The Best locations for your London engagement session

When choosing the best locations for your London engagement session, there’s a few things to consider. My preference is finding a location that’s meaningful to you and your relationship – maybe the area you met, or the site of your first date; or where you love to spend your weekends or even in your neighbourhood. One day you might move away, and want to remember that time. I know that I really wish we had some pro photos of the two of us when we were living in Bethnal Green and spending lots of time in Shoreditch and around Columbia Road. Where you choose to stage your shoot might also dictate what you choose to wear for your engagement session.

I also love a shoot in the suburbs, so let me come and hotfoot it with you around Zone 3 or wherever. Show me your favourite places to explore, I love the thought of doing a shoot starting at home, maybe with you both snuggled on the sofa, let’s get any fur babies involved and then go for a walk. I have even done engagement shoots in a car park in Peckham before, so rest assured that I love a weird, slightly brutalist location, and you’ll see that reflected in my choice to include the Barbican below.

However, if you’re struggling to choose a location for your engagement shoot, then fear not, I have plenty of ideas for locations that always work a treat.

It’s worth mentioning that lots of London, especially around the City falls into the complicated grey area of privately owned publically accessible land – that is to say it’s squares and other public spaces that may look like just that, but they fall under ‘permissive access’ and you can be moved on, or prevented from taking photos entirely. I’ve tried to mention places that I know there’s no issue but this is constantly subject to change. This piece in the Guardian explains in more detail what I’m talking about.

In general I have also tried to avoid listing places that charge for photo permits – whilst this can be something worth doing if you have your heart set on a particular location, then can be pretty expensive, but if you have any questions at all about shoot permits, then just ask.

The locations

Spitalfields & around

One of my favourite locations in London is the area around Spitalfields and into Shoreditch. If you like urban areas, street art, old buildings and feeling like you’re in the centre of things it’s a great choice. I like to do a route that takes in some of the following – the old weaver’s houses along Princelet Street, Brick Lane before snaking over to the area near Spitalfields City Farm for some greenery. You can then stroll North to take in Redchurch St and Chance Street, home respectively to a fine array of boutiques and some great blocky, colourful street art. Arnold Circus and the Boundary Gardens is a quiet little gem, hidden away from the hustle and bustle and you can get the prettiest little view looking down the steps there towards the street. Finally, after Spitalfield’s market traders have closed up for the day, the old stalls, and their numerous festoon lights make a super pretty backdrop.

This really is one of my favourite engagement shoot routes.

Best stations: Liverpool Street or Shoreditch High Street

Battersea Park

Move over Royal Parks (ie Hyde Park, Regents Park, Greenwich Park etc) you’re both busy and you require a permit to take photos. One of my favourite parks to photograph in is Battersea Park because not only is it a pretty spacious park with a boating lake, loads of beautiful tropical plants and a big pagoda, but it also has direct access to the river and as such, the skyline. At dusk the Albert Bridge lights up and is so, so pretty.

Props also for other parks managed by boroughs – some of my other faves are Wanstead Park, Victoria Park in East London and Peckham Rye. But greenspaces are always a winner because they’re often far less busy than urban eras which makes it so much easier to relax into the shoot.

Best stations: Battersea Park or drive/bus

The Southbank

Another perennial classic – one of my all time favourite places for a weekend stroll was along the Southbank. From Borough Market in the East, past the Tate Modern, the various modern architecture of the Southbank Centre, iconic sights like the London Eye and ending up by Westminster Bridge by the houses of parliament. This is the engagement shoot route that I’d suggest to anyone visiting London too and wanting to incorporate as many of the ‘big’ sights as possible, but I think it holds a lot of joy for resident Londoners too.

When working around the Southbank Centre, one does need to be aware of the aforementioned pseudo public space issue – the land directly outside the Royal Festival Hall is owned by them, and a permit is needed, but you can shoot along the rest of the bank as far as I’m aware.

Best station: London Bridge or Waterloo

Greenwich

You might have noticed two themes with my suggestions – water and cool buildings – they are either locations with incredible architecture, or access to the water; or both! Greenwich is definitely a both – swerve the more obvious park and observatory (although it is an incredible view) because they require permits, and head instead down to the river. Here you have the elegant lines of the Naval College, the flag-and-bunting festooned Trafalgar Tavern and then following the river path in the direction of Blackwall you get epic views across the river, especially at sundown. London’s ‘backup’ power station and a pretty network of sidestreets to rival Shoreditch. Plus there’s The Ship for a quick pint. Love it.

Best station: Cutty Sark (DLR)

The Barbican

Quelle surprise – my final suggestion as a location for your engagement photo shoot leads me straight back to brutalist architecture. one of my all time favourite spaces is the Barbican estate. Shadowy Highwalks, concrete pillars, the fountain court with its strangely photogenic blue-y water. Even better if you have a residents access all areas pass.

Best station: Barbican or Moorgate

Bonus location: St Dunstans in the East

Here’s a super cool bonus one, but you do need a permit technically. St Dunstans in The East is a beautiful old ruined church in a little park deep in The City, surrounded by offices and full of trailling ivy and other plant-y delights. It really makes an epic and unusual backdrop.