Adorned with amazing architecture, stunning lighting, and the sprinkling of Disney magic, this location is a treat on its own. This location provides a wealth of opportunities for affordable wedding photography and engagement photography, both indoors and outdoors. The sheer magnificence of the building with its futuristic architecture and artistic alignment is enough of a backdrop to make your LA engagement photography a hit!  Once the absolute art of the building is captured from the outdoors, step in for more magic to unfold. The concert hall is awe-inspiring and sets the screen for the declaration of your love. Go full-on ‘glam’ to match the festive lights of the concert hall. This is one location that is equally yielding in both indoor as well as outdoor spots for wedding photography on a budget.

Website: https://www.laphil.com/

Address: 111 South Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Fees or Permits: The pricing for the ticket depends on the show. 

Greystone Mansion

If you are going for a traditional style engagement photoshoot, Greystone Mansion is the perfect location for the same. Stretched across acres of lush greenery, fountains founds filled with exotic fishes, and of course, the sprawled mansion itself, this place is perfect for an editorial, styled shoot. The bright and abundant inner courtyard and the classy traditional flowers provide an elegant and understated background for the engagement shoot to play in. Located near Rodeo Drive, Greystone Mansion is an expansive 46,000 square foot Tudor Revival mansion located at the landscaped best of the infamous Beverly Hills suburbs. One of the prime points of the location is the descending staircase which is one of the most coveted spots among not only the newly engaged couples but also the whole of Hollywood. This place has a little something for everyone, from formal English gardens to cozy cubby-hole nooks, and from manicured grasslands to architectural excellence, you will surely get that perfect shot here. Go for a classic get-up to match the grandeur of the place, or a darker Victorian goth vibe to add a little dark mystery to your frame.

Website: https://www.greystonemansion.org/

Address: 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Fees or Permits: The permit fees for this location is $305 per hour.

Arboretum and Botanic Garden of Los Angeles County

Out-of-the world landscapes, inviting greenery, dark and enchanting forests, and fascinating waterfalls, all wrapped up, the LA Arboretum is no less than Disneyland for the Los Angeles affordable wedding photographers and engagement photographers. The landscapes of this location are uniquely diverse ranging from bamboo forests to Amazon-esque location, from quaint Queen Anne cottages to free-roaming peacocks, this place is wildly unique and is an escapade from the blaring horns, Instagram mural walls, and heads bent over iPhones. If you want to give your engagement shoot an exotic enchanted forest touch, or you want that perfect shot under that cherry blossom tree, this amazing location delivers and with perfect backdrops. Go for minimal classy outfits for the floral galore, or opt for earthy forest nymph look and pose by the bamboo for an engagement picture which will speak with maximum impact. From exotic flora and foliage to intriguing wildlife and a general vibe of a paradise, this place is perfect-be it for an engagement photo shoot or for replenishing the soul.  

Website: https://www.arboretum.org/

Address: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

Fees or Permits: The admission fees for this location is $9.00 per adult. Assisted photoshoot allowing 1-10 people will cost around $300.

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

Lily & Lime offers stunningly affordable wedding photographers for couples engaged and wedding planning. We'd love to document this special time in your life!