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Engaged couple posing together during their Laguna Beach engagement shoot with Christopher Brown Weddings

Top 6 Laguna Beach Engagement Photo Locations (2022)

Couple walking along the beach during their engagement session; image overlaid with text that reads Top 6 Laguna Beach Engagement Photo Locations

Laguna Beach is one of the best locations in Southern California for a special and memorable engagement photoshoot. If you look around the area, you will find many different parks and beaches for this purpose. To help you make a decision, I’m narrowing the list down and bringing you the top 6 Laguna Beach engagement photo locations, plus some secret spots too.

Why I Developed This List

Laguna Beach is in the heart of Orange County, with over 30 beaches and nine miles of coastline. It has so many mesmerizing places that cutting it down to the top 6 was tough. However, I’ve worked in this area over the years and want to help my clients find the best spots for their engagement photoshoots, so I used my experience there and some research to put this list together.

The Ideal Laguna Beach Engagement Photo Locations

Just for reference, these Laguna Beach engagement photo locations are not listed from the best on down. To me, each spot has plenty of reasons it could be at the very top. With that said, let’s start with Crescent Bay.

#1 – Crescent Bay Beach

One of the most picturesque and iconic photo spots in Laguna Beach is Crescent Bay Beach. Also, it has easy access and doesn’t get overcrowded.

However, for the crowds that do come, it’s popular for its giant palm trees standing tall over the peninsula, right at the Twin Points. For those looking for a tropical-inspired shoot, Crescent Bay Beach is a good choice. It’s also good for wide shots.

Couple holding hands while walking along Crescent Bay Beach, one of the top 6 Laguna Beach engagement photo locations

Couple smiling at each other as they walk along the beach for their engagement session with Christopher Brown

At the beach, you will find numerous tide pools, a long sandy beach, and Seal Rock, which will be suitable for more adventurous couples willing to go out into the water. For those silhouette shots, there is a huge rock right in the middle of the beach too.

Going down to the beach’s south end takes you even farther away from people. Ultimately, there are plenty of options for your photoshoot at Crescent Bay Beach, making it one of the best Laguna Beach engagement photo locations.

#2 – Shaw’s Cove

Sitting around the corner from the Twin Points, this Laguna Beach engagement photo location is a sandy beach with rocky boundaries at both ends. The northern side is my personal favorite for engagement shoots. This area has some unique rock formations, vegetation, small nooks, and crannies for a wide variety of shots.

Bride and groom smiling as they walk along Shaw's Cove, one of the top 6 Laguna Beach engagement photo locations

Engaged couple smiling at each other with view of the beach behind them, taken by Christopher Brown weddings

You do need to be a bit cautious about the tide here though. When the tide is high, these rocky areas are completely submerged. Still, if you’re adventurous, you might love the challenge and thrill of it.

This area doesn’t see much of a crowd either, so it’s an ideal spot for your more traditional engagement photos. There is so much this place has to offer when it comes to getting those classy and creative photos of your special day.

#3 – Victoria Beach

This Laguna Beach engagement photo location is on my list because of the iconic Pirate Tower. This tower is right along the rough cliffside and works great for different shots. It adds a sense of adventure to your photoshoot, plus a touch of history. People will be asking about that tower for years to come.

Couple smiling at each other while holding hands, taken by Christopher Brown Weddings

Engaged couple smiling at each other while holding hands at Victoria Beach, one of the top 6 Laguna Beach engagement photo locations

However, this is where the ocean gets a bit intense, making shooting difficult. There is not much space to move around here, so that does mean you won’t see many people, but you’ll want to be careful.

This location is accessible through Wards Terrace and Victoria Drive. However, for those excellent silhouette shots around the sunset, you’ll want to make use of the long stairway that takes you down to the beach.

#4 – Crystal Cove

This engagement photo location is actually located in Newport Beach but is worth mentioning still as it has many places for your engagement photos.

