If a couple asks me when to book their engagement photos, I almost always say October. The trees do half the styling for you, and the cool air gives everyone a reason to stand a little closer. Some of the most tender photos I have seen in thirty years of weddings were taken on a chilly fall evening with a blanket around two people who could not stop laughing.
These fourteen ideas are the ones I keep recommending, from leaf-filled forest walks to an apple orchard, a cabin porch and a rainy-day kiss under an umbrella. If you want more poses to try, keep my 25 engagement photo poses open in another tab.
Before the shoot
Book for peak colour. Leaves peak at different times depending on where you live. Ask your photographer when the colour usually turns locally, and keep a backup date a week later.
Plan around golden hour. The hour before sunset is the warmest, softest light of the day. In fall it arrives earlier than you think, often around 5 p.m.
Dress in the season’s palette. Rust, cream, olive, camel, burgundy and soft brown look rich against fall leaves. Texture helps too: knits, corduroy, suede and wool.
Bring layers you can take off. Coats look great for a few frames, then come off for the close-ups.
In the leaves (ideas 1 to 4)
1. A golden hour forest walk
The idea: walking hand in hand down a leaf-covered forest path at golden hour, the sun low behind the trees.
This is the easiest photo to take and often the favourite. Walk slowly, talk to each other and ignore the camera. Your photographer will catch the moment one of you laughs.
2. Kissing in the falling leaves
The idea: a real, unhurried kiss while a friend or your photographer tosses an armful of dry leaves over you both.
It takes a few tries to get the leaves in the right place, which is part of the fun. Keep kissing through the takes and the laughs will look as good as the kiss.
3. The tree lean and dip
The idea: one partner leaning back against a big maple trunk while the other dips in close for a kiss, red leaves overhead.
Trees give you a natural frame and something to lean on, which helps nervous couples relax into a pose.
4. Lying in the leaves
The idea: lying side by side on a bed of fallen leaves, heads close together, shot from directly above.
Overhead shots look lovely with orange and yellow leaves all around. Bring a thin blanket to put underneath if the ground is damp.
Harvest and farm (ideas 5 to 7)
5. The apple orchard
The idea: picking apples between rows of trees, sharing a bite from the same apple, a wooden crate at your feet.
Orchards are full of small natural moments. Reaching for an apple or stealing a bite of your partner’s both make relaxed photos.
6. The pumpkin patch
The idea: sitting together on the back of a wooden hay wagon at a pumpkin patch, one partner’s head resting on the other’s shoulder.
Pumpkins add colour without feeling staged. Go on a weekday if you can, since weekends get busy.
7. A vineyard at harvest
The idea: walking between rows of grapevines turning gold, stopping for a forehead kiss as the sun sets.
Vineyards look their best in harvest season. Many will let you shoot if you ask ahead and buy a bottle on the way out.
Cosy and close (ideas 8 to 10)
8. A blanket picnic
The idea: sitting on a plaid wool blanket in a park, sharing hot cider from a thermos, wrapped in each other’s arms.
A picnic gives your hands something to do, and the warm mugs make your breath show in the cold air. For more relaxed set-ups like this, see my 16 engagement shoot ideas.
9. A cabin porch
The idea: on the porch of a wooden cabin, curled up together under a flannel blanket with coffee, the woods behind you.
A rented cabin makes a whole weekend of it. The porch and a walk in the woods give you two different looks in one shoot.
10. Baking pie at home
The idea: in your own kitchen on a Sunday afternoon, flour on your hands, rolling out pie dough together and stealing a kiss at the counter.
At-home sessions feel personal and honest. Your own mugs and your dog wandering through make the photos feel like you.
Meaningful places (ideas 11 and 12)
11. Your first-date spot
The idea: inside the cafe or bookshop where you had your first date, sitting at the same table, knees touching, laughing at a shared memory.
This is the idea that makes people cry when they see the album. Call ahead to ask permission and go when it is quiet.
12. A college campus
The idea: walking under ivy-covered brick buildings on the campus where you met, red leaves on the path, arms around each other.
Old brick and fall leaves are a lovely match. Check the campus photo rules before you go.
Moody and golden (ideas 13 and 14)
13. A rainy day under an umbrella
The idea: standing close under a clear umbrella on a wet, leaf-covered street, a slow forehead kiss with rain falling around you.
Keep the date if it drizzles. Rain makes the leaves glow and gives you an excuse to stand very close. These end up being some couples’ favourite photos.
14. A mountain overlook at sunset
The idea: wrapped together in one big blanket at a mountain overlook, kissing as the sun drops behind the colour-filled valley.
Worth the drive and the early hike. If you want something more fairy-tale for the rest of the session, look at my 46 whimsical couple photoshoot ideas.
Posing tips for real kisses
The kisses that look best in photos are slow and a little imperfect. Start with your foreheads together and close your eyes. Let the kiss happen on its own, and don’t hold it still for the camera. Your photographer will usually shoot the moments before and after, which are often the sweetest frames.
Keep moving between poses, or whisper something silly. Movement keeps you relaxed, and relaxed couples look in love.
What to wear
Pick one outfit each that coordinates without matching. A cream knit with dark jeans next to a rust midi dress and boots is a classic pairing. A second look gives you variety; something a bit dressier, like a burgundy satin dress and a camel coat, works well for sunset. Avoid big logos and tiny busy prints, which can distract in close-ups.
Where I’d start
If you only have one location, pick a spot with trees and golden hour light and try ideas 1 and 2 there. You will come home with a walking shot and a playful kiss. Then add one personal touch, like idea 11, to make the album feel like your story.
More engagement inspiration from Glimmering Events
46 Whimsical Couple Photoshoot Ideas
Browse everything in our engagement category.
