So you just got engaged (congratulations!) and it’s time to start getting into your wedding planning. One of my favorite parts of the planning process is putting together an engagement session! Engagement sessions are an awesome opportunity to celebrate this new stage you and your partner are entering. Throughout the planning process, one of the first questions my couples ask is where to have their engagement photos taken.

I LOVE traveling for my weddings and sessions, and luckily, my hometown of Indiana actually has a ton of incredible locations perfect for an engagement session. Though I do live in Chicago now, I LOVE traveling back to my home state to document my couples’ engagement sessions. To show you just what I mean, in this blog we will be checking out my top 5 locations for engagement sessions in Indiana.

Why You Need an Engagement Session

To start though, we have to cover the bases. Why do we need an engagement session in the first place? Engagement sessions are an awesome experience for a handful of reasons. Number one, Engagement sessions give you an opportunity to get to know your wedding photographer. More often than not, engagement photos are the first professional photos a couple has taken together. Engagement photos allow you and your honey to gain confidence in front of the camera. Not only that, but it also helps you get used to working with your wedding photographer.

Next, engagement photos give you the opportunity to celebrate and document the stage of life you’re in right now. You and your honey are on a journey and your relationship is not going to look the same in ten years from now. That’s why it is important to document this time leading up to your wedding. That way you can remember the way you feel right now.

Last but not least, engagement photos aren’t just photos, they are an experience. I want you and your honey to feel closer after our time together is over. I will have you two giggling, loving each other and having the BEST time throughout your engagement session. By the end of your session, you’ll feel relieved, and excited about taking photos on your wedding day.

My Favorite Locations for an Engagement Session in Indiana

Coxhall Gardens

Located just about 30 minutes north of Indianapolis is Coxhall Gardens. Coxhall Gardens is a 125-acre park with endless amounts of space and unique features. This location is extremely popular for both weddings and engagement sessions in Indiana. The size of the space and the different features it contains to make a super unique experience for any session. If you like nature but are not quite sold on running around an empty field for your session, you’ll love exploring the gardens and buildings throughout the space.

The Garden is made up of a few primary structures, the centerpiece, the mansion, the arboretum, the gardens, and much more. Coxhall has so much to explore and do. My personal favorite seasons to have sessions there are the transition seasons, spring and fall. In the springtime, all the trees are in bloom and the lawn is bright and fresh. Then in the fall, the trees that line the paths and property begin to change colors, making Coxhall the perfect spot for your fall session.

Holliday Park

Located on the northside of Indianapolis Holliday Park is one of the coolest locations for engagement photos. The primary structure and draw to the park are the ruins. When the St Paul Building in New York was being torn down in the 50s to make way for a new skyscraper competition was held to see which city in the US would get the sculpture. Indianapolis placed it’s bid and won it for Holliday Park!

The centerpiece of the ruins is surrounded by a half circle of pillars. This spot is perfect for engagement photos and wedding portraits. The park consists of 94 acres and has its fair share of hiking trails to explore. Like Coxhall Gardens you can’t really go wrong when choosing a season to have your session in Holliday Park, but the Fall might be my favorite as the trees here are stunning when they begin to change color.

For some inspiration, check out Lauren + Jacob’s session in Holliday Park!

Bottleworks

Bottleworks Hotel is located pretty much in the heart of Indianapolis and is one of my favorite spots in the city for an engagement session. This hotel is located in the Bottleworks district which was originally where Coca-Cola was bottled in Indianapolis. At one point was the largest Coke bottling plant in the world. The history of the Bottleworks district and the style of the buildings leads to a lot of character for this district, especially with the Bottleworks Hotel making this such a cool spot for photos.

Bottleworks hotel itself has a lot to offer with its iconic entrance and colorful interiors with a retro flare. The district’s buildings surrounding the hotel have so much character to them and give you so many different options for your engagement photos. If you’re looking for a more urban feel to your engagement photos I would definitely suggest Bottleworks.

Canal Walk

Located on the Northwest Side of Mile Square Indianapolis, is Canal Walk and wowza, it is GORGEOUS. The path wraps around the Indiana central canal and is one of the best locations for an engagement session. Canal walk itself is a three-mile loop and offers a wide variety of locations and backdrops in those three miles. I know I’m biased, but between the brick wall backgrounds, the water, and the city skyline behind you really can’t beat Canal Walk.

For Audrey and Dan’s engagement photos we wandered along Canal Walk snapping photos of them snuggling up to each other and sharing ENDLESS kisses. Because of Canal walks dynamic backdrops for photos we were able to spend their entire session on the walk.

Eagle Creek Park

Last but definitely not least on my list is Eagle Creek Park. Located about 20 minutes out of Indianapolis the park is located on the Eagle Creek Reservoir and is one of my favorite places for photos in Indiana. The park is made up of over 20 miles of trails. With all this space you can be out hanging out taking photos without really crossing paths with anyone. In addition to the beauty of the trails the reservoir itself is a beautiful backdrop for your photos. You can even jump in some parts of it if you’re feeling a bit adventurous for your session! Miranda and Ben had their session here and we ended up doing just that.

We started their session walking along one of the many trails Eagle Creek has to offer. The greenery has a way of surrounding you at Eagle Creek which makes you feel like you’re the only two people around. Other than the occasional runner or wildlife you basically have the place to yourself. After an outfit change and some photos along one of the wooden bridges we made our way over to the reservoir where we got some pictures by the water. We then finished off the session with Miranda and Ben plunging into the water!

And that does it, my top 5 locations for an engagement session in Indiana! I love all these locations and have had some amazing sessions at them. Indiana has so many great spots to offer it was hard narrowing this list down to 5. If you have a location in mind or want to head to one of these 5 for your engagement session head over to my contact page so we can get to planning!

For more resources to help you plan your engagement session check out some of these blog posts: Engagement Photos What to Wear Guide, 8 Things to Do After You Get Engaged, and How to Make Your Wedding Planning TImeline.