You’re finally engaged and are getting to celebrate this new chapter!!! While we can get caught up in the busyness of everyday life (and now wedding planning!!!), it’s important to slow down and make time to capture memories of you as a couple in this season before you unite and your family officially begins.

That is what is most important to me about your engagement photos and why I offer them to all of my wedding couples. Your engagement season is such a fun, significant moment in your lives, and I want to capture it authentically and true to who you are as a couple. 

I want your images to be the ones that fill your home with joy. The ones that make you say, “that’s us” year after year. 

To my couples that love the water, taking the boat out, fishing, vacationing at the beach, or just want a southern charm feel for their engagement photos, I’ve put together a list of locations I’ve found perfect for capturing your vision. 

Here are my favorite locations for engagement photos across Beaufort, Atlantic Beach, and the rest of “The Crystal Coast” of North Carolina! 

The Spanish Moss and Live Oaks

Spanish moss is the epitome of southern charm. It brings the looks of Charleston or Savannah, and it is typically in abundance year-round. The way it diffuses the light is stunning and is usually clinging to the iconic coastal live oaks (what I usually refer to as the “windy oaks”).

I love taking my couples down Front Street near the Beaufort Hotel. The water is beautiful, the trees are paid actors, and we also have convenient access to the boat launch.

If you’re looking for something a little more inland than Beaufort, NC, Washington Park and Goose Creek State Park in Washington, NC are equally beautiful and offer the coastal, romantic feel through Spanish moss, waterfronts, and beautiful trees. 

The Spanish moss and windy live oaks are consistent year-round so we can easily make them work in any season. If you want your photos to reflect a certain season (either to match your wedding style or to add some variety to your photos), the beach is perfect for making winter look like summer and spring look like fall. It’s all in what you wear! 

Downtown Beaufort, NC Waterfront

My husband, Nathan, and I love the water, but he HATES sand, so whenever we take pictures, I try to avoid the beach if we can (even though I would totally live at the beach 24/7 if I could!). 

The downtown waterfront in Beaufort, NC is one of my favorite suggested locations and is a great way to get that classic coastal charm without having to get sand in your toes – especially if you have a cute pair of heels you want to wear! 

The quaint town of Beaufort is something straight out of Southern Living magazine. It’s historical, full of character, and adds variation in your final gallery. 

The waterfront offers the look of the water with the boats tied to the dock while the downtown area is full of textures and colors that add depth and interest to your images. These pair nicely with the clean, less busy setting of the beach, if we choose to do a little of both. I like to think about how your photos will be used/paired as we are taking them!!

The small beach towns really do have it all!!

Tip for scheduling shoots in downtown Beaufort, NC: I recommend booking near the off seasons or cooler months to avoid the crowds, find easier parking, and the extreme heat and humidity. 

If you’re nervous about using a different season just remember winter light is superb and the biggest plus is no mosquitos!!! 

Atlantic Beach and Rock Jetty 

If you love the beach and fully embrace “beach hair, don’t care”, we can absolutely go to a beach location! The sunset on the beach is breathtaking and I love the look of a big open sky.

I suggest planning this as our last stop, so you can both have the most fun in the sand and the water without having to worry about the rest of our session. 

The perfect time to go to the beach is around September or April because you still have the warmer weather, but none of the crowds. Obviously, we can use the beach any time of year, but planning around peak season and large crowds just makes for a nicer experience with easier parking.

One of my frequently suggested beach locations is near Fort Macon so we can also use the rock jetty, which gives a little something extra to the beach backdrop. 

Couples who use Fort Macon as a location do need to keep a few things in mind; because of the hours of the state park, our session will start earlier than normal, and the gates of the park will close before sunset on an average day, so if the opportunity of sunset photos is important to you, Fort Macon might not be the best location. 

(In my experience the best sunset is at the Atlantic Beach circle, plus there’s free parking in the winter when the light is at its best!) 

Choosing Outfits For Your Coastal Engagement Photos

The locations are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to making images that make your coastal vision come to life. We also have to think about the outfits!

Like I said in the beginning, these photos are about YOU for YOU, so you should prioritize wearing something that makes you feel comfortable, beautiful, and like yourself. 

Typically, I recommend for the waterfront, Spanish moss, and windy oak areas to wear something that leans into the romantic vibes of the scenery. It looks like a Nicholas Sparks movie, so why shouldn’t you?!

For the romantic coastal aesthetic, I would style my couples in ruffles, bows, satin fabric, whites, creams, blues, and pastels. The kind of outfit you wear on a date night out is perfect. Think romance, think intimate, think fancy. Your photos are a time where you can really dress it up and wear something that you’ve always wanted to wear but haven’t had an opportunity to!

Now when it comes to the beach you are welcome to come a little more dressed up, but typically this is where I suggest the more casual outfit. Blue jeans are always a classic option, especially when paired with a cute top, and the men can wear what they would during a night out on the town. 

Where will you choose for your engagement photos?

The small coastal towns have so much to offer in regards to their locations, styles, and year-round accessibility and we’re so lucky to have so many options on The Crystal Coast, from Beaufort to Atlantic Beach and even Emerald Isle!

As your photographer, I am always happy to provide suggestions of places we can go, but if you have your own beach house or a place that’s special to y’all, then I am more than happy to come meet you where you are. Like I said these photos are about you and for you! 

If you are engaged and looking for a photographer to capture this season, you can learn more about working with me here!

Congratulations and good luck!!! 🙂