18 of the Best Places for Engagement Photos in San Francisco
What are the best places to take engagement photos in San Francisco? We get asked this question all the time! The truth is there are SO many stunning locations in the beautiful city of San Francisco for amazing engagement photos. Here we have put together what we think are 16 of the best locations for San Francisco engagement photos and why we love them. Plus, since many of these spots are close to each other, we give you our suggestions for combinations of locations that work great together to add even more variety to your San Francisco engagement photo session.
1. Baker Beach
Baker Beach is by far the San Francisco location requested the most by our couples for their engagement session and for good reason. It’s our favorite San Francisco engagement session location, too! It is easy to understand why so many couples choose this location. The views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands are unrivaled. Beyond the stunning backdrop Baker Beach provides, we also love the variety of other settings available for photos within a short walking distance of the beach, including the historic Battery Chamberlain. Parking and restrooms are available right next to the beach in the parking lot at the end Battery Chamberlain Rd. We also love that Baker Beach is located in close proximity to 3 of our other favorite engagement photo locations - Lands End, Sutro Baths, and the Legion of Honor Museum – making it easy to combine 2 amazing locations in one photo session.
See More San Francisco Engagement Photos at Baker Beach.
2. The Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts is definitely one of our top picks for the best place to take engagement photos in San Francisco. The park surrounding the Palace of Fine Arts Theater in the Marina district is a perfect spot for a San Francisco engagement photo session. From the beautiful gardens and lake to the stunning architecture reminiscent of ancient Greek and Roman times, the options for amazing photos are endless. We love that parking and restrooms are available at this location as well. Want to add a second locatin to the mix, try one of these 3 other incredible San Francisco engagement photo locations nearby the Palace of Fine Arts – The Presidio, Lover’s Lane, and Crissy Field Beach.
See more Palace of Fine Arts Engagement Photos.
3. Sutro Baths
A Sutro Baths engagement session combines gorgeous cliffs, trees, ocean, and a little bit of San Francisco history all in one place. One of our favorite places to photograph engaged couples in San Francisco for sure, especially out over the water along the ruins of the 1890’s Sutro Baths structure. While the Sutro Baths engagement photo location provides a varied collection of photo settings all in itself, you could easily combine this location with Lands End, Baker Beach, or the Legion of Honor during your engagement session as they are all located quite close together.
4. Lover’s Lane Trail
Another top location on our list of the best places to take engagement photos in San Francisco is the gorgeous Lover’s Lane Trail. Just as the name implies, Lover’s Lane Trail, located in the Presidio is the perfect choice for couples wanting romantic San Francisco engagement photos. The zig zag logs surrounded by a tunnel of trees serves as a beautiful and interesting setting for photos and is a favorite of both us and couples alike. Parking is readily available nearby Lover’s Lane Trail in the Presidio.
5. Pier 7
For engaged couples who prefer more of a city setting for their engagement photos, we love to recommend Pier 7, a walkable pier stretching out into the San Francisco Bay. The views of the San Francisco Bay Bridge on one side and city views on the other side make Pier 7 one of the best places to have your engagement photos taken in San Francisco. You can also venture out onto the famous Embarcadero and get some engagment photos with the historic F Line Trolley Bus and the iconic San Francisco Ferry building in the background. This is definitely one of the most versatile locations you can choose for your San Francisco engagement photos.
6. Lands End
Lands End Trail, stretching along the north western coast of San Francisco, is perfect for couples who love the outdoors and stunning backdrops. One of the best locations for San Francisco engagement photos because of its versatility, the trail offers picturesque foliage, rocky cliffs and shoreline, and views of the Golden Gate Bridge. At the end of the trail along the shoreline, there is the unique Lands End Labrynth, a stone circular path built by San Francisco artist Eduardo Aguilera. Lands End is located in close proximity to Baker Beach, Sutro Baths, and the Legion of Honor, any of which would make a great second location for a San Francisco engagement session.
7. Crissy Field Beach
Crissy Field Beach is number seven on our list of the best San Francisco engagement photo locations. It is another fantastic option for a San Francisco beach engagement photo session with stunning Golden Gate Bridge views. Crissy Field Beach contrasts the natural untouched beach feel of Baker Beach with a more city like vibe and is often filled with paragliders. Alcatraz Island is in full view from Crissy Field Beach and makes a great alternative backdrop to the Golden Gate Bridge. Crissy Field Beach makes a great second location to a Palace of Fine Arts, Presidio, or Lovers Lane engagement session as they are all located within 10 minutes of each other.
8. Legion of Honor Museum
The Legion of Honor Museum offers a stunning setting for a San Francisco engagement photo session. This is one of the best locations for a San Francisco engagement photo session because of the variety of stunning locations all in one place. Between the magnificent architecture of the art museum to the breathtaking grounds with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city of San Francisco, the possibilities are endless for amazing engagement photos. You don’t really need a second location for your session when you start with the Legion of Honor, but Baker Beach, Lands End, and Sutro Baths are all close by. One thing to keep in mind is that the Legion of Honor Museum is closed on Mondays and closes at 5:15 p.m. every other day, so you will need to plan your engagement session accordingly.
