Looking for nontraditional engagement photos ideas that really showcase your personality? A few of our favorite wedding photographer friends from the Offbeat Wed Vendor Guideshared their latest engagement shots with us, and WOW, so much inspiration! We love engagement pics that make you excited for the big day.
Related Post
Pole dance engagement photos
I've been pole dancing as a hobby for eight years now. When my husband proposed, he knew how much of a big deal pole was... Read more
At Offbeat Wed, we love a beautifully posed, sun-dappled, romantic pic. We love at-home engagement shoots with pets. but we're also excited to see that fun, quirky, unique, colorful, and even nerdy nontraditional engagement photos ideas are trending now, too! We're proud to showcase all sorts of nontraditional engagement sessions.
In this post, we've got everything from a queer Fried Green Tomatoes shoot, to capturing a “She asked, he said yes” moment, all the way to romantic photos where the couple is surrounded by jarred scientific specimens. Like we said, we're here for all of these engagement photo shoot ideas!
Here are 10 new and unique ways you can think outside of the box for your nontraditional engagement shoot.
Fun engagement shoot idea #1: Shoot at a location where you always have the most fun together!
Pick a destination that's meaningful and fun for both you and your fiancé. I mean, what's cuter than these two beauties in their floral dresses (such a great wardrobe choice!), sharing a kiss on a carousel?
Nontraditional engagement shoot idea #2: We'll shout it from the rooftops: we love seeing women proposing!
Engagement photoshoots can turn into gorgeous portraits that capture the romance of your relationship. This can mean using your engagement pictures to recreate the moment of proposing… which is especially powerful when it's a woman proposing! We especially love the engagement ring close-ups!
Related Post
I proposed to my boyfriend and here's why it was perfect for us…
It was so difficult for me to propose to my fiancé. I grew up with a ton of stories about how men are supposed to propose to women, how they should create the perfect, amazing story. I watched tons of flash mob proposals with internet videos. I watched opera proposals. And movie proposals. And same sex hardware store proposals. Then I met my now fiancé and realized that none of those things worked for us, and that we needed to rewrite the story...
Romantic engagement shoot idea #3: Book a proposal shoot to capture the real-time reaction
Ok, now who wouldn't want to use these photos on their engagement announcement cards or their wedding website? C'mon… these snaps are so sweet.
Quirky engagement shoot idea #4: This couple planned a Fried Green Tomatoes-themed portrait session in the town the movie was filmed!
One way to make your engagement photo session fun to pick shared interests or hobbies to capture in front of the camera. These two decided to do an homage to one of their favorite classic films, Fried Green Tomatoes.
Unique engagement shoot idea #5: This couple honored their Indian traditions in a nontraditional way, resulting in a stunning waterfall photoshoot.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, these two went for these moody photos. We love how the bride stands out as the pops of color!
Related Post
Let's relive a seriously sweet surprise proposal at this engagement shoot in Spain
Álvaro and Josechu met while they were both playing in an opera orchestra which sounds terribly romantic to me. They fell in love and five years later, a proposal happened. One morning, Álvaro found a note that lead him to the garden where Josechu had prepared a private picnic brunch... or at least that's what got Álvaro to walk over...
Fun engagement shoot idea #6: Brings props that are ACTUALLY meaningful to you!
Ok, we all know engagement pics that feel like they're a little too contrived, like the engagement photo poses don't really have much meaning. I mean, we love ice cream and a good golden hour sunset pic too… but it just feels so much more powerful to have a prop that actually has MEANING to you… like this couple by the ocean with their rainbow flag! These kinds of snapshots feel like the best engagement photos! We can practically hear the laughter and the waves crashing in the background.
Nerdy engagement shoot idea #7: Express your inner nerd with a natural history museum shoot.
How much do we love the angles and perspectives on these photos? Some of the best engagement photo ideas include recreating a first date, or other adventure… except for the advantage of having a professional photographers eyes on you! Museums and galleries make for great winter engagement photo ideas, too. No need to worry about the weather.
Related Post
21 fun engagement photo ideas to inspire your own pics
There's more to fun engagement photo ideas than gazing into each others' eyes in a park. You can do, well, anything! We put out the call for some alternative ideas for engagement shoot ideas and our vendors came through with some winners. We're talking movie and TV references, arcade gaming, dinosaur cameos, lightsabers, wands, and dance parties anywhere.
Unique engagement shoot idea #8: Make that cool graffiti wall in your neighborhood your new backdrop!
Lots of folks do engagement photography at coffee shops or a picnic in the park… but we love a more colorful urban approach with street murals and graffiti.
Colorful engagement shoot idea #9: Let your colorful personality shine through with brightly colored ‘fits!
When selecting from your options for engagement photo outfits, you'll definitely want to go with something that really reflects who you are. For some folks, that just means their personal style, or for other it might mean their cultural heritage. These two beauties both look so gorgeous — we love that eye makeup!
Related Post
How to feel patient about getting engaged
This may not be a popular opinion, but I feel sad when I hear how many of my friends seem to think their relationship is somehow not "valid enough" unless they are engaged or married...
Nontraditional engagement shoot idea #10: Capture your favorite activity together so your photog can snap authentic feels!
You've probably got a lot of fresh nontraditional engagement shoot ideas running through your head!
Worried your photographer will raise their eyebrows at your nontraditional, quirky, or funny engagement shoot ideas? What if we told you we have a plethora of photographers who LOVE. THAT. SH*T. (Like the ones featured below!)
Find a photographer who's enthusiastic about your fun ideas in the Offbeat Wed Vendor Guide. It's our curated list of wedding vendors who get excited by creative and nontraditional ideas. (And if you're a vendor who's eager to book clients for a nontraditional engagement shoot,let's get you in here!)
Related Post
How a racy Christmas card turned into a new funny card tradition (and an engagement!)
I heard a very silly tale that turned out to be pretty damned romantic that I just had to share. Alyssa saw a hilarious "dudoir" Christmas card that piqued her interest. This led to a new relationship, new tradition of creative Christmas cards, and an eventual proposal. Here's the whole tale from Alyssa herself...
Offbeat Wed Vendor
This page features vendors from our curated Offbeat Wed Vendor Directory. They're awesome and we love them. If you're a vendor let's get you in here!
About the Author: Suki
By day, Suki teaches screenwriting and sketch comedy. By night, she's the Assistant Editor and Social Media Manager of Offbeat Wed. She loves exploring the intersections of diversity, culture, and money in the wedding industry on her IG account @2buckchuckbride. In between crying over strangers' wedding photos and making herself laugh, she likes to pretends she's a sommelier.
