We love living in the City of Oaks, and we also love doing engagement photos in Raleigh. This list includes some of our favorite Raleigh engagement photo locations, but we've also got a list of offbeat engagement photo location ideas, and a list of engagement photo locations we like in the greater Triangle area.
One extra note, several of these locations require permits and/or reservations, so make sure to check with us about that as we finalize your engagement photo session!
And while you're planning out your Raleigh engagement session, make sure to check out these pages too:
Our favorite Raleigh engagement photo locationS
Doing your engagement photos in Raleigh? Check out
Downtown Raleigh - Capitol District
We love colorful, energetic photos, and for color and energy it's hard to beat downtown areas. Downtown Raleigh has several areas that work perfectly for engagement photo locations, so let's start there. First up is the area around the Capitol building. You've got the Capitol grounds themselves, nearby museums, and you're only a couple blocks away from some great murals. The rest of Fayetteville Street makes for great backdrops too.
Check out an engagement session around the downtown Raleigh Capitol district: Downtown Raleigh Engagement Photos
Downtown Raleigh - City Market
Another of the best downtown Raleigh engagement photo locations is the City Market district. Moore Square Park has reopened since its restoration and it looks great. The cobblestones and market lights of City Market itself are also great backdrops, especially if you want some twilight photos. And, just like the Capitol district, you're right next to Fayetteville Street and all that has to offer.
Check out an engagement session around the downtown Raleigh City Market district: Allie & Paul's City Market Raleigh engagement photos
Downtown Raleigh - Warehouse District
The warehouse district has transformed in the last several years. Lots of interesting backdrops, from modern industrial, to weathered industrial, to the architectural artistry of the new train station, to green space in Nash Square Park. And if you're wanting skyline engagement photos (more on those below), this is a great secondary location. I love when couples ask about doing engagement photos in the warehouse district, and not just because it's the spot closest to where we live!
Check out an engagement session around the downtown Raleigh warehouse district: Kaitlyn & Anthony's downtown Raleigh engagement photos
Downtown Raleigh - Skyline
Raleigh may not have the most iconic skyline of all time, but it's still pretty beautiful and doing skyline engagement photos is a great way to incorporate the Raleigh-ness into your session. There a few different areas to get skyline views, and if you vibrant colors in the sky, we'll want to plan your session around sunset (or, if you're a hardcore morning person, sunrise). If this is a must have for your engagement session, let us know and we'll structure everything right!
Check out an engagement session featuring the downtown Raleigh skyline: Allegra & Joe's Raleigh Engagement Session
JC Raulston Arboretum
Alright, those are our favorite downtown Raleigh locations and most of them have a distinctive urban feel. So for those of you who want more nature in your Raleigh engagement photos, we love to recommend JC Raulston Arboretum. These grounds are pretty big so there are tons of different mini-locations within it, from a yurt to water features to a Japanese garden, there's something for everyone.
Check out an engagement session at JC Raulston Arboretum: Samantha & Anthony's JC Raulston Arboretum Engagement Session
NC State Campus
You don't have to be an NC State Grad to appreciate the photogenic spots on their campus, but it definitely helps to have an emotional connection to the place. And if you and your future spouse met at NC State, then engagement photos on campus are the perfect way to continue the love story. And right nearby is Pullen Park, that's another good location for more greenery to go with your bricks of NC State.
Check out a recent grad session at NC State's Campus to get an idea of great locations: NC State Campus
Yates Mill Park
A little bit out of downtown is an old mill that's the central feature at Yates Mill Park. You've got a lake, trails, the Mill "waterfall," and a boardwalk bridge. This and the next location listed, Lake Crabtree, are great options for natural settings with water features.
Check out some portraits at Yates Mill: Lisa & Josh's Raleigh Engagement Photo Session
Lake Crabtree Park
Here's my second Raleigh engagement photo location with a lake. But Yates Mill and Lake Crabtree aren't the only ones, Umstead has a lake area, Pullen Park has the pond that you can go out on in paddle boats, and Duke Gardens has a pond too. Jordan Lake in Chapel hill also has similar vibes. Lake Crabtree though: it has gorgeous foliage, the lake itself, and it's centrally located to just about everywhere in the Triangle - just off 40 on the Raleigh side of RTP.
Check out an engagement session at Lake Crabtree Park: Laura & Charlie's Raleigh Engagement Photos
Your Wedding venue
And finally, a great Raleigh engagement photo location could be your wedding venue. Some venues include time for a portrait session as part of their wedding bookings, but even if your venue doesn't, if you love the grounds or the look, it doesn't hurt to ask.
Kim & Andy did their engagement photos at their venue, The Meadows Raleigh: Wedding Venue Engagement Session
We believe that love is bright and colorful and your wedding photographs should be bright and colorful too.
Kivus & Camera are Raleigh Wedding photographers who create bold, colorful, magical memories of your wedding day with beautiful, artistic portraits AND enthusiastic, genuine moments. Your unique love story deserves to be told through unforgettable, breath-taking photographs that stand out from the crowd. Kivus & Camera love creating that magic. After all, as past bride Courtney says, we’re photography sorcerers.
Also, while we call ourselves Raleigh wedding photographers, we definitely photograph Durham weddings, Chapel Hill weddings, Cary weddings, etc. We’re all over the Triangle area, and we’re happy to head to the beach or mountains and even to places outside of North Carolina! Just let us know where your love story is headed.
Want to know more? Check out more of our images or learn more about our nerdy selves or just send us a note! Can’t wait to hear from you.