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Garden guide
Gardens for engagement photos.
Find gardens with a policy for planned portraits or engagements. Each entry shares the garden's own rule and links to it.
Before the shoot
- Check the garden's policy before making plans. Some require a permit; others ask for a reservation, pass or fee.
- Bring your permit or booking confirmation if the garden requires one.
- Stay on paths and leave the plants alone, even for the perfect angle.
- Ask about props, outfit changes and drones before the day. Many policies limit them.
Alabama 1
- Mobile Botanical Gardens Mobile, AL
- What the garden says
- Personal snapshots are welcome; portrait and commercial sessions need an advance reservation and fee.
Arkansas 1
- Garvan Woodland Gardens Hot Springs, AR
- What the garden says
- Bridal and engagement photo sessions are offered with a photo pass.
California 4
- California Botanic Garden Claremont, CA
- What the garden says
- Portrait sessions require an advance reservation and a charge per group member.
- Casa del Herrero Montecito, CA
- What the garden says
- Private noncommercial portrait photography is available by arrangement for a fee.
- Marin Art and Garden Center Ross, CA
- What the garden says
- Portrait photography needs an advance reservation and paid photography permit.
- Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Santa Barbara, CA
- What the garden says
- Posed wedding, family and engagement shoots require a photography permit and reservation.
Colorado 1
- Denver Botanic Gardens Denver, CO
- What the garden says
- Casual personal photos are welcome; portraits and fine art photography need a photo permit.
Florida 1
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Miami, FL
- What the garden says
- Casual personal photos are welcome. Portrait and life event sessions require a permit and must be scheduled 7–10 days in advance; no walk-ins.
Illinois 2
- Cantigny Park Wheaton, IL
- What the garden says
- Personal photos are welcome; posed and portrait photography require a permit.
- Garfield Park Conservatory Chicago, IL
- What the garden says
- The listed portrait and filming sessions require a photo permit.
Indiana 1
- Wellfield Botanic Gardens Elkhart, IN
- What the garden says
- Posed portraits, including engagements and senior photos, require a photography permit even for unpaid photographers.
Kentucky 1
- The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky Lexington, KY
- What the garden says
- Casual personal photos are welcome; professional portraits and special occasion shoots require a permit.
Maine 1
- Viles Arboretum Augusta, ME
- What the garden says
- Posed portrait photography requires a permit, whether the photographer is paid or unpaid.
Maryland 1
- Historic London Town and Gardens Edgewater, MD
- What the garden says
- Posed portraits by professional or amateur photographers count as photo shoots and require a reservation.
Massachusetts 1
- New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill Boylston, MA
- What the garden says
- Personal photos are welcome; portrait and commercial shoots require a photo permit and advance appointment.
New York 2
- Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden Staten Island, NY
- What the garden says
- Special occasion portraits, including weddings and engagements, use a photo permit application.
- Wave Hill Bronx, NY
- What the garden says
- Portraits require a permit and site fee; commercial shoots also need written permission.
North Carolina 2
- Airlie Gardens Wilmington, NC
- What the garden says
- Informal photos are welcome; portraits and commercial shoots need an advance reservation and fee.
- Cape Fear Botanical Garden Fayetteville, NC
- What the garden says
- Casual personal snapshots are welcome; all portrait sessions must be scheduled.
North Dakota 1
- International Peace Garden Dunseith, ND
- What the garden says
- Portrait, engagement and wedding photography have separate session fees under the garden policy.
South Carolina 1
- Moore Farms Botanical Garden Lake City, SC
- What the garden says
- Portrait photo sessions can be booked through the garden.
Tennessee 2
- Dixon Gallery and Gardens Memphis, TN
- What the garden says
- Personal photos are welcome; portrait sessions must be scheduled in advance.
- Memphis Botanic Garden Memphis, TN
- What the garden says
- Personal photos are welcome; professional engagement, wedding and family sessions need advance scheduling and a fee.
Texas 2
- Chandor Gardens Weatherford, TX
- What the garden says
- Portrait, engagement and bridal sessions incur a photography fee; contact the garden before the session.
- Fort Worth Botanic Garden Fort Worth, TX
- What the garden says
- Casual personal photos are welcome. Portrait sessions require a photography pass; tripods and outfit changes are allowed with the pass.
Utah 1
- Conservation Garden Park West Jordan, UT
- What the garden says
- Posed portrait photography requires a Photography Pass Wristband.
Washington 2
- Bloedel Reserve Bainbridge Island, WA
- What the garden says
- Posed portraits, engagements and wedding photography need a reservation.
- Lakewold Gardens Lakewood, WA
- What the garden says
- Posed wedding, engagement, prom and family sessions are booked as photo session rentals.
Good to know
Questions people ask
Can I have engagement photos taken at a botanical garden?
Some gardens make space for planned portraits or engagements. These 28 gardens describe a permit, pass, reservation, scheduled session or fee in their own photo policies. Check whether the garden's rule covers your particular shoot.