Best Engagement Photo Locations in Los Angeles
Are you looking for a great spot to take engagement photos in Los Angeles?
As a seasoned wedding professional and photographer in Los Angeles for over a decade, I have found some of the best, most accessible, and iconic locations for you to capture your engagement photos at that feel elevated without being corny. Below are some of my top choices for engagement photo locations in Los Angeles. Some of the locations featured include: Griffith Observatory, Pasadena City Hall, Greystone Mansion, Etienne Estate, El Matador Beach, Angeles Crest National Forest, and a few other photo hot spots. As both an editorial and documentary wedding photographer in Los Angeles, I strive to find places that my couples can find a personal connection to and tell a story through their photos.
I have done what I can to make sure each location is represented with multiple examples from different shoots, couples, or weather conditions throughout the different seasons of the year. Wherever possible, I have also included clickable links to full galleries on my site for you to take a more in-depth look at specific locations. All locations include information about peak hours, cost, permit fees, and reservation requirements, as well as helpful notes that are relevant to each spot.
If you are looking to capture your own engagement photos in Los Angeles, please contact me and I would love to chat about capturing your engagement or special moment in your life.
Griffith Observatory
Cost: $0 or cost of parking
Permit required: no
Best time: sunriseGriffith Observatory is a perfect location for engagement photos if you are looking for a location that includes famous Los Angeles architecture. For those who watched and were fans of the movie, “La La Land,” you will recognize this location from one of the movie’s dance numbers. Griffith Observatory is a very elevated venue space, so I recommend dressing for the occasion. Formal clothing pairs best with this location, as opposed to something more casual like jeans and tees.
I highly recommend if you want to take photos at Griffith Observatory to plan to capture them at sunrise. It is much more quiet at this time of day and the parking is free. After 9/10am you have to start paying to park in the parking lot. Also, on the note of parking, parking is VERY limited at Griffith Observatory and in the evenings, you cannot park at the lot at the top. If you plan to come for sunset, you’ll have to park somewhere on the hill and walk all the way up, or park at the bottom and wait for a shuttle to take you to the top.
See Full Griffith Galleries Here: Katie + Kyle, Madison + Charlie, Bree + Jaime
Angeles Crest National Forest
Cost: $0
Permit required: No
Best times: 1-2 hours before sunset, summer monthsAngeles Crest National Forest, just at the edge of the Los Angeles limits nestled above La Canada, is the perfect spot for engagement photos if you are looking for a place that is a little more nature or forest focussed, has rustic elements, seasonal blooms, vast mountain landscapes, and the occasional peek-a-boo view of the Los Angeles city lights. Angeles Crest has many turnouts on the highway that you can park in for access to dramatic landscapes. The park is very vast with lots of trailheads and hiking opportunities for photos, as well as some pull of the road easy access spots.
Some notes about Angeles Crest National Forest:
During the winter months, you cannot access many areas as the roads are closed due to bad weather and snow. Occasionally there will also be spontaneous road closures on roads to access some of the most accessible spots, so you will need to check road conditions in advance.
There are no gas stations in the park, so please ensure your care is filled up before you enter.
There is no cell phone reception inside the park, so please download an offline map or know where you are headed, as you will not be able to navigate yourself to and from otherwise.
Due to the high elevation of the mountains, sunset may appear to be 1-2 hours sooner than expected, and this also changes season to season as the path of the sun changes over mountains providing very different results season to season.
SEE FULL GALLERIES HERE: EMILY + STEVE. BOLORA + JOSH
Pasadena City Hall
Cost: $70-230 (cost of business license)
Permit required: yes, you are required to have either an annual or one day business license with the city of Pasadena to shoot here. If your address is a Pasadena address, you’ll be required to apply for an annual business license. If it is not a Pasadena address, you can apply for a one day business license + permit.