Guy plants a kiss on his fiance's temple as they sit on the bench, taken by Christopher Brown Weddings

Engaged couple walking together with their backs to the camera at Crystal Cove, one of the top 6 Laguna Beach engagement photo locations

There is clean water, tide pools, cliff formations, and sandy beaches here, and a wide range of backdrops you can use at sunrise or sunset. This place is less crowded than other places here in Laguna, like the area near the Montage Hotel. Crystal Cove does happen to be next to the Beachcomber restaurant as well, which makes it a great location for taking some pictures and then getting something to eat.

#5 – Heisler Park

Heisler Park overlooks the Pacific, and it not only has extraordinary scenic beauty, but you will also find some unique public art and sign installations here. The ocean view makes it an iconic Laguna Beach engagement photo spot for couples.

That’s not to mention how vivid and lush Heisler Park is. It’s a well-maintained park with neatly trimmed grass and carefully curated flowers and plants, which provide a variety of colors for photos. There are benches, paths, and the beach below too.

Couple sharing an embrace at Heisler Park, one of the top 6 Laguna Beach engagement photo locations

Couple smiling at the camera as they share an embrace at golden hour, taken by Christopher Brown Weddings

You can access Monument Point Beach, Diver’s Cove, and Rockpile Beach from this park as well. So, it’s a pretty good starting point for your Laguna Beach engagement photos. Regular street parking is available here too, along with metered parking.

#6 – Treasure Island

This one is similar to Heisler Park, and it sits right at the bottom of the Montage Resort. The area above the beach is immaculately landscaped, and there’s a long access ramp leading down to it that would be great for some telling-the-story photos.

At Treasure Island, you will find extravagant rock formations that add some flavor to a photoshoot too. If you go further south, you’ll find another location with a neat stone bridge to serve as a backdrop for your photos as well.

Black and white photo of couple holding hands while walking along the beach at Treasure Island, one of the top 6 Laguna Beach engagement photo locations

Engaged couple posing by the beach, shot by destination photographer Christopher Brown

Also, the parking facility is pretty good here and is located on the area’s western end. Treasure Island truly lives up to its name and will help you make your Laguna Beach engagement photos worth remembering.

Some Secret Engagement Photo Locations In Laguna Beach

Those aren’t the only areas for some great Laguna Beach engagement photos though. I always like giving my clients a little extra, so here it’s taking the form of those secret locations at Laguna Beach. Let’s get started with Table Rock.

#1 – Table Rock

This place has some beautiful small beach stretches and a secluded cove with cliffs on both sides. It’s a beautiful location for equally beautiful photos at any time of the day for some beautiful Laguna Beach engagement photo shots.

Older couple sharing a kiss as they pose at Table Rock, one of the top 6 Laguna Beach Engagement Photo Locations

Older couple holding hands and smiling at each other while walking on the beach, shot by beach wedding photographer Christopher Brown

#2 – Ruby Street Park

This is a true hidden gem of Laguna Beach, in part because it’s tucked away between two houses. You will have to go down a narrow path, and it will open up to a deck that overlooks the beautiful ocean to create a beautiful Laguna Beach engagement photo opportunity.

#3 – Pearl Street Beach

This beach is easy to access, and it’s extraordinary. You can take a walk on the beach here and check out the tide pools. Plus, there’s a rock arch that’s a perfect spot for some Laguna Beach engagement photos.

Couple holding hands at Montage Arc in Pearl Street Beach, captured by Christopher Brown Weddings

#4 – Top of the World Park

If, as a couple, you are more a fan of hiking than a beach walk, you should consider this area. It has a wide range of trails and some extraordinary 360-degree views. You’ll get as much of the blue of the sky as the blue of the ocean with your photos here!

A Quick Note On How I Take Photos At Laguna Beach

While I’m perfectly fine with taking photos at any time of the day, I have a suggestion for you. I prefer to do my engagement shoots an hour before sunset and during the week to help my clients avoid the weekend rush of crowds. I’m also open to an early-morning shoot too. Either way, those times of the day provide great light and let us do the shoot as privately as possible. Just let me know!

In Conclusion: Top 6 Laguna Beach Engagement Photo Locations (2022)

Hopefully by now, you’ve got a good idea of where you want to get your Laguna Beach engagement photos done. Let me know what you’re thinking of doing, and we can get started on planning this out together.

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