Back Bay Engagement Photos | Two Real Boston Sessions

Back Bay is the Boston most couples picture when they picture Boston: brownstones, magnolias, the Prudential and the Hancock tower stacked over the rooftops. It is also one of the best neighborhoods in the city for an engagement session, because you can walk from stone and water to a quiet side street to a candlelit table without ever getting back in a car. Here are two real Back Bay sessions from my studio: Meg and Nick on a foggy morning that ended in a Dorchester pub, and Jimmy and Gabi in May, starting at the restaurant where they met.

Quick facts

• Magnolias on Comm Ave · late April into early May
• Best light · early morning, or the last two hours before sunset
• Fog and overcast · some of the best light in the city, not a reason to reschedule
• Permits · none for public sidewalks, the Comm Ave mall or a small handheld session in the Public Garden
• Boston Public Library · formal shoots need a BPL events reservation, weekdays 8 to 9am before opening
• Session length · about two hours for two locations

Meg & NickJimmy & GabiWhere to shootWhen to goFAQ

Meg and Nick: fog, stone and a Dorchester pub

Meg and Nick got the kind of morning photographers hope for and couples worry about. The fog came down so low the top of the Prudential disappeared, and the whole neighborhood turned soft and grey, like a film still. We started along the reflecting pool and the long stone planters off Huntington Ave, where the architecture does half the work: clean lines, long sight lines, and towers fading into cloud.

Fog is the best light Boston gives you. It is one giant softbox: no squinting, no hard shadows under the eyes, and every color gets richer. Meg wore white, Nick wore black, and against the grey stone the frames read almost like black and white even in color.

Under the trees along the promenade the light went green and even. That is where Meg and Nick stopped posing and started dancing, which is always the moment a session turns.

Then: McGonagle’s in Dorchester

For the second half we drove a few miles south to McGonagle’s, an Irish pub in Dorchester with dark wood, green leather booths, a framed Celtics jersey and a wall of old black and white photographs. Pairing a clean, architectural first half with a warm, lived-in second half gives a gallery range, and it gives you photos that look like you rather than like a location.

Jimmy and Gabi: Krasi, Commonwealth Ave and a rooftop sunset

Jimmy and Gabi met at Krasi, a Greek restaurant in the Back Bay, so that is where their engagement session started, in May, at a window table with a glass of wine. Starting somewhere that means something is the easiest way to get real photos: nobody has to act, they just have to tell the story again.

From Krasi we walked Commonwealth Avenue, with the magnolias in bloom along the mall, brownstone stoops, iron railings and benches under the trees. Then we crossed the city and finished on top of a parking garage as the sun went down, with the skyline catching the last light behind them.

Later they were married at Raffles Boston, and I photographed that too: see Gabi and Jimmy’s Raffles Boston wedding, or the full Jimmy and Gabi engagement gallery.

Where to take engagement photos in Back Bay

The five best spots are the Commonwealth Avenue mall, the plazas off Huntington Ave, the side streets off Newbury, the Public Garden and a restaurant or bar that is yours.

Commonwealth Avenue mall

The tree lined center strip of Comm Ave runs from the Public Garden to Kenmore. Magnolias bloom along it in spring, the elms turn gold in fall, and the brownstones on both sides give you stoops, railings and doorways every twenty feet. It is public, it is walkable and it never looks crowded in a photo.

The reflecting pool and plazas off Huntington Ave

Stone, water and towers. On a clear day it is graphic and modern; on a foggy day it is the most cinematic place in the city. Go early, when it is quiet.

Newbury Street and the side streets

Newbury is busy, but the cross streets and the back alleys behind it are quiet, brick and full of doorways. Best early morning or on a weekday.

The Public Garden

At the foot of Back Bay: the lagoon bridge, the willows and the flower beds. Boston Parks does not require a permit for a small engagement session with handheld cameras, which makes it the easiest classic location in the city.

Boston Public Library, Copley Square

The courtyard and the reading rooms are stunning, but a formal shoot inside the library needs a reservation through the BPL events office and happens before opening, usually a weekday between 8 and 9am. Plan it early. For something without the logistics, the Copley Square side of Trinity Church and the library steps are public.

A place that is yours

The restaurant where you met, the bar where you had your first date, your stoop. Meg and Nick’s pub and Jimmy and Gabi’s Krasi are the parts of their galleries they talk about most. Ask the owner ahead of time, go before service, and buy a round.

When to plan a Back Bay engagement session

The best time is late April through May for magnolias, or October for gold elms, in the first or last two hours of daylight.

Late April into May is magnolia season on Commonwealth Avenue, and it is the most requested window of the year, so book early. October brings gold elms and softer light. For time of day, early morning gives you empty streets and even light; the last two hours before sunset give you warm light on the brownstones and a rooftop or skyline finish. Overcast and even foggy days are good days in Back Bay. Rain is the only thing we reschedule for.

Most couples pair Back Bay with a second look nearby. The Seaport and Fan Pier is a short ride away for water and skyline. For the full list of places I shoot around the city, see my Boston engagement photographer guide.

Plan your Back Bay session

Back Bay engagement photo FAQ

Where are the best places for engagement photos in Back Bay?

Commonwealth Avenue mall for magnolias, brownstones and benches; the reflecting pool and plazas off Huntington Ave for stone, water and towers; the side streets around Newbury for brick and doorways; and the Public Garden at the foot of the neighborhood. A restaurant or bar that means something to you makes the best second location.

When do the magnolias bloom on Commonwealth Avenue?

Usually late April into early May, depending on the spring. It is a short window, so plan your session date with a little flexibility.

Do you need a permit for engagement photos in Back Bay?

Not for public sidewalks, the Commonwealth Avenue mall or a small session in the Public Garden. Private property is different: the Boston Public Library requires a reservation for formal photo shoots, and any restaurant or shop needs the owner’s permission.

How long is a Boston engagement session?

Plan on about two hours if you want two locations, like the Back Bay streets and a pub or rooftop. Every session on this page covered two or three spots.

What should we wear for Back Bay engagement photos?

Back Bay is stone, brick and dark green, so simple solids photograph best: white, black, cream, camel, denim. Meg wore white and Nick wore black, which read beautifully against grey stone and green leather.

Are engagement sessions included in your wedding collections?

Engagement sessions are included in most of my full day wedding collections, and standalone sessions are available. See pricing or start your inquiry.

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