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Engagement Photo Ideas: 5 Unexpected Indoor Places to Take Couples’ Photos

On sandy beaches. In lush forests. Alongside serene lakes. When it comes to engagement photos, a few outdoor settings tend to take the cake…over and over again. But I’m all for thinking outside of the box and choosing an engagement shoot setting that’s true to you and aesthetically in line with your style. After all, in a world where so many engagement photos tend to look the same after a while—standing out can feel pretty rewarding.

Today, then, I wanted to offer up 5 unexpected indoor settings for your engagement shoot—complete with the dreamiest engagement photo gallery for you to lose yourself in. Let’s dive in…

1. A local coffee shop

A quaint local coffee shop provides the kind of unexpected setting that makes for the warmest, most heart-felt engagement photos. If you have a local spot that means something to you—whether it’s the place you had your first date or the coffee shop you visit together every Sunday morning—consider using it as the backdrop for your couples’ photos, particularly if it has a great interior design aesthetic. Keep in mind, though—you’ll need to coordinate with both the shop and your photographer beforehand to make sure it’s possible and the lighting is right.

2. In your home

Fancy yourself homebodies? When it comes to engagement photo ideas, couples often overlook the most obvious spot: their home. Our homes are our sanctuaries, the place we can curl up in and feel most comfortable—which makes your home an ideal setting for your couples’ photos. After all, when you feel your best, you look your best—and for many of us, home is the place we feel our best.

You’ll want to clean up and remove unnecessary clutter (like pet beds or extra items on your countertops) first—and then have your photographer shoot you curled up together in a cosy throw on the couch, laughing as you pour coffee or cook a meal in the kitchen, and/or soaking up sun in your favourite nook in your backyard. (Psst…if you have a pet who’s an important part of your love story, capturing your engagement photos at home allows them to easily be a part of the photoshoot. Bonus!)

3. In a hotel lobby

Some of the most interesting, intelligent design I’ve ever come across on my travels can be found in high-end hotel lobbies. From tufted leather chairs and grand stairways—to extraordinary marble entrances and regal chandeliers—if you’re someone who loves all things upscale and luxurious, a hotel lobby engagement shoot might just be right up your alley.

You can choose a hotel based purely on aesthetics—or opt for a property that has significance in your love story (perhaps it’s where you first vacationed together). Either way, have your photographer scout the location beforehand and speak to the hotel concierge or floor manager to find out what time of day would be best for the shoot. Hotels certainly can’t close, so you’ll just need to work around “rush hour” to shoot your images during an opening when there isn’t a ton of foot traffic.

4. In a swanky bar

If you’re a dry martini kind-of person and your partner is a whiskey-neat sipper, you two may just be perfect candidates for engagement photos shot at a swanky bar. With velvet lounge seating, dark lighting, and art-deco accents—images taken at a swanky local bar will likely end up with a saturated, moody aesthetic. If dark-and-dramatic is your thing, talk to your photographer about finding the perfect local bar to call your studio for a few hours.

5. At a storied library

Bookworms much? If you’re lucky enough to live in a city that has a historic library to its name, you might just want to scout it out as a possible setting for your engagement shoot. What could be more romantic for literature-lovers, after all, than shelves of leather book spines at your back and thousands of stories surrounding you as you’re just starting to write your own?

In need of unexpected engagement photo ideas as you plan your couples’ shoot? Join me as we lose ourselves in these regal images from a stunning hotel lobby bar in Zambia at the Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara…