A Photographer's Five Favorite Engagement Photo Locations In Savannah, Georgia
It is no secret that Savannah, Georgia is one of the south's most iconically romantic cities. Her cobble stone streets lined with spanish moss covered live oaks are enough to make even a cynic swoon. It's no surprise, then, that couples from all over come to Savannah to take their engagement photos.
Because my wedding package includes an engagement session in Savannah, I get to shoot a lot of different couples within Savannah's city walls. I tailor each engagement session I plan directly around a questionnaire I send my clients after they book their session with meg hill photo.
Just as each couple I shoot is unique, their session is tailored to bring out their uniqueness while putting the couple within an environment in which they feel comfortable. City girls won't enjoy romping through the low country, just as adventure seekers won't feel comfortable taking photos outside The Paris Market on Broughton.
I keep a few commonly known "meeting" locations up my sleeve as a starting point for every session. Sometimes that means we hit two locations, while other times it means we meander slowly down the streets around Forsyth Park. Below are my five go-to starting meeting points for engagement sessions here in Savannah Georgia.
1. Forsyth Park
Ah, Forsyth. Saturday morning farmers market. Sentient Bean Coffee with the sound of clacking hooves in the background. Mansion on Forsyth. Fragrant Garden. The Fountain at Forsyth! Ever adapting, but always a solid staple in Savannah.
The parking is free (if you can find some), and there are so many nooks and crannies of the park and her surrounding streets that lend to ever-changing backgrounds for photos.
2. The Oceanographic Institute at Skidaway Island
The Oceanographic Institute is a hidden gem tucked away on Skidaway Island, and is my go-to spot for adventurous couples.
The institute sits on the marsh and has long low-lying boardwalks where you can go out and find pretty golden hour light. Live Oaks line the spanish-moss-covered walking trails that wind through marsh land, preserved cottages, and miles of trails and boardwalks.
Bethesda Academy shares the road with Wormsloe Historic Site, and is the perfect location for your "quintessential" Savannah Engagement Session. The driveway into the school is lined with live oaks, cows, white wedding chapels and all ends on the water at the back of the property.
4. Tybee Island
Whether you are a local, or you are coming into town specifically for your engagement sesssion, Tybee Island is always one of my top picks.. and it is not because of the ocean.
While the backdrop of the rolling waves makes for a pretty amazing photograph, my favorite thing about Tybee island, georgia are the variety of locations I can take my clients depending on the mood of the session.
The following photos were all taken on Tybee Island.. some even at the same location on the island.. but every photograph is strikingly different. Why?
The time of the year effects every.single.location.. especially the ocean. Can you guess what time if year Kristin and Peter did their engagement session on the North Beach of Tybee Island?
One thing I have always loved about Tybee Island are her ever-changing tides. When the tide is low, the beach will look entirely different than it does when the tide is high. This allows a huge variance in the locations Tybee has to offer. The above photo above of Nick and Taylor is taken on the North Beach of Tybee.. around the exact same spot as the photo of Kristin and Peter above it. Do you see how different the tide is from Summer to Fall?
Amanda and Matt came down to Savannah in November to shoot their engagement session as apart of their wedding package. While it was still pretty muggy and hot here in Savannah, they were dressed in fall clothes since they had traveled from Birmingham, Alabama. It worked out perfectly, though because the morning of their session was overcast, misty, and the tide was low enough to expose some tide pools and rocks on the south beach of Tybee Island.
Brownlyn and Zach's engagement session might be mistaken for another beach all together with the lush green color of the moss on the rocks. We took their photos in the spring, on an overcast afternoon. While we all had hoped for a better sunset on Tybee, the photos turned out even more magical with the high winds, low tide and bright green moss popping on the rocks that are on North Beach.
5. River Street
While certainly one of my least favorite engagement session locations because of crowds, steep inclines, oddly lit corridors and awful parking.. River Street has so much to offer a couple for their engagement session in Savannah, Georgia.
If you love the thrill of popping in and out of bars, ducking into cobble stone lanes and walking along the river, River Street is your engagement session destination. Park in the parking garage off Broad and across the street from Moon River Brewing. Take some time walking down Broad Street, and popping into places like Rocks On The River for a to-go cocktail and shoot some photos in front of the Savannah Bridge Skyline.
Use the textures of the cobble stones, moss covered trees and park benches to shape your photos. Doing your photos on Broad/River street lends to so many opportunities for different outfits for your session too! Savannah did such a great job coordinating her and Nick's outfits for their River Street engagement session this past fall.
Have any locations you want to share with the community in the comments? Don't hesitate to share!