ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS SAN DIEGO

Planning a wedding is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. One of the most important decisions you’ll make is deciding on where to take your San Diego Engagement Photos. Engagement photos are a great way to capture the love and excitement that surrounds this new chapter in your life. Janis Foley Photography has been photographing San Diego engagements for over a decade and we’re excited to share some of the top favorite San Diego engagement session locations with you!

Are engagement photos worth it? And, what are they for?

YES! Absolutely. Engagement pictures are a memorable way to tell your story and may likely become your favorite photos of yourselves, together, before your marriage.

Where can I get my engagement pictures taken in San Diego?

Some of the best San Diego locations for Engagement sessions are all within a 30 minute drive, including areas like La Jolla, Coronado, Del Mar, Torrey Pines, Balboa Park, Downtown, Old Town and many more. And, coupled with your top San Diego Engagement Photographer, Janis Foley, you’ll have no problem creating some of the best engagement images to help tell your story all while creating your new chapter together.

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Best places to take engagement photos near San Diego, CA.

20 Amazing Top San Diego Engagement Session Locations

Below you will find a list of San Diego’s Best Engagement Session Locations, along with some not so well known secret spots with unique view types. With over a decade of being a San Diego wedding photographer, Janis Foley’s diverse portfolios include thousands of love stories, featuring some of the greatest San Diego photo locations. Below is a list of some of the top spots to help you, your newly engaged partner and your engagement photographer, brainstorm your dream engagement shoot.

Balboa Park Engagement Photos

Balboa Park is full of beautiful, lush gardens that are perfect for engagement photos. You can find a variety of outdoor spots all throughout the park which will allow you to capture some unique shots. The buildings are built in a Spanish Colonial theme and date back to the early 1900’s. Their architecture alone makes them a top destination for San Diego landscape photographers and tourist alike.

The Prado is a top San Diego wedding venue and sits within short walking distance to the Alcazar Garden and the California Tower. These two locations alone are in most wedding photographers portfolios and makes for an iconic view type that is unmistakably San Diego.

Beach Engagement Session in San Diego

The Beach is often one of the first locations people think of for an Engagement Session in San Diego, and it makes perfect sense. Almost every beach offers something unique, and as such it’s hard to say one may be better than another. So collectively, some of San Diego’s top engagement session locations are it’s beaches. As mentioned, each offer their own distinct qualities making them all worth mentioning.

Offering 70 miles of beach and sand, the San Diego Beach spans from Oceanside Pier, down through Carlsbad and Del Mar, through La Jolla, Pacific Beach and Mission Beach, then further south through Ocean Beach, Sunset Cliffs, Coronado and Imperial Beach.  The beaches all have something to offer and their views offer a stunning backdrop for any couple looking to tie-the-knot. The many different settings provide opportunities for couples with all tastes and budgets.

Nothing says Southern California more than a beach location. They offer both the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop and the towering cliffs as well. Their location offers natural beauty that is sure to please any couple.

Most beach spots in San Diego are fairly easy to access, so you’ll likely have some crowds or people to navigate and work around. But some beaches like Black’s Beach or Swamis are a little harder to reach and therefore offer more privacy for your engagement session. But keep in mind that Black’s Beach is one of San Diego’s unofficial nude beaches, therefore, the backdrop could include some other surprises as well. Just be courteous and aware of the potential for uncommon photo-bombs.

Belmont Park in Mission Beach Engagement Session

Belmont Park in Mission Beach is a beautiful location for an Engagement Session. The park offers many different options, from the colorful carousel and fun rides, to the sandy beaches and parks. With so many scenic spots at Belmont Park, it’s easy to find a perfect spot for your engagement session!

San Diego’s Premier Beachfront Amusement Park features the historic Giant Dipper roller coaster, historic Plunge swimming pool, plus restaurants that are always festive and lively. Built in the 1920s, Belmont Park was a large amusement park in Mission Beach. Today many of those attractions remain similar, although many have been upgraded. The attraction includes roller coasters, bumper cars, zip-lines, carnival-style games and more.

Belmont Park has a large wooden carousel with plenty of room for poses, and practically endless options and view types, limited only by the imagination.

There’s an event center which offers interesting architecture, an open space to walk around and it’s upstairs, on the second floor, allowing you to take photos without worrying about people in the background. It still offers the park as a backdrop, just with less people walking in and out of your engagement photos.

For those wanting a little more thrill, the Giant Dipper roller coaster is sure to fit the bill. Built in 1925, the roller coaster offers some great views of Mission Beach. They wont allow our cameras on the ride, but we can still capture great images of the two of you on the ride.

The Bumper Cars here will surely make some exciting and colorful photos.

Across the street from Belmont Park is Mission Bay, an ideal spot for those looking for something a little less crowded. Offering a peaceful backdrop of boats and bikers, this side is a bit more peaceful, offering expansive grassy areas, sandy beaches, and of course, the bay itself as a backdrop, ranking it among the top locations in San Diego.

Coronado Island Photo Locations

If you’re looking for more images that really show the spirit of San Diego, Coronado offers a great backdrop for engagement photos. With a variety of locations and scenery, including the world famous Hotel del Coronado, or Glorietta Bay from the Coronado Community Center, the Coronado Bridge itself and the Coronado Ferry Landing, this quaint ocean-themed town offers a variety of backdrops making Coronado a top location and perfect spot to capture your favorite memories.

Del Mar Engagement Session Locations

Del Mar offers a diverse array of engagement session locations and opportunities. For those looking to shoot their couples photography in Del Mar. As one of the top San Diego beaches and also an affluent beach community, Del Mar offers both amazing seaside views and upscale shopping and dining. These locations are ideal for any couple looking to have the best engagement session experience!

