Engagement photoshoots in the autumn can be absolutely awesome! For starters, the weather in the Washington DC metro area during that time of year is usually beautiful. At the very least, it’s a lot nicer than in the sweltering summer months! And of course, an engagement session in October or November gives you the possibility of that Holy Grail of that season: fall colors. The DMV isn’t New England when it comes to the leaves changing. But it is still far enough north that you can find spots where the trees turn gorgeous shades of red, orange and yellow! Northern Virginia, in particular, is full of great locations for a fall colors engagement session. As you can see here, it’s possible to get some truly stunning portraits of yourselves surrounded by autumn foliage!
The list of outstanding locations for fall colors engagement photoshoots in Northern Virginia is longer than you might think. Here are a few of the best places in the area for having an engagement session with brilliantly colored leaves:
This path along the Potomac River features some gorgeous colors in the fall. And it also offers some great views of DC’s monuments and memorials!
Located between DC and Arlington, VA, this national park makes you feel a million miles from the city and lights up every autumn. It also has a spectacular view of the Key Bridge at sunset.
Another Arlington park that takes you from an urban area and immediately plunges you deep into a rural forest. In addition to great fall colors, it also has some very interesting mini-waterfalls.
This town is best known for its quaint cobblestone streets and charming storefronts. But wander away from those, and you’ll find lovely little riverside parks and trails that glow in the autumn.
We shot a wedding at The Winery at Bull Run, which is not far from the eponymous park. And we can tell you that the area’s rolling, forested hills are great for a fall colors engagement session.
This park in Chantilly has a tremendous amount of natural diversity – ponds, meadows, creeks. But one look at the trees in autumn, and you’ll want to spend your entire photoshoot on its woodsy trails.
The famous series of waterfalls on the Potomac River are obviously the biggest draw. But interspersed along the trail that runs next to the water are some lovely wooded areas that are even lovelier in autumn.
Another park whose main attraction is a prominent waterfall. The rest of Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, though, are trails running through a Northern Virginia forest. And that part of the preserve turns gorgeous when the leaves change.
This Northern Virginia park is adjacent to another wedding venue we’ve worked at in the past. Like a couple of other spots on this list, it offers gorgeous fall colors and beautiful views of the Potomac.
Rust Manor House – yet another location where we’ve photographed a wedding – sits in the middle of a 68-acre nature sanctuary. The trails through its woods and meadows are lovely spots for romantic fall engagement photos.
With the Blue Ridge Mountains rising in the background, this spot offers one of the best expansive views of fall colors in the region. Another draw is the chance to get engagement portraits on the Appalachian Trail (a short hike up into the mountains). There’s also a charming pumpkin patch, if hiking isn’t so much your thing.
It’s a fairly long drive from DC, but this national treasure is worth using for your Northern Virginia engagement session. Along Skyline Drive, the road that runs through the park, you’ll get the best fall colors and astounding views imaginable.
We took this particular portrait at a location in Northern VA that is much closer to the District. This lovely couple’s fall engagement session took place in Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna VA. It is one of the premier destinations for creative engagement photos in the region. The 95-acre complex offers incomparable natural beauty and remarkable diversity – everything from ornamental gardens to unusual sculptures to gorgeous ponds.
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens also has some jaw-dropping fall colors. In late October and early November, its trees explode in red, yellow and orange hues. Scheduling your engagement session there at the right time of year, and you just might get an unforgettable fall colors engagement portrait like this one!
Interested in learning more about our services? Please visit our Wedding Photography FAQ page for answers to all your questions! Ready to inquire about our availability on your wedding date? Contact us now to get the conversation started!
Location: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, .
© 2024 Potok's World Photography - Wife & Husband Washington DC Wedding Photographers
