Three Best Prospect Park Engagement Session Locations
A simple and short list of top Prospect Park Engagement session locations: the Surroundings of Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park Ravine, and the Boathouse area.
There is much more to it, though. Read the whole article for details of each location. I have also described three possible engagement session routes in this Brooklyn’s biggest park. Check them out as well.
If you live in or around Brooklyn, the idea of a Prospect Park engagement session may be high on your list. It’s a gorgeous place, with plenty of idyllic areas. No matter the season, Prospect Park is a great place to take timeless and romantic photos. Where to start? Prospect Park is a big stretch of land after all!
Romantic Prospect Park Engagement Session Spots
Grand Army Plaza
Prospect Park is versatile and unique, unlike any other in this bustling, scenic city. Grand Army Plaza is one of the best spots to start your session. Sitting at the northern corner and main park entrance, you may recognize the iconic towering arch and decorative sculptures. It’s a picturesque approach to the rest of the park and makes a great historical photo background.It is neighbored by the fountain, open throughout the warm season, and can be a lovely backdrop for some photos. Let’s now discover further.
Endale Arch
Endale Arch was one of the first architectural design pieces built in the park and was recently restored to all its original glory. It is a stunning and majestic entryway we’ll pass after leaving the Grand Army Plaza. The architecture and colors inside and outside the tunnel make it an excellent spot for photos, lending them a timeless, historic feel. Playing with various light scenarios, I can give you a more romantic and dramatic edgy look. More is merrier, right?
Meadowport Arch
In the summer and fall, Meadowport Arch is bursting with luscious greenery, natural and beautiful. In the winter, a light dusting of snow is enough to transport you back in time as you pose by a limestone arch built over 150 years ago. The arch has a unique double entrance, allowing you to choose where to pose and which way to go. Its versatility makes it an excellent option for a couple’s shoot.
Vale of Cashmere
A little bit further on, I can take you to one of the most romantic spots in the park, with plenty of greenery and a little bit of historic architecture. There is also a pond in the middle of all this. We will wald around to capture some more images with nature in the background.
Green and Wild Prospect Park Engagement Session Locations
Prospect Park Ravine
Happy couples looking for greenery and nature scenes will love the ravine, Brooklyn’s only forest with acres of woodlands and scenic waterways. A babbling stream, a small natural pool, and a waterfall are on the way there. Deep into nature, it’s the perfect spot for a fall engagement session, when colorful leaves will rain all around you. This engagement session location in Prospect Park is definitely for more adventurous couples. Hiking shoes will probably be the best to roam around. Here you can easily forget about the city buzz for a longer while.
Boulder Bridge
Boulder Bridge is exactly what it sounds except more picturesque and is like something out of a fairy tale. From above or below, it is an incredible view. The large boulders come together in an arch backlit by towering trees. It’s off the beaten path, so there’s a bit more privacy here, and we may be able to hear nature sounds while we shoot your photos.
Prospect Park Boathouse
If you don’t recognize its name, you might still recognize a photo of it because the Prospect Park boathouse is one of the most common Brooklyn engagement session locations. Beyond that, it’s been featured in many movies and TV shows, ranging from classics like The Age of Innocence to kids’ movies like The Smurfs!
Since it was built in 1905, the boathouse has witnessed many iconic movie moments, beautiful family portraits, romantic engagements, wedding photos, and so much more. Complete with a white-matte glazed terra-cotta facade, this iconic and stunning structure makes a great photo backdrop. The steps and lampposts also make excellent props.
The boathouse is timeless and elegant, and it suits various styles. Many couples also choose to get married there. The building boasts beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows, Tuscan columns, Guastavino tile ceilings, a hand-painted mural, a covered balcony, and a terrace overlooking Lullwater Bridge.
Similarly, the Lullwater Bridge, just steps from the boathouse, has been featured in many movies. But that’s not the best thing about it. Its deep color, surrounding trees, and intricate design along its arch make it a fun, nature-drenched spot for engagement photos. On one side, you get a view of the boathouse, and on the other, the lake.
Prospect Park Waterfall
Earthy and organic, the Prospect Park waterfall is an excellent area for couples who are feeling adventurous. This spot is particularly lovely during the summer and fall, but it retains its many charms through the other seasons, too! Follow the towering trees and listen to the splashing waterfall while you laugh and play with your best friend.
If you’re hoping for a romantic and whimsical Prospect Park engagement session, I highly recommend taking pictures here and at the boathouse, which we’ll explore next. The walk is short, and the views are worth a while.
Cleft Ridge Span and Bridge
For history buffs and Brooklyn lovers, Cleft Ridge Span is a must-stop spot for engagement sessions. It’s stunning and has been identified as the first concrete arch built in the country! It’s witnessed joyful play, year-round runners, romantic proposals, whimsical wedding photos, and so much more since 1871.
