Where to have your engagement shoot in NORTH DEVON.
So, you've chosen your wedding venue, photographer and sorted out lots of important things but what about the engagement shoot? The location for your engagement shoot should aim reflect you as a couple and ideally be somewhere special to you both. If possible, this should be outside as we would probably have more options of places to go rather than your living room / kitchen - but a home engagement shoot is still very possible, I never say no! Looking for inspiration on the perfect location? See my top 10 locations below:
1 - Westward Ho!
There's no denying it, I absolutely LOVE Westward Ho! with it's quirky exclamation mark and super long beach. You are spoilt for choice on where to go once you're there, whether it is along the promenade, on the beach, in the amusement arcades or on the go karts! If you want to go onto the beach then check the tide times before organising as there is no way onto it when it's submerged in sea water. Failing this, the pebble ridge is a good spot to have waves crashing behind you. If you're lucky, and the atmospheric conditions are right, you can get some amazing sunsets to give some extra pop to your photos.
2 - BUCKS MILLS WOODLAND
Think ancient woodland and lots of greens, browns and orange colours. This woodland is amazing for an engagement shoot and from the car park it doesn't take long before you are surrounded by tall trees and calmness. There's a stream too if you fancy getting your feet wet and feeling adventurous. Bring your dog along too if you'd like as it's a nice walk for you all!
3 - Woolacombe
When you think of beaches in the UK, one place comes to mind and that is Woolacombe. You’ll be treated to amazing views out to sea and also towards Baggy Point and Lundy Island. The sunset at Woolacombe in amazing and there are plenty of places to go to enjoy it along the esplanade or down on the rocks. You could always combine the visit to Woolacombe with a visit to Barricane Beach and enjoy a curry from the café there.
4 - Fremington Quay
The quay here used to be busy with trains unloading freight but now it’s just busy with people and cyclists using the Tarka Trail. There’s plenty to explore by the Taw and Torridge Estuary and if the tide is low there are beaches to go onto away from the crowds for photographs of the two of you. The bonus of Fremington Quay is that there is very good coffee served in the café for afterwards!
5 - Barnstaple Fair
This one is for the adventurous couples out there, unafraid of public displays of affection! Barnstaple Fair is busy, noisy and a full on experience but also the perfect place for an engagement shoot with all the lights and excitement going on. We can have fun using candyfloss as props, play a few side stall games and go and explore. Something different to consider? I've never done an engagement shoot at the fair before - but I have been down with my camera in the past - see below!
6 - Hartland Quay
Think nautical thoughts here as this is where sea meets land in an exciting way (you may even come across a pirate, yargh!). You have the sometimes rough sea on one side and the sharp jagged rocks and cliffs on the other. If the tide is low we can explore the beach and I can photograph as things happen - a lot of my photographs and ideas come to me as we explore and go on a walk together.
7 - Instow Sand Dunes
Things Instow Sand Dunes have a lot of: Sand, Long Dune Grass, Sunshine (on a good day). The good things about the dunes are that you can normally find a secluded spot for photographs of just the two of you, and they can be a lot of fun (cue running down sand dunes like crazy people)! You also have sea views and the village of Appledore over the other side of the river. After (or during the shoot) you can walk down the road to the Hockings Ice Cream van for a cheeky but well deserved 99.
8 - Crow Point
Similar to Instow, Crow Point has sand dunes and a beach but it’s spaced out a bit more and the drive down to the car park is amazing. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes when out here as we can sometimes do quite a bit of walking and with that in mind you may want to bring your dog with you – it’s an ideal dog walking area.
9 - Valley of Rocks
If you’ve never visited the Valley of Rocks, I would describe it to you as ‘otherworldly with the addition of roaming goats’. The surrounding rock formations are stunning but only come here if you have a head for heights as the coast path is high up and there are only rocks and sea below. If you do go, you’ll be rewarded with stunning photographs and amazing memories of how close you got to the edge while kissing your other half. The photo below is from a wedding in 2019... don't look down!
10 - RHS Rosemoor
This amazing garden is not to dissimilar to our back garden, but is bigger, without as much kids paraphernalia and has plants, trees and water features; Asides from that, it's pretty much the same. RHS Rosemoor is a visual treat and a great place to be as a couple in love. There are so many places to go for photographs - buildings, arches, streams – the trouble will be choosing where to go as you can’t cover everything in an engagement shoot. The photo below is from a wedding in 2018 (this was to written just so you know not to wear your wedding dress to an engagement shoot - unless you really want to!).
BONUS idea - YOUR FIELD / Farm.
Own a field or know a friendly farmer without bulls on his land? Why not go for a walk in a field and see where we end up? Guaranteed that we have a great time and get some amazing photographs of your adventures / walk... just make sure there are no charging animals around unless you want to see me run like Phoebe from Friends!
I hope this has given you some ideas on where you could go for your engagement shoot. If you like the look of the photographs in this post, why not go to my portfolio page and take a look at some more?
