Inspiration for Your Joshua Tree Engagement Photos

Joshua Tree National Park is the perfect place to explore in California. With its distinctive desert environment, it’s no surprise many couples plan to go to Joshua Tree for their engagement photos.

But how do you plan a Joshua Tree engagement shoot? We want to provide some awesome inspiration as well as some helpful tips to announce your engagement at such a gorgeous location. 

• Pick a Rad Photographer. Picking a photographer to document your engagement photos is exciting and important. Your engagement photos are also a great opportunity for you and the photographer to bond before your wedding day. Our Wandering Weddings photographers have plenty of elopement experience and would love to document your adventurous engagement shoot. 
• Decide What You’re Wearing. Engagement photos are the perfect time to wear something that represents your relationship. Ultimately, you want to aim for an outfit you feel comfortable in and also compliments your environment. We put together some key pointers to keep in mind when picking your engagement outfits.
• When to Take Engagement Photos. During summer, Joshua Tree gets really busy and pretty hot. We prefer planning engagement shoots from November – April. You’ll see less traffic of people, and the weather will be cooler.
• Explore Together. The best advice we can give couples who want to elope at Joshua Tree National Park is to have fun and explore! There are so many nooks and crannies to see in this glorious desert terrain. 

Ready for some Epic Joshua Tree Engagement Photo Inspiration?

Jump to these couples to see how they styled and had fun at this gorgeous national park together:

• Cynthia and Lawrence – Nigerian Culture 
• Cassandra and EJ – Southwest Inspiration

 

Where to Take Engagement Photos at Joshua Tree

If you’re taking engagement photos at Joshua Tree National Park and its surrounding areas, you don’t need a permit for your photo session. Permits are required, however, for elopements and intimate weddings. These permits are about $150, and you also need to purchase the permit before your big day. Since you have more flexibility taking engagement photos here, we thought it would be a great idea to show some engagement sessions and list some of our favorite spots to explore. If you aren’t sure if Joshua Tree is the ideal location for your engagement shoot, then check out these other gorgeous engagement locations.

Rock Formations

There are a lot of rock formations to both admire and incorporate into your engagement photos at Joshua tree. Each one is unique and worth checking out. One of the most famous out of all the rock formations is Arch Rock. Its name defines exactly what it resembles, a big arch. This rock is not only fun to climb and explore, but it’s also an epic spot for some cool portraits.

Cholla Cactus Garden

One of the reasons why we love Joshua Tree for elopements and engagements is because of its unique desert terrain. The Cholla Cactus Garden is filled with cactus and creates beautiful dimension for your portraits without being overwhelming.

Ryan Mountain

This mountain has some of the most beautiful views in the park. We love this location because it’s right in the center of the park, and couples can also enjoy a 360 view from the top. This spot is ideal for sunset portraits as well.

Hidden Valley

This is another popular hike in the park. It’s about 1.5 miles, but you’ll enjoy a valley surrounded by rocks. We love this particular area for those who love old western movies because it looks just like the old cowboy days.

 

Joshua Tree Engagement Inspiration

Cynthia and Lawrence

We are living for this engagement shoot. Cynthia and Lawrence showcased their Nigerian culture in their engagement session. This is the perfect inspiration for couples who share a special bond because of their culture. Their stunning outfits made this Joshua Tree engagement shoot even more epic. The outfits are from Menogue Designs. The unique landscape of Joshua Tree National Park was the perfect complement to their engagement attire. 

Check out how they styled their engagement photos below.

Cassandra and EJ

We love Cassandra and EJ’s southwest inspired shoot for their engagement. Cassandra wore a fun, long black dress which flowed beautifully behind her. During your engagement shoot at Joshua Tree, don’t be afraid to be loving, playful, and passionate. We can’t stress being yourself enough.  We also love how these two had two separate outfits. Changing clothes allows your engagement photos to have two different feels to it. This couple explored in their casual wear first and then danced together in their more elegant outfit.

Check out some of their gorgeous photos below.

 

 

Ready to start planning your Engagement shoot at Joshua Tree? Connect with one of our Wandering Weddings Members.