Five down, five more to go! This is the last five London engagement shoot locations. As I’m writing this I can think of three, four, five more amazing places but I guess they’ll have to wait for the next blog!
This place is so big you’ll need a map to find your way around. And choose your locations wisely as there’s no way you’ll find your way round all of them.
One of my favourite locations is the Palm House Conservatory. If you can bear the high temperature and get some shots before the lenses start to fog up, you’ll be super happy.
Luckily, when I shot a wedding there they provided us with a golf cart to scoot around in, minimising our travel time but whilst this might save a little time, I can’t think of a nicer park to spend the day walking through.
Shoreditch
Shoreditch, the hipster’s playground, the street artist’s canvas. I’ve never been into the skinny jeans looks and whilst I do occasional wear a beany it’s only to control my monstorously curly hair. But despite my lack of cool, I do love Shoreditch and it’s vibrant colourful streets.
Whilst this is one place I do know my way around, I still like to shoot with no specifc direction in mind. The back streets all link up and have a varied selection of colours, textures and graffiti, some covering whole buildings.
There’s a great mix of new and old London in Shoreditch, so you’re bound to get a great mix of styles in your photos.
If I could be anywhere in London on a sunny Sunday afternoon, it would be on the Southbank. There’s a feel of culture when you walk along past the Southbank Centre, the BFI and the Royal Festival Hall. Luckily, the 70’s architecture and location next to the river make it a great location for some pics too!
The route from the Waterloo entrance through to the Tate Modern or even Borough Market will not only give you more than enough spaces for photos, but you’ll have a fantastic day out. There’s so much to do and experience here that you’ll get what you need way, before you get to the end of the route.
This is a real hidden gem of a location. It’s tucked away at one end of Hampstead Heath but good luck finding it without a map. Imagine you discovered a pergola garden that had been forgotten about for years, the bricks weathered and plants overgrown and climbing up the archways, creating a location right out of a fairytale.
For a London location, it’s remote and not overly busy, so it’s another place that great for a shoot if you don’t want to be on show.
I was heading to Peckham on the overground thinking of Rodney and Delboy. Their flat, the yellow three wheeler car and the pub they drank in was the full extent of my Peckham knowledge. It turns out that Peckham is actually quite different now.
The space around the Bussey Building is full of outdoor cafés and bars, perfect to sit down get some ‘chilling with a drink’ shots. There are loads of industrial buildings covered in colourful, mural backdrops and then there’s the Bussey Building. The part I shot in is basically a multi-story car park with a bar located on the top floors but it also makes for a very cool rooftop shoot, but be sure to get going before the crowds ascend… or not, if a night out is on the cards.
I hope you found this helpful. If you’re not getting married in London or wanted to shoot your engagement shoot else where then get in touch, we’d be happy to help!
Good, London engagement shoot locations shouldn’t be hard to find but it can be hard to decide which one you like best. I find a lot of my couples know they want a shoot long before they know where they want to shoot. There’s lots to think about, do you want a location that has meaningful significance or just some kick-ass photogenic backdrops?
To help you with the decision we’ve provided you with a list of 10 awesome London engagement shoot locations. There are some great locations here but if nothing quite takes your fancy, it should at least give you some ideas for the style you may want to go for. Enjoy!
I’d heard of Alexandra Palace before but had never actually been, and since my first shoot there, have only ever been back for work and sadly never for fun! Something I am constantly planning to remedy, but have never quite achieved.
It’s such a great location for photography! It has amazing views of London, a boating pond, a small fun fair, amazing architecture, lovely green picnic areas and loads of little nooks and crannies to compose your creative snaps.
It always feels like you have enough space to shoot and wander around without feeling distracted and embarrassed. There’s also enough location and backdrop variations to get a great selection of photos.
Hampstead Heath
One of, if not London’s biggest park! I don’t think I’ve ever been to Hampstead Heath without getting lost or becoming completely disorientated and ending up in another suburb of London!
There’s a mix of wild forest, swimming ponds and grassy hills with stunning views over London. It’s a great place to just wander around, chat to each other and grab a shot here and there when the location strikes!
Hampstead Heath is London’s less manicured park so whilst its rougher round the edges it has a natural, breath of fresh air feel about it, and is definitely the park I’d visit to destress and free up some much needed headspace.
This little square of old London is hidden amongst the huge, towering blocks of London city. So whilst there is the beautiful crumbling ruins of an old church to shoot around, you can also get a nice contrast, shooting against the modern skyscraper architecture across the road.
Saint Dunstan always reminds me of the film Return to Oz, except not as terrifying and with more ham sandwiches being eaten on near by benches. If you’re in London and you’re not sure where to shoot this place is a no brainer. You won’t be disappointed.