Best time: weekdays, mid-dayPasadena City Hall is a beautiful spot to take photos if you want a more ornate architecture feature in your photos. Pasadena City Hall has wrap around staircases, beautiful archways, a large fountain, rose gardens (seasonal), and beautiful corners perfect to frame yourselves within. Pasadena City Hall does occasionally have large events on the weekends or get rented out for weddings, so you need to check their calendar in advance to see if it will be open to the public. Pasadena City Hall is a popular photo spot, and no matter when you visit, expect moderate foot traffic while taking photos as there will likely be many other shoots taking place while you are there and you will need to share the space.
Greystone Mansion
Cost: $349 ($310 if you have a Beverly Hills address)
Permit required: yes, dates and times open 2 weeks for reservations
Best time: weekdaysGreystone Mansion is beautiful if you love gardens and want a luxury backdrop. This stone mansion has many gorgeous fountains, walkways, staircases, driveways (perfect if you want to include a vintage car) and green spaces. This space demands a more elevated look, so dress up for the occasion!
Etienne Estate
Cost: $750 for 2 hours
Permit required: no, but reservation is required
Best time: mid-morning or mid-afternoon
Etienne Estate, one of the newest venues to Los Angeles (as of April 2024), is a private estate nestled in the hills of Pasadena. If you recognize this beautiful home it is likely because you saw it appear on television as Erika Jayne’s home on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Now under new ownership, this beautiful mansion is privately owned and not accessible to the public. The only way to take photos here is to contact the venue for a private appointment/time slot.
Some of my favorite features of the space are the beautiful french gardens with clay statues, the multiple level tiled pool stretching across the front lawn, the sprawling green spaces, and ornate corners with different garden features. This property feels like a combinations between an Italian summer villa and a French chateau, transporting you to far away places without leaving Los Angeles. It is very similar to Greystone Mansion, but with more of a green garden focus.
SEE FULL GALLERY AT ETIENNE ESTATE: MICHELLE + JT
El Matador Beach in Malibu
(or Other Malibu Beaches)
Cost: $0
Permit required: not as long as you don’t have any off camera equipment
best time: most beautiful AND most busy around sunset. Weekdays and Mornings are lower foot-trafficMalibu beaches, and El matador specifically, are some of the most beautiful beaches to take engagement photos at in all of Southern California. I think this is because they are a bit out of the way, so less tourists are present here but also because the high cliff faces create beautiful rock features and cliff sides. You can always count of a beautiful landscape here, no matter the weather conditions.
Some notes about El Matador Beach:
Parking is EXTREMELY limited in the lot (which closes 1 hour prior to sunset). If you are lucky enough to snag a spot, you will need to pay for your space at the provided meter (remember your car’s plate number). If you aren’t able to get a parking lot space, you’ll need to park on the street and walk over. You could possibly be walking up to .5 miles before you find a spot. Please pay close attention to the signs as many portions of the road aren’t okay to park at as they are private driveways for the homes along the highway and along the coast. Street parking is free.
You will need to walk down a large hill to access El Matador beach from the parking area. It is not accessible for handicapped individuals due to the 2 staircases and hill. The hill would be considered easy-moderate in terms of difficulty.
Check the high tide report. This is more of a concern in the summer, but high tides greatly impact the beaches in Malibu. Ones like El Matador where there isn’t a wide amount of space, with a high tide can mean NO beach access at all.
A practical tip - wear shoes you are okay to get sandy, put them in a tote bag during your shoot, and wear them after for the walk back up the hill to your car as their is drit and gravel. Bring a water bottle and leave it in your car to rinse the sand off your feet as the sand here is especially sticky.
This most important note about El Matador - El Matador is a PHOTO HOT SPOT. There are ALWAYS, MANY OTHER SHOOTS occurring here at any given time. The beach will be very crowded with other indidivudals, couples, and families taking photos. If crowded areas and photoshoots happening all around you aren’t your style, I do not recommend this spot. All of my photos in my client galleries and shown below have all the other people present carefully photoshopped out. If having the look of an “empty beach” is important to you, ensure your photographer can make that vision possible for you.
