Where Should You Do Your Jacksonville Engagement Session? Hint: Washington Oaks

If you’re looking for a Jacksonville engagement photographer and trying to figure out where you want to take your engagement photos, I have a place you should probably put on your list: Washington Oaks Gardens State Park.

It’s technically down in Palm Coast, but it’s absolutely worth the drive from Jacksonville. You get huge old oak trees, beautiful gardens, winding paths, and then a beach with those big coquina rock formations just across the road. Basically, you can get two completely different looks without spending your whole day driving around.

So if you’re stuck between wanting garden engagement photos or beach engagement photos, you don’t really have to choose.

That’s exactly what we did for this engagement session. We started in the gardens, wandered around for a while, and then headed over to the beach for a completely different look.

And honestly, I love engagement sessions like this.

There’s somewhere to go, something to look at, and enough variety that it doesn’t feel like we’re standing in the same spot taking pictures for an hour.

Why I Love Washington Oaks for Engagement Photos

Washington Oaks is one of those places where you can get a lot of variety without having to make your engagement session feel like a road trip.

The gardens are full of these huge live oaks and winding paths, so there’s plenty of shade and greenery. There are also little spots throughout the gardens where we can stop for photos without everything feeling overly planned.

I usually like to start somewhere like this because it gives you a chance to settle in.

And if you’re thinking, “We’re going to be so awkward in front of the camera,” you’re probably not alone.

Most people aren’t naturally comfortable having a camera pointed at them

That’s why I don’t expect you to show up knowing how to pose.

We’ll walk around. I’ll give you direction when you need it. We’ll talk. You’ll probably laugh at me at some point. And eventually, you’ll stop thinking about the camera.

That’s usually when things start to feel really natural.

Then We Headed to the Beach

One of my favorite things about Washington Oaks is that the session doesn’t have to stay in one place.

Once we finished exploring the gardens, we headed over to the beach.

And this is where everything started to feel a little different.

The beach at Washington Oaks has these really interesting coquina rock formations along the shoreline, so you get a lot more texture than you would from a typical flat stretch of Florida sand.

It also gives us more room to move around.

We can walk along the water, climb around the rocks, sit together, run around a little, or honestly just wander and see what happens.

I don’t need every photograph to look like you stopped and posed for it.

Some of my favorite images are the ones where you’re talking to each other or walking toward the next spot and don’t even realize I’m taking the photo.

Garden Photos + Beach Photos = The Best of Both

This is probably the biggest reason I recommend Washington Oaks to my couples.

You don’t have to choose.

You can have the soft, romantic garden photographs and the big open beach photographs in the same session.

And because the two areas look so different, your final gallery ends up feeling like we spent much longer exploring than we actually did.

I also think this works really well if you want your engagement photos to feel like an experience rather than just a photo session.

Bring some water. Wear shoes you can actually walk in. Don’t worry about whether we’re going to get a little sandy.

We’re going to explore.

And that’s part of it.

What Should You Wear for a Washington Oaks Engagement Session?

You really don’t need to overthink this.

I always tell couples to wear something that feels like them, just a slightly nicer version of what they’d normally wear.

If you want to dress up, do it. A long dress can look beautiful in the gardens and especially on the beach when there’s a little movement.

If you’re more comfortable in something casual, that’s completely fine too.

And if you want two outfits, Washington Oaks is a great place for it because you can start with something a little dressier in the gardens and change into something more relaxed for the beach.

The only thing I’d really avoid is wearing something you’re going to spend the entire session worrying about.

You should be able to move.

You should be able to sit down.

You should be able to walk through the sand without thinking, “Oh no, I’m going to ruin my outfit.”

You’re already going to have enough to think about.

When Should We Take Photos at Washington Oaks?

If we’re doing the gardens and the beach in one session, I usually like to plan for later in the day.

That gives us softer light and lets us work our way toward the beach as the sun gets lower.

We don’t have to rush through everything, either. The park is open from 8 a.m. until sunset, so there is some flexibility depending on the time of year and what kind of light you’re hoping for. You can check the current park hours and visitor information here before your session.

If you’re planning to have professional photos taken here, it’s also worth checking the Florida State Parks photography guidelines before your session. Requirements can depend on how the session affects park visitors and resources.

Do You Have to Live in Jacksonville to Take Engagement Photos Here?

Not at all.

Washington Oaks is actually a great option if you’re anywhere around Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Palm Coast, or Northeast Florida and don’t mind making a little drive for your engagement photos.

And if you’re coming from Jacksonville, I think the variety makes the drive worth it.

You get the gardens.

You get the giant oak trees.

You get the beach.

You get the rocks.

And you don’t have to spend your entire session getting back in the car and driving to the next location.

Your Engagement Session Doesn’t Have to Feel Like a Photoshoot

This is probably the biggest thing I want my couples to know.

You don’t have to know how to pose.

You don’t have to be naturally comfortable in front of a camera.

And you definitely don’t have to spend an hour standing around wondering what you’re supposed to do with your hands.

I’ll help you.

I’ll give you direction when you need it, but I’m also going to let you interact with each other and actually enjoy the experience.

Because I don’t want your engagement gallery to look like a collection of poses.

I want it to look like you two.

The way you laugh together. The way you hold each other. The weird little things you do without thinking about them.

Those are the photographs I want you to have.

So, Where Should You Take Your Jacksonville Engagement Photos?

If you’re looking for a Jacksonville engagement photographer, Washington Oaks is one of those locations I’m always happy to recommend.

If you want a location that gives you more than just one pretty backdrop, Washington Oaks is certainly hard to beat.

You can start under the oak trees, wander through the gardens, and then end up barefoot on the beach with the waves coming through the coquina rocks.

It’s romantic without feeling overly fancy, beautiful without feeling too staged, and there’s enough to explore that the whole thing feels like an afternoon together rather than an appointment to take pictures.

And if you’re looking for a different location to have your Jacksonville engagement session, I’d love to help you find a location that actually feels like you.

I photograph couples throughout Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Orlando, and the rest of Florida, and I’m always happy to travel a little farther for the right place.

You don’t have to know exactly where you want to go.

That’s part of what I’m here for.