Greenwich
Greenwich is a popular choice for my couples for both engagement and family shoots. Ok, maybe giving a whole town as location is cheating and not helpful but whenever i shoot there I’ve always shot as many areas of Greenwich as I can. There’s such a great selection of backdrops and locations, you really do end up racking up the miles by the end of your shoot.
The route normally consists of the top of Greenwich Park near the Observatory, yet another location with beautiful views of the London skyline. From there, you have the winding paths through the park to the Naval college with its grand imposing architecture. If that’s not enough you then have the market and Greenwich High Street with the Cutty Sark sitting on the bank of Thames as a great place to collapse and grab a drink at a near by pub.
If you’ve read any of my other blogs you’ll know I’m a massive Trinity Buoy Wharf groupie! It is a photogenic hub of creativity, full of colourful backdrops and fascinating installations. So, you’ll not only get some great pictures but you’ll learn something as you go.
Trinity Buoy Wharf feels like a film set with random props and scene set up for you to use as you wish, perfect for photography. There are tons intersecting walkways, varying sized backdrops, arty typography and graphic design scattered through out and industrial warehouse spaces, that could easily be the location for Justin Bieber’s latest Tik Tok music video.
It is a little hidden away but is only a short taxi ride from the nearest Tube station. You can easily shoot a good two-hour engagement shoot here and once you’re done you can visit the Wharf’s residential café or the American Diner for a nice bite whilst you wait for your taxi back home.
Early this year, on a slightly grey February day, I had the huge pleasure of shooting the engagement shoot of these two bright things on Hampstead Heath. They’ve since been married in San Francisco – one of my all time favourite places in the world. Perfect. Congratulations guys!
It’s been a year of firsts for Story + Colour – first engagement shoot in Paris, first Indian wedding, first wedding abroad in Cyprus, first trip to… Peckham. This little dream we had about owning our own business three years ago has really come to life and we’re loving every minute. On top of the international travel, our work has taken us to the Cotswolds, West Sussex, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, London, Surrey and Devon. We’ve managed to get our new website up and running which not only shows the photography at the heart of Story + Colour, but also the design of invites and various bits and pieces that we do along side it.
Thank you to every couple who has put their faith in us this year – we cherish each and every one of you and it has been such a pleasure to work along side you and be present on your big day. Your relaxed natures, sense of fun, massive smiles, epic dance moves and tears of happiness have inspired us for the past 12 months. We can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store and look forward to the people we will meet and the places we will visit along the way. Here are just some of our favourite images from 2015.
It’s really exciting when someone asks for an engagement shoot in a part of London I’ve not had time to explore. When Victoria and Adam suggested their home borough of Peckham, I jumped at the chance, and was not disappointed. Vibrant and eclectic, we found many interesting locations including the Bussey Building, and the sunny summer’s Sunday morning, made for a great shoot.
A highlight about shooting in the summer, is being able to do engagement shoots after the working day as the sun starts to fall across the city. The warm, hazy days produce beautiful light and warm glowing backdrops for my favourite kind of pictures.
Jo + Mikey chose Hampstead Heath for their engagement shoot (and it’s where they actually got engaged!), and we had a great time walking around one of London’s best green spaces, shooting and getting to know each other in the usual relaxed fashion. I love their complementary patterned outfits, the easy summer vibes and ending with a pint in the pub… my favourite way to finish any shoot!
It was cloudy and on the brink of rain when I met Kali and Thom but that wasn’t going to stop us. After all it is January in England – it’s not like we weren’t expecting it. We made our way through Greenwich Park and up to the Meantime Museum, where we experienced a coffee/football incident that almost ended the shoot! But after a quick timeout, we head back down to the Greenwich Market and then on to Kali and Thom’s favourite pub, The Cutty Sark. Both of them are so sweet and easy-going it felt like walking with a couple of good friends, so it’s no surprise I’m very much looking forward to their wedding in April this year.
For me as a photographer, shooting an engagement shoot in Paris is a big deal and a definite high point in the life of Story and Colour.
Unfortunately, my only experience of Paris is from at least 12 years ago, so we took our lead from Cat and Oli who had already planned our route, starting of course at the Eiffel Tower! We then wandered the Parisian streets and eventually made our way up to MontMartre, with the most amazing views of the city and then devoured a well earned cup of coffee in the artist square.
Cat and Oli were great to work with and the whole day felt more like hanging out with friends rather than being on a shoot.
Well, 2014 was certainly a whirlwind! Our year was jam-packed with absolutely beautiful weddings, and we felt so lucky to have been a part of each and every one – it has been such a privilege. Before 2015 kicks off with our first wedding in a couple of weeks, we wanted to share a round up of 2014 with some of our favourite shots – a great big thanks to all of the brides, grooms, friends and families for the excellent content! Lots of love and best wishes to all of them for the new year – and to all those due to get married this year too! Laura and Dan xx
As a photographer you really are spoilt for choice when you’re shooting down on the London’s Southbank, you could spin around blindfolded and still get an interesting photo.