For any couple looking to capture their love in front of gorgeous landscapes, seaside views, or upscale shopping and dining, Del Mar makes for one of the absolute top engagement session locations!

The Del Mar Powerhouse itself is an icon. Built in the early 1900’s, this power station was converted into a roaring nightclub back in the 20’s. Today it’s a popular community center, nestled above the beach and next to the lush Seagrove Park, with its many park benches, surrounded by color flowers, palm trees, and there’s even a train that rolls through every now and then.

The Del Mar Village offers one of the most upscale shopping experiences with designer clothing stores and incredible fine dining with beautiful sunset views. This is a great place to have your couple photography shoot.

East Village, Downtown San Diego

East Village is a hip neighborhood where you’ll find the hottest restaurants, bars and galleries. It’s also home to Petco Park and the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge in San Diego’s East Village Ballpark District Project. East Village has experienced rapid growth in recent years with new developments changing up the landscape as well as adding hundreds of residential units to this thriving neighborhood. Petco Park, the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge to the San Diego Hilton, and the Gaslamp are all within walking distance.

The Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge crosses Harbor Drive at Park Boulevard in downtown San Diego, California. It is 550 feet long which makes it one of the longest self-anchored pedestrian bridges in the world. At night it comes alive with lights and makes for an incredible futuristic-looking backdrop.

Downtown San Diego is the historic heart of the city and home to many attractions including Petco Park, Gaslamp Quarter, further west is Seaport Village, and a whole lot more. You’ll find a variety of shopping opportunities here as well with plenty of dining options here as well.

Flower Fields, Carlsbad Engagement Session

The beautiful Carlsbad Flower Fields is a top spot in San Diego for engagement photo sessions. It’s a magical place where you can take your fiancé to capture some stunning photos and have an experience that they will never forget. This blog post will show you how we can create a memorable engagement session surrounded by flowers, as well as provide information on other great places for taking pictures in Carlsbad and around San Diego!

When you think of the place to take engagement photos, do you think of a giant field of flowers? If not, then it is time for you to start! The Flower Fields in Carlsbad has long been one of the top spots for engagement photo sessions in San Diego. There are many reasons that these fields of flowers is a great location, but the simple fact that it’s a bright and colorful sea of flowers is number one. The flowers are incredible and go for as far as the eye can see. This makes such an amazing backdrop for your engagement photos. Not to mention their are tractors, wagons and cool designed wooden signs to add some variety to the images you create.

Carlsbad Village is another great location for engagement session photos. There are lots of cute shops, a beautiful park in the middle and great places for photos around every corner.

This location is not that far from Flower Fields by car so you can even do both locations when your planning out a session. The whole town has such good energy to it because they love their flowers and they’re one of San Diego’s top beach locations for photos as well!

Japanese Friendship Garden Engagement Session

The Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park is located near the heart of San Diego and is a gorgeous location for engagement photos! The garden offers many different locations to find the perfect backdrop. Whether you’re looking for lush green plants, or beautiful water features, this place has it all. This session was planned by our client and her fiance as they wanted to bring their heritage into their wedding day.

Because the trails are narrow and can get crowded, it’s best to make arrangements with the park to see if you can arrive early, before the park is open to tourists. This assures you’ll have plenty of opportunities to create endless view types.

La Jolla and surrounding beaches

The beaches in La Jolla are some of the most popular spots for San Diego engagement photos. Whether you’re looking to get your toes wet or create a romantic backdrop, there are many options including Scripps Pier, Torrey Pines Bluffs, La Jolla Cove, Cuvier Park aka. “The Wedding Bowl“, The Children’s Pool and of course the famous La Jolla Sea Lions that frequent many of the areas surrounding La Jolla Park. One of the best places to see sea lions in California is at La Jolla Cove… definitely making for unique and memorable photos. Be careful though, the Sea Lions can bite… but for the most part, they usually just smell bad and make loud noises [not unlike burping sounds].

La Jolla offers some of the best engagement photo locations and view types along the entire west coast.

Liberty Station, Point Loma Engagement Session

For couples looking for an engagement session in San Diego, Liberty Station in Point Loma is the perfect location. The Point Loma Engagement Session offers a gorgeous open-air setting with amazing views of the city and bay. This unique opportunity provides for timeless photos that will make you feel as if you are living in a postcard. Couples who want to capture their love story can choose from several different packages to fit any budget!

The Point Loma Engagement Session is a great way to show off San Diego’s breathtaking views and capture your love story! Liberty Station has been transformed into the perfect backdrop for couples looking to document their engagement. The beautiful landscape, with sweeping panoramic views of both the city and bay, provides timeless photographs that you will remember forever.

The maritime backdrop of the boats and harbor provide a feel that is unique to Pt. Loma. Couples who want to capture their love story can choose from several different packages to fit any budget!

Little Italy Engagement Shoots

Are you looking for the most adorable photos in Little Italy? Look no further! Definitely one of the top engagement session location, this urban area is perfect for any couple looking to capture a moment of their love and share it with friends and family.

This once quiet little area is now thriving again! Mostly because some of San Diego’s trendiest and most popular culinary destinations are nestled in this Italian themed urban area. Located just minutes from the Gaslamp Quarter, the San Diego Harbor, and Hotel Circle, Little Italy is easy to get to and extremely walkable once you’re there.

For photo shoot backdrops, Little Italy has everything from old brick buildings to modern skyscrapers, from cute and historic charm immediately next to modern and chic flare! There are all sorts of different backdrops at every turn.

Engagement Shoots will ensure your backdrops are diverse, and when you finish, you can stay to enjoy some of the finest dining San Diego has to offer.

With so many great photo locations, why choose just one?!