Your wedding is just a couple of months away, and you’re stuck thinking about where to take your engagement photos in the San Francisco Bay Area region. Well, you’re in luck! I am sharing my top 8 locations for engagement photos. Not only are these locations extremely photogenic, they are all diverse yet very close in proximity to each other!
1. San Francisco City Hall
One of the architectural wonders of San Francisco, SF City Hall only opens on Monday – Friday to the public. Anyone can go inside and take photos as they please — FOR FREE! You can also get married there.
2. Lover’s Lane in the Presidio
Situated in the Presidio of SF, there is a reason why this place is called Lover’s Lane. This location is quiet and private, and it will surround you with beautiful tall trees like you’ve never seen before.
3. Palace of Fine Arts (PofA)
Another architectural beauty of San Francisco, the PofA has both a gorgeous fountain and structure. It also brings in a lot of tourists, so it’s best to visit during the weekdays!
4. Golden Gate Overlook
This spot shows the Golden Gate Bridge perfectly aligned. Check out how symmetric it is! This place is very quiet and unique! Parking is plentiful as well.
5. Baker Beach
If you like sand, beaches, and seeing the horizon, this is the perfect place for you to cozy up. You can even get a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge from this beach! Watch out though, because the northern part of the beach is technically a nude beach (but I will photoshop unwanted objects for free).
6. Legion of Honor
LoH is technically a museum, but the courtyard is free to the public. The museum closes at 5:15pm, so they kick out people from the courtyard as well. This place makes you feel like you’re in Europe!
7. Sutro Baths / Land’s End
One of the most iconic places in the Bay Area, this is the remnants of what used to be a bathhouse! Now it is open to the public for people to enjoy the sunset. The walk to the water is quite steep, so I always recommend bringing a pair of flats for the descend. There’s a really cool cave down there as well.
8. San Francisco Botanical Garden
Last but not least, the Botanical Garden in the Golden Gate Park features countless types of floral and trees. You can spend hours in there for photos! You do need to buy a photo permit if you want to take photos in there though.
Conclusion / Map
Now that you’ve seen my top 8 locations, which ones do you think you’ll like? In a 2-3 hour session, you can potentially hit 3-4 of these spots if you craft out an efficient itinerary. I typically let my clients decide which ones they want, and I help craft the itinerary. You can see these places located on this map! I hope this was helpful! If you need tips on how to prepare for an engagement session, check it out HERE.
