Top 10 Outdoor Engagement Session Locations in New Hampshire
Location, location, location. It’s not the most important part of your engagement photography session, but it can have a big impact on how your images turn out. Choosing the right location for you as a couple may require some thought and compromise, but it will be worth it to get images you love.
Work closely with your photographer to choose the location. Tell him or her where you guys like to go and things you like to do. Your photographer may have recommendations for great locations, or may offer ideas to achieve your vision.
*Pro Tip: Do your engagement pictures on a weeknight, ideally Monday or Tuesday. Why? Because there will be much fewer people that may end up in the background of your pictures! Public places can get very crowded on the weekends, especially in the summer peak-tourism months.
Here are a few great places for outdoor engagement pictures in New Hampshire:
Wagon Hill Farm (Durham)
Wagon Hill Farm is a local landmark with 139 acres of walking trails. It’s easy to get to and free to enter. There are sweeping views of rolling fields, perfect for getting those end-of-day shots with a beautiful sunset. You can walk to the water as well and walk the newly installed boardwalk, which is great for pictures.
Odiorne Point State Park (Rye)
Odiorne Point State Park has a lot to offer for engagement pictures. For starters, it’s easily accessible from your car, which makes going back to the car to change a breeze. There are cobblestone beaches, sand beaches, crashing waves, trees, field, trails, and old war bunkers…. seriously, it’s got everything! It can be windy on the coast, though, so keep this in mind when choosing how to style your hair and what you’ll wear.
Downtown Dover
What’s not to love about downtown Dover? It’s a great location for engagement pictures because it has it all — candid pictures walking down the streets and sidewalks, brick alleyways, coffee shops, and so much more. Be sure to finish atop the parking garage for sunset!
Dover Community Trail
Within 30 minutes you can do pictures on the walking bridge, pop under the bridge for grafiti, architecture, and water, as well as hit the very unique tunnel that goes under Silver Street. When you park at the Dover Walking Trail you can also get some pictures with the moving train if you time it right (always practice good judgement and keep your distance from the trains! Never walk on train tracks).
Portsmouth Downtown
If Portsmouth is your jam, then pack your walking shoes. There is so much you can do here. The Music Hall has a really cool archway, there’s the coffee shops and boutiques. Like with Dover, finishing your engagement session on top of the parking garage will get you a great view of the sunset. Peirce Island is also a great location to finish because you can get the silhouette of the Piscataqua Bridge, too. It’s great to include local landmarks in your engagement pictures if it’s part of your geography.
Prescott Park (Portsmouth)
If you want the most incredible flower gardens, Prescott Park is the place to go. The water fountains and windy low-branched trees make for a lot of visual interest as well. Once you do pictures in the gardens, you can then pop right over to the pier for pictures on the water, or walk into downtown Portsmouth. Neighboring Strawberry Banke’s historic buildings are worth a stroll, too.
Kingman Farm (Durham)
If you love taking walks in the woods, Kingman Farm is a great option for couples who enjoy the outdoors. There are both winding trails and open pastures to walk. And it’s pet friendly, so bring your dog! The parking on 155 is no longer available, so be sure to check the website for current access guidance.
Petey’s (Rye)
Yes, Petey’s is an excellent place for engagement pictures! The first time I went there I was a little skeptical, but it turned out to be a GREAT scene for engagement pictures, whether you frequent Petey’s or you just love coastal New Hampshire. There’s lot of nautical backdrops with boueys and lobsters. The beaches are just a short walk or drive away as well. Plus you can get a lobster roll while you’re there. Who doesn’t love that?!
Jennis Beach (Rye)
If you want beach-themed engagement pictures, Jennis Beach is a great option for you. It’s easy to get to, and it’s a traditional sandy beach. Be sure to work with your photographer and check the tide charts before you schedule your engagement session. Depending on your goals, you likely want to aim for low to-mid tide. In most cases, high tide in New Hampshire will make most of the waterfront unaccessible which may reduce options for your pictures.
Random Field (Nearest You)
Yes. Seriously. A professional photographer should be able to make great pictures fo you no matter the place or time of day. Of course, it helps to have a good sunset. That’s why any random field works great! It could even be your backyard, the most important thing is to have a clear view of the horizon to get the greatest impact from the sunset. This random field was in Dover, just a few miles from the studio.
Are you engaged? Hit the button below for engagement pictures!
