There is no right way to be a couple, to be a family or to be a human. What matters most is the loving connection people have with each other – and that’s what I want to photograph for all my clients. Those moments in between the staged shots. The not-so-perfect ones that really show off how unique they are.

And that desire led me right to an incredibly unique couples’ photoshoot with Joelle and Alex. When we were planning the session, we talked about the house and backyard as locations, which I immediately loved, because I don’t think that unique engagement photoshoots need to be in grand locations or have elaborate setups.  Sometimes, the most authentic couple’s photo shoot ideas come from the everyday rituals that already make your relationship special.

However, and it is a big however, when Alex and Joelle floated the idea of making some pizza in the backyard, I knew right away these were the clients for me. I knew that adding that extra angle and activity to our session would make it undeniably fun and create some amazing memories. 

What I love about working with couples who bring me ideas like this is that they already know themselves. They didn’t need me to tell them what would feel right – they just needed someone to show up with a camera and capture the charm that was already there. And, personally, I think there’s something incredibly intimate about inviting someone into your home, your space, your actual life together (not just the Instagram version of it).

Quick Links

Pizza Making at Home With Joelle & Alex
The Best Restaurant in the Neighborhood
Taking Full Hearts and Full Bellies to the Street for Some Golden Hour Shots
Ready for Love in Any Place

Pizza Making at Home With Joelle & Alex

Who doesn’t love pizza? (And if you don’t, we need to talk about what hurt you.) But seriously, I was absolutely game for this idea as soon as Joelle and Alex brought it to me. I love shooting outside or at a favorite restaurant, but bringing it all home adds an extra level of comfort that lets you let it all go, be creative, and be who you really are together. You really get to bear witness to this as you watch these fun engagement photos unfold.

Some of my favorites are the ones where Alex and Joelle are side by side working together, just having fun – flour on their hands, stealing tastes of sauce, that look they give each other when something goes slightly wrong but it doesn’t matter because they’re doing it together. I will say, having an activity like this can also help with the nerves. If you’ve never had your photo taken (or if the idea of posing makes you want to hide), it can help to take the pressure off and create some unique engagement photos that don’t feel forced or uncomfortable.

Couples Photo Session Ideas: The Best Restaurant in the Neighborhood

The majority of us don’t eat out every day, so I’m a big proponent of making your home your favorite restaurant. And that extends to the backyard too! I think it’s such a fun couples photoshoot idea to choose something that you do together almost every day – not because it’s special occasion material, but because it’s genuinely, authentically you.

There’s something magical about watching a couple work together in the kitchen (or anywhere, really). The way they move around each other without bumping into things, who handles which tasks without discussion, the little moments of teamwork that happen without words. These are the details that make a unique couple photoshoot feel less like a photo session and more like I’m just hanging out while you do your thing.

And can we talk about the pizza itself? Because it was gorgeous (and delicious – don’t worry, I absolutely had a slice). But more than that, it represented hours of practice, of figuring out temperatures and timing, of probably some burnt crusts along the way. That’s what makes these couples photo session ideas so special – they come with history, with inside jokes, with the kind of comfort that only develops over time.

Taking Full Hearts and Full Bellies to the Street for Some Golden Hour Shots

After we were all full (because I absolutely did eat some pizza), there was no better place to share all the joy that had been building and bubbling up than the sun-soaked streets to dance around in the light and happiness of this special couple.

This is when the session shifted from documenting an activity to capturing pure celebration. With the pressure of “doing something” behind us and good food in our bellies, Joelle and Alex were completely relaxed, glowing with that golden hour light and the kind of contentment that comes from spending an afternoon doing exactly what you love with exactly who you love.

We wandered their neighborhood – the streets they probably walk every day – but this time they saw them differently. Hand in hand, stopping to kiss in the middle of the sidewalk, laughing at absolutely nothing and everything at the same time. This is what I mean when I talk about fun engagement photos – it’s not about elaborate props or perfect poses, it’s about capturing the feeling of being so completely happy that you can’t help but show it.

Unique Engagement Photo Ideas: Ready for Love in Any Place

Maybe your thing is making coffee and breakfast in the morning, gardening on the weekend, or even the evening dog walk. Your engagement shoot doesn’t have to be this grand expensive venture (although I’m down for that adventure too, trust me). It can be you and your partner in your favorite outfits or comfy clothes, doing the things you actually do, being who you actually are.

Really what I’m saying is I love capturing couples and engaged couples just as they are so you can keep memories of who you actually are. There’s nothing wrong with playing pretend (honestly, I love a good styled shoot), but for something as precious as your engagement? You deserve keepsakes that show you who you actually are – flour-dusted hands, pizza sauce on your shirt, laughing so hard you can barely breathe.

Because here’s what I’ve learned after photographing countless couples: the images you’ll treasure most in twenty years aren’t necessarily the perfectly posed ones (though those have their place). They’re the ones where you can remember exactly how it felt – the warmth of the oven, the taste of fresh pizza, the way your person looked at you when you got the dough just right, the feeling of their hand in yours as you walked your favorite streets together.

So if you’re looking for unique couple photoshoot ideas, start with what already makes you happy together. What do you do on a lazy Sunday? What makes you both laugh? What would you be doing on a perfect afternoon if no one was watching? (Spoiler alert: I’ll be watching, but I promise to be the least intrusive observer you’ve ever had.)

Let’s Create Something Authentically You

Whether it’s pizza in the backyard, coffee on the porch, or literally anything else that makes your relationship yours, I’m here for it.

I don’t believe in cookie-cutter engagement photos because I don’t believe in cookie-cutter relationships. You’re unique, your love is unique, and your engagement photos should reflect that.