Choosing a location for your engagement photos can be overwhelming, especially if you plan to use these photos on your wedding website or Save the Dates! Below, I’ve compiled a list of the best places for engagement photos in Maryland so that you can spend less time stressing about the perfect aesthetic for your engagement photos and more time enjoying being engaged to your person!
As a Maryland wedding photographer, I put my years of experience to work to select 12 of the most versatile and photogenic locations for your engagement session. Maryland is home to some of the most recognizable venues and some killer hidden-gems, so let’s go ahead and dive into my top twelve recommendations!
Meet the best places to take engagement photos in Maryland!
Liriodendron Mansion
The Liriodendron Mansion is as close to a fantasy as you can get outside of a fairytale! This historic mansion features a gorgeously manicured lawn, ornate marble architectural features, and tons of outdoor picture-perfect alcoves for your engagement photos. I can’t get enough of the secret garden feeling thanks to those draping greenery arches over the stone patio! Liriodendron Mansion is perfect for the couple looking to do a formal look and a more relaxed look within the same session, or for a couple worried about rain!
Hampton Mansion
The Hampton Mansion is a certified U.S. Historic Site in Maryland, and was once a colonial estate. It has been uniquely preserved, and the rolling green grounds provide a wonderful backdrop for a couple looking for a lot of variety within their engagement session. Choose from the peachy mansion itself featuring a grey and white marble staircase, to the romantic oak tree and manicured garden maze, wrought iron and stone gates, the thigh-high wispy field or the tucked away brick-and-glass greenhouse for your favorite looks!
Rawlings Conservatory
Calling my plant lovers! This garden and conservatory (think: greenhouse!) features lush greenery and diverse plant life, perfect for a couple who wants a pop of green no matter the season or weather outside. Inside the conservatory, you can follow the paths to find arches of draping greenery and a tropical pop of palm trees that are a literal dream to photograph. (Did I mention that there is a cactus room?) I’m obsessed with the unique architecture of the greenhouse itself, so if you’re after a location with indoor and outdoor options to get some amazing engagement shots, the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory is one of the best in Maryland. A permit is required for this location and a small fee may apply to use the inside of the conservatory.
Brownie’s Beach
There are very few things more emblematic of Maryland than the Chesapeake Bay. Dig your toes into the sand together and catch a mesmerizing view of the coastline —and of you and your partner!—at Brownie’s Beach, more formally known as Bayfront Park Beach. This little beach and it’s iconic cliff are one of my favorite hidden gems. Brownie’s Beach is a surefire winner for intimate, romantic engagement photos, especially if most of your wedding guests will be traveling in from out of town. The access to the water and romantic greenery covered cliffside leave a distinctly Maryland impression!
*As of 1/12/21 Brownie’s Beach is currently closed due to COVID-19 policies within the town of Chesapeake Beach. You can check the status of this location HERE.
Baltimore Museum of Art
If you and your partner are looking for more of a timeless DC look without the headache of DC traffic, you can’t go wrong with the eclectic and modern grounds of the Baltimore Museum of Art. This iconic Baltimore staple features a marble staircase and matching pillars as well as a sculpture garden with a mid-century modern inspired wrought iron gate. (I promise all of my couples “timeless with a twist” but the Baltimore Museum of Art is an engagement photo location that really understood the assignment!)
Citizen’s Ballroom
Citizen’s Ballroom in Frederick, Maryland, is a piece of downtown Frederick history: a cornerstone building and former bank that lends it’s mid-century mod energy to any engagement shoot with it’s vintage charm. I can already picture the statement your engagement photos will make with a silhouette in front of their floor-to-ceiling windows or snuggled up in front of that classic vault door. Citizen’s Ballroom is a stunning, art deco space perfect for wintery or rainy engagement photos! (You might even sneak back to check out their availability as a wedding venue!)
Patapso Female Institute
Hands down, this is one of the most unique locations for your engagement photos that Maryland offers! Patapsco Female Institute, a former girls’ boarding school, has unforgettably unique architecture with it’s open air Greek revival structure coupled with details from its history as a school. Whether you’re looking for something old world inspired or love an industrial chic vibe, PFI is a versatile venue for photos. (Catch it in the spring for a pop of pink with cherry-blossom-esque trees!)
Patterson Park
You knew it was going to make the list before you even clicked in! Baltimore’s Patterson Park is a city mainstay featuring a rolling green hills, athletic facilities, and water features smack in the center of the city. Considered a staple among DC and Baltimore couples, Patterson Park is beautiful no matter the season with its cobblestone paths and classic view of the city alongside the Pagoda. I find that Patterson is often tied to sentimental memories from my couples’ first few dates, so I love to bring them back here to celebrate their full circle moment. (Not to mention that B’More Licks being within walking distance!)
Fell’s Point
Nothing says Baltimore like this view! Fell’s Point is an adorable and historic waterfront neighborhood in downtown Baltimore. Home to Belgian block streets, restaurants and bars on the water, with loads of aesthetic rows of houses, Fell’s Point is a great location for a walkable engagement session with an urban vibe. If versatile engagement locations are your speed, we can sneak down to the inner harbor for one of Maryland’s most iconic landscapes too!
Sherwood Gardens
A lover of whimsical secret gardens and bright colors, this has to be one of my favorite places for engagement photos in Maryland! The Sherwood Gardens provide an elegant and colorful stage for your engagement photos with flowers and hues changing every season. Between the greenery lined pathways and delicate wrought iron gate beside a cottage-style home, my nature lovers should look no further for their sunny outdoor engagement session,
Glenview Mansion
Glenview Mansion offers a timeless wedding look with well-manicured and expansive garden space as well as an indoor art gallery. This is a picture-perfect Rockville location with an unlimited combination of photo backdrops. My personal favorites? I can’t get enough of the stone arches and greenery lined stone stairs. Did I mention that Glenview Mansion is pet friendly?
Bromo Seltzer Clock Tower
Did you feel like time stopped when you met your partner? This is the spot for you! The Bromo Seltzer Clock Tower, now dubbed the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, is a landmark piece of downtown Baltimore, Maryland. If you want to talk about a show stopping photo location in Maryland – just picture you and your partner INSIDE of this incredible clock face! Perfect for a rainy day engagement session, we can also create variety within your photos by utilizing the grey-wash brick that surrounds the clock face as well as the brick-lined courtyard outside of the tower. If you’re a Baltimore native, this iconic tower can give a creative nod to your hometown while celebrating your engagement.
What if I want something more personal for our engagement photos?
Choosing a non-traditional location for your photos is the easiest way to make a session feel like you. Consider places that are meaningful to you in some way, whether that means that it represents your sense of style or a milestone in your relationship.
Some options might be local breweries, stylish Air BNBs, coffeeshops, record stores, parks, ice cream parlors, monuments, parking garages with epic views, the state fair or even your own home!
If bold outfits or unusual locations aren’t your vibe, consider doing one of your fav date night activities together like baking or walking your dog through your neighborhood and then snuggling up on the sofa.
Find a winner on my list of the best places for engagement photos in Maryland?
Let’s do this!
Whether you’re looking for something snuggle-y and laid back or want to feel like you’ve walked out of the pages of Vogue, it’s all possible. Send me a message HERE and mention this blog post to receive an extra half hour of engagement photos on me. (This offer is open to any couples who haven’t previously inquired with me.)
