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Everyone knows that getting great wedding photos matters but not everyone puts much thought into their engagement photos. It’s true that you will be spending more time flipping through wedding photos but having a photo shoot to commemorate the exciting decision to pursue a life together is a sweet gesture and makes for a great addition to include in your sentimental wedding album. The following are romantic engagement photo ideas that will help get you beautiful engagement pictures you are sure to love.

Wilderness

Whether or not you’re preparing for an outdoors wedding, the wilderness is a great backdrop for your engagement photo shoot. Whether wilderness for you means a rainforest, desert or a Redwood Tree park, embrace the wild for a beautiful setting. Being the only people in an otherwise nature-focused shot represents the notion that you two are taking on the world together.

Photo Credit: Handlebar Studios

Sunset

In order to capture the perfect engagement photo, you will need to find a great photographer. You will need someone who can take advantage of and capture those perfect shots in the limited time frame before the sun sets and the golden hour ends. Do your research for quality photographers and look into the type of sunset photo you want for yourself.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Brotchie Photography

Close Ups

Sometimes less is more. Some of the best romantic shots don’t show the whole picture at all, but rather focus in on certain aspects. This can include the couple sharing a sweet kiss, holding hands, embracing each other lovingly or running their fingers through each other’s hair. There are many ways to play with the intimate close up shots.

Photo Credit: Anchor & Veil Photography

Nature

A little different than wilderness, nature-focused photos can take place anywhere from a mountain, to a lake to a deserted beach. You can create all sorts of beautiful and romantic photos—from lying in a canoe together to standing on a mountaintop. If you have a favorite spot to get away from everything, bring your photographer there.

Photo Credit: Jason + Gina Photography

Laughter

Chances are that your spouse-to-be brings a smile to your face. For years to come, it will be up to you to make each other laugh when it’s not always easy, to do sweet gestures that show your love, and to bring happiness to one another. So what better way to start it all off than by capturing your love and happiness together through photos of you sharing a laugh?

Photo Credit: John Bosley Photography

Snow

There are ways to prepare your wedding for any season, but your engagement photos don’t necessarily need to take place on the same season that your wedding will. Most likely, you will do your photo shoot in whichever season the proposal happens; if your proposal falls in winter, take advantage of the good timing with a romantic snowy engagement photo shoot. Associated with fireplaces, sweet kisses, holidays and cuddling, winter is an especially dreamy time for taking your pictures.

Photo Credit: Imago Dei Photography

Be silly together

Your commitment to your fiancé is a commitment to being supportive to one another, to being present with one another and to work through any bumps along the road you may face. That means that sometimes the best thing to do is to let go of everything else, and just have fun with one another Show your fun and youthful side with some silly photographs for your engagement shoot. Photos that are silly by nature make not only for fun shots, but also for great pictures for the two of you to look back on later.

Photo Credit: Steph Grant Photography

Dip your toes in the water

Take the beach/lake view an extra step by getting in the water yourself! Pick clothes that won’t be too heavy and find a lake or waterfall to plunge into. Water-soaked photos generally turn out passionate and intimate, reminiscing the ‘kiss in the rain’ look.

Photo Credit: Q Avenue Photography

Your favorite spot

There’s nothing more sentimental than romantic photos at your favorite spot to spend time at together. These shots will mean a lot to the two of you, especially when you look back on them later. Whether it’s your favorite date spot, the place you two met or a place that you have a personal connection with, take photos of you two expressing your love at a decided-on location.

Photo Credit: Henry Chen Photography

Cool architecture

Alternatively, you can pass on the locations with sentimental value and head to spots with cool architecture, making for awesome artistic shots. You can also ask your photographer if he or she knows of any locations from past shoots.

Photo Credit: Jared Platt Photography

Black and white

Aesthetically, a black and white effect tends to make photos more vintage and somewhat more dramatic. Take a few of your engagement photos and have your photographer change their look to black and white.

Photo Credit: Leo Druker Photography

Reflection/ Symmetry

Reflection and symmetry are also part of an aesthetic effect but unlike black and white, are planned out ahead of time to create a special photo. There are a lot of different ways to add an artistic twist to your engagement photos using this trick.

Photo Credit: Simply Rose Photography

Silhouette

Another classic artistic shot blurs the detail and captures your silhouette. These photos tend to be romantic and aesthetically pleasing but require an experienced photographer who knows how to capture those perfect shots with tricky lighting.

Photo Credit: Miller + Miller Photography

Remake classic moments

For a fun twist, remake classic movie or historical romantic moments for your engagement photo shoot. Do an upside down kiss like the iconic Spiderman kiss (but without dangling from a building) or imitate the infamous sailor and nurse kiss in Time Square.

Photo Credit: ABM Photography

Most professional photographers have an eye for beautiful photos, playing with things like backdrops, effects and angles. Still, if there is a particular image you are in love with, bring it to your photographer’s attention so that you can get your dream engagement photos.