SEE FULL GALLERIES AT VARIOUS MALIBU BEACHS: SAM + DAN, JINHEE + IK, KAT + BT, GIOVANNA + LEON
Studio Space in DTLA
Cost: ranges $50-300/hour on average
Permit required: no, but reservation required
Best Times: n/a, each space has it’s own calendar of availabilityI love renting out studio spaces and daylight lofts in the DTLA area through Peerspace. If you aren’t familiar with Peerspace, it is a company where different studios can list their sets or photo locations that can be rented out for shoots by the hour for an hourly rate. Each studio is privately owned and has a different rate and hour minimum. Some of my favorites can range from being really affordable (less than $100/hour) to more luxe (more than $300/hour with 3 hour minimums). Some are empty spaces and some come with props or lighting equipment. You can see the availability for studios in real time on Peerspace and book a time slot that works with your availability. Studio spaces are perfect if you want a more editorial, minimalist, or modern look to your photos. By removing the environment, you can create a narrative through the body language of your subject.
SEE FULL GALLERY OF STUDIO SESSION: CHLOE + MORGAN
In A Hotel Suite
Cost: price of the room
Permit required: no, but reservation required
Best times: sunset and after darkIf editorial, flash, “cool girl bride",” or anti-bride aesthetic are your vibe, you might want to consider renting out a hotel room and having your photos inside a hotel suite! Every hotel has a slightly different personality with their decor, furnishings, and style, so you can find a lot of variety for backdrops and settings from hotel-to-hotel. I personally recommend hotels that have a more boutique quality as opposed to chains, as you’ll find more character in their design as opposed to common chains. DTLA has many boutique hotels perfect for this, as well as Hollywood.
Some notes about shooting at a hotel:
While you can have your engagement photos taken in your rented hotel suite, most hotels in Los Angeles will not allow you to take photos in the public spaces (like pools, bars, restaurants, and lobbies). While a hallway or an elevator might be a possibility, if you want to take photos in the more public areas of the hotel, there will most likely be a steep permit fee in addition to the cost of your room. I have seen these range from $500-2000. Some hotels will not allow you to take photos in public spaces at all unless you are doing a full buyout for an event too. Because of this, it is important to rent a room that has enough space inside of it for you to have a variety of shots so you don’t feel you need to leave the room to get a variety of types of shots. Think about renting superior suites, rooms with balconies, or extra large rooms with private patios or special features.
SEE FULL GALLERY OF HOTEL ENGAGEMENT SHOOT: PRISCILA + ZACH
In YOUR Neighborhood
Cost: flexible, depend on activities
permit required: some cities in LA do require permits (ex: Beverly Hills) which can be $79/hour. This depends on your neighborhood restrictions
Best times: n/aInstead of seeking out a specific location, make your engagement photos about YOU and YOUR love story. Is there a favorite place you like to go out to eat together? What about the spot where you spent your first date or got engaged? Do you have a dog and do you spend a lot of time walking around your neighborhood together? Or is your first apartment together one that you think would be a great backdrop to remember this special time of your lives together? I think having a “date night” themed engagement session can be so personal and fun! Having an activity that you both love and enjoy can also make you feel more comfortable and at ease during your photos if you are nervous about being in front of the camera.
Some notes about taking photos in public spaces and dining establishments:
Some neighborhoods (like Laguna and Beverly Hills) require permits for photography of any kind in outdoor areas. If you want to take photos in neighborhoods that require permits, you’ll need to file for one. Beverly Hills for example starts at $79/hour/location.
Most restaurants will not simply let you go to their establishment and take photos (especially if it is after dark and you are using a flash). This is because they are privately owned as well as you taking photos can disturb other patrons. If you want to take photos in a dining establishment, you will need to verify that the location is alright with you doing so one site. Some will, some will not, and some require additional fees. Either way, be courteous of other patrons during your shoot in public. Do not disturb other guests and try to keep them out of the background of images to preserve their dining experience as well.
SEE FULL GALLERIES OF DATE NIGHT INSPIRED SESSIONS: KATE + THERON, Molly + Dom
