The Top 4 Grand Forks Locations For Awesome Engagement Photos - Grand Forks | Fargo Wedding Photographer - Shawn Morrissey Photography
If you’re recently engaged and starting the amazing journey of planning your wedding…Congratulations!!! The engagement phase in a relationship is so exciting and you’re probably going to get sick of answering the questions that all of your friends and family members will throw at you (I.E….How did he pop the question? Have you guys set a date? Can I see the ring? etc…) Let’s be honest though…Telling the story of your proposal will probably never get old!
This time in your lives is something you will hopefully only experience once…so preserving these moments and memories is an important part of the journey to your wedding day! If you’re reading this…chances are, either you’re looking for the perfect photographer to capture your engagement photos and wedding day adventure (Wink Wink)…OR you’ve already found that photographer and are searching for inspiration for cool places to take your engagement pictures.
In either case…I want to offer you my opinion on my Top 4 Grand Forks Locations For Awesome Engagement Photos! Whoever you chose as your wedding photographer, be sure that he/she is interested in YOU (as a couple) and genuinely wants to learn what makes you tick. After all you’re not looking for someone to simply take your picture, are you? Rather…I believe you are searching for the right artist to correctly tell your love story through their lens. Your engagement session should be fun, adventurous, exciting, romantic, and you should leave the engagement session feeling closer as a couple!
A key part of a successful engagement session is the locations you choose as the backdrop of your love story! You may already have the perfect location in mind and it may be somewhere meaningful to you (where you met, where he proposed, etc…) but most often, couples look to the photographer for guidance and inspiration. With over 13 years of experience photographing weddings and engagements (Whoa…that’s a lot!) I’ve narrowed down my list of awesome “go-to” locations for engagement photos in the Grand Forks area!
So without further adieu…
Awesome Location #4: The Greenway Near The River
The Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Greenway is a natural open space of about 2200 acres right in the heart of the Grand Cities! In addition to some beautiful scenery, you can get in quite a hike while on your engagement session! This is one of my favorite spots for Fall engagement photos as the turning foliage gives off radiant yellows, golds, and sometimes even Reds! This is a perfect location for the couples that are more nature-driven, enjoy peaceful quiet time together, love hiking, or both enjoy Autumn as there favorite season.
Awesome Location #3: Sertoma Park
Sertoma Park is one of the largest parks maintained by the Grand Forks Park District and features a Japanese Garden, an arboretum, and biking/walking trails that connect to the Greenway. I, personally, LOVE Japanese gardens and my wife and I were actually married at Enger Park in Duluth which has a huge Japanese Garden! So naturally, I’m drawn to Sertoma Park. Japanese Gardens give off a peaceful “ZEN” vibe and being around them naturally calms restless, busy people…so if that is YOU…then perhaps Sertoma Park would be a perfect “Yin” to your “Yang”. The absolute best time to photograph couples at Sertoma Park would be during “golden Hour” (the 90 minutes prior to sunset). Golden Hour during the Fall is even better! There are many beautiful spots hidden in Sertoma Park to add “punch” to your engagement photos. Sertoma is perfect for Nature-Driven couples, busy couples who wish to “unwind”, couples who enjoy yoga and/or meditation, couples who enjoy water, couples who love long walks, or couples wanting a quiet romantic engagement session experience.
Awesome Location #2: The University Of North Dakota Campus Near The Hopper Danley Spiritual Center
Nestled behind the Hughes Fine Arts Center (where I spent most of my UND days) is a beautiful area right near the Hopper Danley Spiritual Center! The area is located on the banks of the English Coulee at the University of North Dakota campus. It is adjacent to the Adlephi Fountain and to a student memorial that includes a fountain, walkway, and remembrance wall. There are TONS of unique areas for stunning photos here, including walls of giant tress, a dam with a wooden bridge, stone benches overlooking the coulee, and much more! This area is perfect for couples who are currently attending, or alumni of, the University Of North Dakota, couples who love nature, couples who like variety, couples who like wildlife (there’s tons of birds, ducks, swans, and even otters!), or couples who like a bit of adventure.
Awesome Location #1: Downtown Grand Forks
It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that my favorite place to capture amazing engagement photos in Grand Forks…is actually Downtown Grand Forks itself! I absolutely love meeting couples downtown for a cup of coffee at the Urban Stampede and after chatting a bit and having some fun learning about each other, we walk off and begin a trek around the downtown area! There are plenty of cool, urban, artsy areas all within walking distance that make for a fast-paced, fun, and adventurous engagement session experience. Couples can even dip inside their favorite downtown location and get some awesome shots (with prior permission of course). There’s a great balance of Urban looks, as well as, natural looks down by the river. Downtown Grand Forks is perfect for couples who enjoy city life, couples who like a more fast-paced lifestyle, couples who want variety in their photos, couples who enjoy dining out, couples who enjoy the occasional adult beverage, couples who love adventure and exploration, or couples who are proud to live in Grand Forks.
So there you have it! My Top 4 Grand Forks Locations For Awesome Engagement Photos! Hopefully this little blog post gives you some inspiration for planning your engagement photos. Like I said before…this exciting time in your lives should be properly preserved with some awesome photography! If you’re engaged and searching for that perfect photographer to preserve your wedding day memories…contact me and let’s go have coffee and see if we’d be a great fit!