Getting married in the Washington DC metro area gives you the chance to get some truly unforgettable photos of your nuptials. The Nation’s Capital is home to some of the most recognizable buildings and structures in the world. Monuments like the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials are unique and one of a kind. Images of you and your future with those magnificent icons in the background literally cannot be gotten anywhere else. The same is true even of some of Washington DC’s less famous landmarks. Union Station engagement photos, for example, are a great way to give your betrothal a sense of time and place without the hassles of the monument crowds.
The fame of Washington’s monuments and memorials is truly a blessing when it comes to your wedding and engagement photography. It makes it very easy for your Washington DC wedding photographer to give you distinctively Washingtonian couples portraits. At the same time, the renown of the city’s landmarks can be something of a curse. It can be challenging to get original and creative portraiture at venues that have been photographed millions of times.
In the end, however, the plusses associated with taking pictures at Washington DC’s monuments and memorials far outweigh the minuses. The challenges do nothing more than force your Washington DC wedding photographers to find new ideas. It encourages us to keep searching for ways to give you our creative best.
At the same time, we always have an eye out for fresh locations within the DC metro area. We want to make sure we are able to give you something unique and different, if that is what you are looking for. With that in mind, we have scheduled couples portrait sessions at many Washington-area locations that are a little less well known. We have photographed couples like you at Ford’s Theatre, the Georgetown Waterfront and the U.S. National Arboretum. Though not as famous as other DC landmarks, they are no less striking in the background of portraiture.
Another site in the Nation’s Capital that has proven a great venue for wedding and engagement photography is Union Station. It is the city’s main train station and transportation hub. As a site for couples portraits, Union Station has everything a Washington DC wedding photographer could ask for. And Union Station engagement photos have everything that you as a couple could want! It is one of Washington’s most impressive-looking structures — an imposing edifice with beautiful architectural flourishes. That makes it equally great for both wider-angle images and tighter shots of you and your intended.
The train station opened its doors to the public in 1907. Since that time, it has grown to become Amtrak’s second-busiest train terminal. Each year, almost five million passengers arrive to or depart from Union Station. Overall, the ninth-busiest train station in terms of riders. Union Station is also a popular shopping and entertainment destination, thanks to recent renovations. An additional 35 million people visit the building annually to take advantage of those options. As busy as Union Station is now, it was an even more important transportation hub in the past. During World War II, the terminal saw up to 200,000 passengers walk through its doors daily.
As interesting as the building’s history is, though it is its architecture that makes it an ideal location for stunning Union Station engagement photos. Its architect, Daniel Burnham, designed it with classical motifs intended to impress and inspire awe. As noted above, it was designed and constructed at the dawning of the 20th Century. That period of U.S. history was a time of great optimism and national self-confidence, and coincided with the country’s emergence on the global stage. The architecture of that era reflects those sentiments.
The grandeur of Union Station’s appearance begins with its location. The building sits at the intersection of three “state” avenues and North Capitol Street. Not only is that prime Washington real estate, it also offers a gorgeous view of the US Capitol.
Being just down the road from such a majestic edifice would make many other structures pale by comparison. Fortunately, Union Station’s exterior architecture is the equal of any other’s in Washington, DC. The front facade is massive — it is more than 600 feet from end to end. The design of its 17 porticos is magnificent. It is a nod to the custom of placing a triumphal arch at the entrance to a transportation hub. The shape of the doorways is also inspired by the Arch of Constantine in Rome.
Like that European landmark, the top portion of the station’s facade has six colossal statues. They represent Fire, Electricity, Freedom and Justice, Imagination and Inspiration, Agriculture and Mechanics. Together, the statues are known as “The Progress of Railroading.” Thematically, they reflect the aforementioned spirit of America in the early 20th Century. Put all this together, and you have unparalleled backdrops for impressive Union Station engagement photos!
Though the interior is no less impressive, we actually took this particular photo just outside the station’s parking garage. The surroundings were not as fancy as those of the marble-floored lobby. But the escalators did give us a pretty cool angle from which to photograph these fiancés! We love that the way that the escalator has cropped part of their bodies. That makes it appear as though the Washington DC wedding and engagement photographers stumbled on two lovers sharing a private moment. We love images that foster that sense of intimacy and romance, so we were thrilled to give this couple Union Station engagement photos with that look and feel.
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: Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002.
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