This also seems to be one of the least crowded spots in the park most of the time, so it’s a great spot to catch your breath and play around with photo styles before moving slightly south to the Concert Grove.
Concert Grove Pavilion
Another newly renovated and versatile area of Prospect Park is the Concert Grove Pavilion. The original structure was built in 1874 and used for outdoor music for many years. It’s another gorgeous piece of New York history. If you’re planning engagement photos for spring, especially around mid-April, you’ll definitely want to stop here.
Not only is the structure itself spacious and stunning (especially when the sun is shining), but the nearby cherry blossom trees will add decadent pops of color to your photos, too!
Paths near LeFrak Center at Lakeside
For nature lovers, play enthusiasts, and outdoor adventurers, the area around LeFrak Center at Lakeside is one of the best spots in the whole park for pictures. This is where people go year-round to skate (ice skate or roller skate, depending on the season), boat, bike, and hike. There are pedestrian pathways for walking, dancing, and whatever else your heart desires!
The paths near the center are surrounded by towering, luscious, intensely green trees so thick and plentiful that you’ll forget you’re in New York. You’ll find it in this area whether you want a busy, bustling adventure or a quiet, playful moment surrounded by nature.
Brownstone streets by Prospect Park West
The brownstone streets by Prospect Park West may be last on our list, but that says nothing about how they rank here! With earthy, natural colors, sparse trees, and intricate lamp posts and railings, the Brooklyn brownstones in this area make it easy to imagine a New York of another time. It’s a relatively quiet area, making it easy to get gorgeous photos and steal moments of solitude.
In the warmer months, you’ll find shade and plenty to admire; in the fall, you’ll discover incredible architecture, ornate woodwork, and pops of colorful leaves; and in the winter, the colors of the brownstones stand out, while even just a light dusting of snow is enough to make you feel like you walked onto a movie set.
Three Best Prospect Park Engagement Session Routs
Architecture
We would start in Prospect Park West and take some photos with Brownstons. We would then start walking southeast, passing the lake to find ourselves in the open meadow. Clean open space will make your engagement photos look gorgeous. There is just a short walk to Prospect Park Boathouse, where various beautiful architectural landscapes.
The second option for a shorter Prospect Park engagement session is to start in Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park West and move south. Visiting nearby Endale Arch and Meadowport Arch. Moving along through the paths be a vast loan we can finish at the
Vale of Cashmere.
Wilderness
If you miss hiking in the wilderness of the Hudson Valley and can’t go there just for an engagement session, Prospect Park Ravine is a perfect place for your engagement session. We would start at the junction of East Drive and Center Drive in Prospect Park. We will visit Boulder Bridge and many paths around.
This area is full of wilderness. There is one other great thing about it. Since it is shaded in most of the areas, it doesn’t matter what time of the day we go there. Early morning is worth considering.
We would finish on the vast loan on the other side of the Ravine. This way, we will have a variety of backdrops. Something that I’m always looking for when planning the couple’s shoot.
architecture and greenery mixture
The surroundings of the Prospect Park Boathouse.
We would start nearby at the lake’s edge and then up the beautiful esplanade to the Concert Grove Pavilion. We can stop around Lefrak Center to capture some images.
Walking through the underpass to find ourselves near the Boathouse. This Prospect Park engagement session location has so much to offer, and we can spend another half an hour taking photos around the building and bridge.
Finally, we will walk west to the last photo spot. It’s a vast loan that would be perfect for sunset shots before we finish your session.
Please remember that these are my propositions for you. You might have your favorite locations in Prospect Park, and I will be more than happy to visit them on the way or plan the whole shoot around them. Planning and the photoshoot are collaborative processes, so don’t hesitate to tell me what you want. You can also visit Prospect Park Website to see other details.
Brooklyn Engagement Session Location Frequently Asked Questions
Central Park vs. Prospect Park
New York is not exactly known for its natural landscapes, but they are stunning when you do find them. While Central Park is gorgeous and would make a great spot for engagement photos, it tends to get a bit more crowded than Prospect Park. You’ll find just about every type of location you might want at Prospect Park, from fun and casual to romantic and natural, iconic and elegant to understated and secluded. I also find Prospect Park more intimate. As a Brooklyn engagement session location, Prospect Park is among my top three locations for taking photos.
What is the best day for a Prospect Park engagement session?
Let’s plan your engagement photo session for a weekday. Weekends tend to get crowded in the park, but choosing a weekday instead will ensure that all your options remain open. It will also be quieter, and there will be fewer people to dodge and keep out of the background of your photos.
What are the top locations in Prospect Park?
If you’re looking for a more nature-based photo session, you may want to focus on the ravine, the waterfall, and the boulder bridge. Couples looking for incredible architecture may want to spend most of the session at the boathouse, Endale Arch, and surrounding areas.
Thankfully, the park is well-designed, so whichever type of photo session you prefer, we can fit in several stops along the way. If you are looking for more engagement session tips check out this post.