The only thing that would make it better is a couple like Julie and Patrick, so in love and also great company! It was a pleasure shooting them on the beautiful bank of the Thames and I look forward to their wedding a little further down the river in Richmond next month.
Courtenay and Rob are soon to be moving abroad so wanted their engagement shoot to be something they could look back on to remind them of their time in London. Thankfully, due to this amazing weather we’re having, their memories will be of a glorious evening along the the river in Richmond, a beautiful sunset and a pint at the top of Richmond Hill. Perfect.
Hayling Island has all the hallmarks of an old English beach town, miles of sand, rustic little beach huts, an ice cream parlour and well… the sea! So when Emma and Tom suggested it for their engagement shoot I immediately rushed home and booked my train ticket, there’s no way I’m saying no to a day at the seaside!
Golnaz and Russell are getting married at the stunning Grove hotel in outer North London, so what better place to have the engagement shoot than… the Grove Hotel! Apart from the lush surrounding landscapes, it also has a beautiful walled garden, a volleyball court and it’s own beach, it’s one of those places you never want to leave!
I knew after meeting Lydia and Andrew that their engagement shoot would be something special. It was decided that we would visit Alexandra Palace (which I’ve never been to before but can now highly recommend for a relaxing day out), where they would go for a swan ride on the lake, ride the merry go round at the fun fair, get some skate park shots and finish off the day with a picnic! They were so creative and put so much effort into bringing their ideas to life and it really was a pleasure to work with them! We laughed the whole time and I think we captured some beautiful shots. Can’t wait to shoot their wedding in August.
So last Saturday was beautifully sunny… and also incredibly wet – typical English weather! But I like to see it more as a challenge than a problem and walking along London’s Southbank there’s never a shortage of places to take shelter: trees, bridges, even the Tate Modern. It also gave us an excuse to get out the red umbrellas!
Camden is home to some of the best urban backdrops in London, which was perfect for my shoot with Laura and Chris. We wandered over the canal, through the market and up into the famous Hawley Arms pub (once frequented by the late Amy Winehouse) for a halftime rest. Having turned heads pretty much as soon as we started we were soon stopped by two or three tourists asking for a photo, even in Camden this was bound to happen at some point! Walking back through the stables I couldn’t move five paces without spotting another cool backdrop but unfortunately the sun had gone down and another day of shooting was done.
Brighton is one of those beautiful places that was made to be captured on film… or in this case, pixels. It has that nostalgic, English seaside vibe about it, that retro style that just works in a photo. I’m sitting in the Coho Cafe preparing for the shoot and outside it’s just started pouring with rain, which gets me wondering if Katie and Chi are still going to be up for doing the shoot? They arrive and excitedly walk in, oblivious to the rain and excited to crack on. Having met at a college in Brighton seven years ago, Katie and Chi thought Brighton an ideal place for their engagement shoot and I totally agree.
The intermittent rain and drizzle did mean that the pier and the beach were both quite deserted which was great, Brighton on a sunny day would have been near impossible to shoot without getting photo bombed by about 12 different people! So whilst the weather wasn’t ideal it did help in other ways, not to mention those stormy clouds in the distance, what a backdrop!
Katie and Chi were great sports, and I wish them all the best for their wedding in Vietnam in December… far, far away from this English seaside weather.
Chloe and Matt chose Shoreditch for their engagement shoot, which posed a bit of problem for me… which locations to use? There’s just too many! We met in the Albion cafe (which has the biggest croissants I’ve ever seen!), where Chloe and Matt explained that they’re not the most confident people in front of the camera, who would have guessed that looking through the pictures, but anyway that’s what engagement shoots are all about, feeling insecure and a little nervous but doing it all with the person you love!
We wandered through Curtain road to the Adore and Endure mural (a must have shot for Chloe and Matt), past the Tea Building and on down to Spitalfields, ending at Brick Lane Coffee (I highly recommend the flat white). A good day with some great photos… can’t wait for the wedding in January.
Ben and Amy are unbelievably sweet and completely in love – two things that make my job easier! We headed down to a bustling Columbia Road flower market one sunny (and momentarily rainy – it is England after all) Sunday afternoon to take some snaps of this gorgeous pair. It is such a pleasure to know and work with them, and after this engagement shoot I can’t wait to photograph their wedding in Chichester this September.
Eleonora and Alessandro are the perfect couple – they giggle, they whisper to each other in Italian and they like to snuggle – shooting their engagement shoot has been one of my favourite to date. Such an easy couple to photograph, they had so much fun and had so many ideas. They were keen to get a few different looks and locations, so we started in the Candid Cafe in Angel and then caught the bus up to Kings Cross St Pancras. A great day all round!
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