For outdoorsy couples who are looking for the best outdoor engagement location ideas in Indiana, we’ve got your back! From grassy meadows and flower farm fields to epic waterfalls and rocky gorges, Indiana has some spectacular outdoor spots for nature enthusiasts to get engaged. Where you propose or have your engagement photos taken at matters and it should be meaningful to you both.
Outdoor Places to Take Engagement Photos Near Me
Before you can pick a location, you need to decide if you want your actual proposal photographed or engagement photos. You can also combine your proposal and engagement photos in 1 session if you want to. We wrote a whole blog on how to plan a surprise proposal and why you should have your proposal documented.
Whether you’re wanting your proposal photographed, engagement images, or both, pick a spot that you both connect with. Maybe it’s a spot you’ve always wanted to go to for a date or a place you go to often. The good news is that there’s tons of beautiful outdoor areas in Indiana to choose from.
Next, you’ll want to reach out to a photographer that captures what you want documented and specializes in the style of photos you’re looking for. At this point, if you’re not sure about a location, your photographer can work with you to help you to find a beautiful one. We always work with couples to assist with any location scouting.
Engagement Location Ideas + Best Time of Year for Proposals/Engagement Photos
When looking at outdoor engagement location ideas, weather must be considered. Indiana can be quite unpredictable, but usually between April to November there’s decent outdoor weather.
Realistically, the most recommended months for proposals or engagement photos in Indiana would be late May through October. Summer and fall provide beautiful weather, lush greenery, flowing water, and wildflowers or pretty foliage.
Since these are beautiful times of year though, more people are out and about should you choose a public spot to pop the question or get engagement photos taken at. Choosing a weekday over a weekend can help to avoid crowds along with aiming for sunrise or sunset.
Of course, whatever location, time of year, or time of day you choose, double check with your photographer as you want to make sure that you get the best lighting to have these moments documented. We are sure to help couples with this as some locations can have tricky lighting.
Best Outdoor Engagement Location Ideas in Indiana:
- Arbuckle Acres
- Beasley’s Orchard
- Cataract Falls State Recreation Area
- DePauw Nature Park
- Eagle Creek Park
- Hummel Park
- Indiana Dunes National Park
- Shades State Park
- Turkey Run State Park
- Washington Township Park
Places to Propose in Indiana
After choosing a location, it’s important to make sure you follow the rules of that outdoor location. Many outdoor parks—especially state and national parks—require photography permits. In those cases, we secure those on our end to make sure we follow protocol to be able to come back to these places for years to come.
If no permit is required, we call to let the location know that we plan to visit for photography and make sure that we don’t need any special permissions.
Please keep in mind with many parks including state and national parks, there are often entry fees so be prepared for those to get access to the parks.
Arbuckle Acres
Arbuckle Acres is a lovely, quiet park with bridges, wooded paths, and brooks. It’s pretty in the summer and gorgeous in the fall with the changing leaves. It’s a smaller park close to town, but not lacking in beauty.
- Located at 200 N Green St, Brownsburg, IN 46112
- No photography/videography permit required.
Beasley’s Orchard
Beasley’s Orchard is perfect for both summer and fall with zinnia and sunflower fields in the summer and apple trees in the fall. It’s perfect for couples who enjoy picking their own flowers or produce as part of their experience.
- Located at 2304 E Main St, Danville, IN 46122
- No photography/videography permit is required, but there can be admission fees. Visit their website for fees and photography information.
Cataract Falls State Recreation Area
Cataract Falls State Recreation Area is truly stunning with the falls, a covered bridge, and lots of beautiful rocks and trails. It’s perfect for couples who want to play in the water and explore.
- Located at 2605 N Cataract Rd, Spencer, IN 47460
- Photography/videography permit required.
DePauw Nature Park
DePauw Nature Park is a rock quarry that is incredibly unique and picturesque. It is surrounded by nature and has very enjoyable hiking trails as well!
- Located at 1400 W County Road 125 S, Greencastle, IN 46135
- No photography/videography permit required.
Eagle Creek Park
Eagle Creek Park is one of our favorite locations in Indianapolis. It’s a huge park with tons of beautiful scenery with water, trees, and trails for a proposal or engagement photos. Bonus is that you can hike, fish, or kayak at the park as a part of your photo session!
- Located at 7840 W 56th St, Indianapolis, IN 46254
- Photography/videography permit required.
Hummel Park
For paved walking paths, some wooded views, and a rocky creek, Hummel Park is a great fit for many couples who enjoy a smaller park with pretty views that is closer to town.
- Located at 1500 S Center St, Plainfield, IN 46168
- No photography/videography permit required.
Indiana Dunes National Park
For a more beach-like feel, Indiana Dunes National Park is a gem. The tall grasses, giant dunes, and shoreline make it stunning at sunrise and sunset. Bonus is that you can have a picnic, go boating, swim, bike, go horseback riding, or even hike up one of the dunes as part of your session!
- Located at 1215 IN-49 Porter, IN 46304
- Photography/videography permit required.
Shades State Park
Shades State Park is a wonderful location for couples who love a good hike and want to be on a trail for their photos. It feels very similar to Turkey Run in its beauty, but typically with less crowds making it more peaceful.
- Located at 7751 S 890 W, Waveland, IN 47989
- Photography/videography permit required.
Turkey Run State Park
Turkey Run State Park is perfect for a proposal or for engagement photos with it’s diversity from babbling creeks to sandstone gorges to wooded hiking trails. Hiking, fishing, kayaking, and other outdoor activities can be part of your photo session at Turkey Run.
- Located at 8121 Park Rd, Marshall, IN 47859
- Photography/videography permit required.
Washington Township Park
This is another favorite local spot that we love to explore on the west side of Indy. From multiple ponds to beautiful meadows, bridges, wooded trails, and cattails, it has a lot of variety to offer as a larger town park.
- Located at 115 S County Rd 575 E, Avon, IN 46123
- No photography/videography permit required.
What do you think about these engagement location ideas in Indiana?!
We hope this gives you some inspiration and a starting point as you consider all the outdoor places you could get engaged at in Indiana. If these spots aren’t what you’re looking for, then think of places that mean something to both of you such as your own backyard, a favorite winery or orchard, or even a local park the two of you adore. Like we stated before, Indiana is full of nature-filled spaces and we would be happy to help you find the best location for your engagement.
The best piece of advice we can offer is to make sure your proposal and engagement photos represent the two of you well. If the outdoors is your happy place, then that’s where you should be.
Of course, if you have questions, you can reach out and contact Jonathan and I here. Then we can start talking about your proposal or engagement ideas and any photo or video needs you might have.
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