9. The Lyon Street Steps
Next up on the list of San Francisco engagement photo spots is the Lyon Street Steps. Located right at the edge of the Presidio at the corner of Lyon St. and Broadway, the Lyon Street Steps location offers couples a combination of both a city and a park feel for their San Francisco engagement session. The picturesque outdoor staircase lined by hedges boast amazing views of the San Francisco Bay. This San Francisco engagement photo location is a great choice to combine with engagement photos in the Presidio, at Lovers Lane, or the Palace of Fine Arts.
10. Pier 39
For a fun and whimsical San Francisco engagement session, Pier 39 is a great location to consider. Taking your engagement photos at Pier 39 will feel just like a date night out complete with sightseeing, feeding each other sweet treats, and riding the carousel.
11. The Presidio Park
The Presidio Park is by far one of the best spots in San Francisco for engagement photos. It offers so many beautiful and romantic spots for engaged couples to choose from. In fact, many of the locations in this list are located within this 1500 acre national park. We love taking engagement photos in all of the gorgeous wooded areas, pretty open fields, and cute little pathways and bridges that can be found in the Presido. The Presidio is great for an adventurous, outdoorsy, or romantic engagement session and makes a fantastic second location for a Baker Beach, Crissy Field Beach, Palace of Fine Arts, Lover’s Lane, Sutro Baths, Lands End, Lyon Street Steps or Legion of Honor engagement session.
12. San Francisco Botanical Garden
Next up on our list of favorite spots for San Francisco engagement photo is the San Francisco Botanical Garden. For couples who love greenery, flowers, redwood trees, or just nature in general, this is the San Francisco engagement photo location for you. Parking is located nearby at the Music Concourse Garage and the Hagiwara Tea Garden and restrooms are located inside the garden. The San Francisco Botanical Garden is not only one of the best places for engagement photos in San Francisco, but it’s also one of the most versatile. There are so many different settings within this one location, that you really don’t need to go anywhere else. But if you really want to, Shakespeare Garden is just a short walk away.
13. Stow Lake
If you are looking to take your San Francisco engagement photos at a unique location where no one would ever guess you were actually in San Francisco, consider Stow Lake. Stow Lake is located inside Golden Gate Park and has many beautiful and distinctive settings for your engagement session. Take your photos lakeside, or rent a rowboat or paddle boat for a romantic ride around the lake. There is an adorable stone bridge and even a waterfall located at Stow Lake that are perfect engagement photo spots. Patches of wild flowers can be found along the walking trails that provide amazing pops of color for your engagement photo background. Stow Lake requires a bit more walking than most of our other favorite places for engagement photos in San Francisco, but it is totally worth it. Like the Botanical Garden, you really don’t need to venture out to a second location because you can easily spend your whole session here and get an amazing variety of photos. Restrooms are located at the boat rental booth.
14. Shakespeare Garden
Shakespeare Garden is a romantic gated garden inside of Golden Gate Park and features plants and flowers from Shakespeare’s works. An adorable brick path inside the entrance of the garden adds to this San Francisco engagement photo location’s classic park vibe. There is plenty of parking nearby including street parking and the music concourse garage. It is just a short walk from the San Francisco Botanical Garden.
15. University Club of San Francisco
If indoors is more your vibe, the University Club of San Francisco is a wonderful location to consider for your San Francisco engagement photos. The historic clubhouse offers a classic and elegant feel for your engagement session. The University Club is located atop Nob Hill and offers gorgeous views of the San Francisco Bay from the lounge balcony as well as an impressive library perfect for fun and creative engagement photos in San Francisco.
16. Alamo Square
Alamo Square is next on our list of the best places for engagement photos in San Francisco. This square park in the middle of a San Francisco residential neighborhood is well known for the historic colorful houses built of Victorian architecture known as the painted ladies. If you are looking for something more unique and very San Francisco for your engagement session, consider Alamo Square. This San Francisco engagement photo location works great in combination with Pier 7 for a fantastic and picturesque San Francisco engagement photo session.
17. China Beach
For couples that love the look of Baker Beach, but don’t love the crowds, China Beach is an excellent engagement photo spot option. It is a much smaller beach, but you still get a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Often, couples can find themselves feeling like they are on a private beach as China Beach is more of a local beach and doesn’t get a lot of tourists. China Beach is only a small drive south of Baker Beach and has a small parking available too. This engagement photo spot is also a great option if you’d like to include your dog in your photos.
18. Fort Point
Fort Point is the last location on our list of best engagement photo spots in San Francisco, but certainly not the least. We recommend Fort Point to couples that want to have the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, but don’t want beach photos. Fort Point has a nice walking path along the bay for photos and you also get the historic Fort Point building behind you. This San Francisco engagement photo location is a little bit farther from some of the other locations, but you could make a second location work with a longer engagement session.
Hi! We’re Breanne and Fernando, husband and wife wedding photographers from Vivo Photography. We photograph weddings and engagements all over the San Francisco Bay Area and San Jose.
Are you currently planning your engagement photos or your wedding? We would love to be there for you capturing all the amazing mements. Click the button below to get started.