Richmond Virginia Engagement Photography Itinerary

Richmond Engagement Photography along Monument Avenue

Monument Avenue retains its beauty all year round. In the winter, snow blankets the statues and historic homes, while spring and fall leave the road awash in spectacular colors. Even summer beautifies the avenue with cool green grass and giant shady trees. Start at the beginning of Monument Avenue, which is nearest to downtown Richmond; engagement photographers will love catching the lush greenery, varied monuments, and rich houses along the historic road in the background of your shots. Starting in Stuart Circle, you and your beau can pose against the imposing face of First English Lutheran Church. The pointed arch doorways and windows set in a dull gray stone will lend a Gothic feel to your portraits as the church towers above you both.

Further down Monument Avenue, at the intersection with Davis Street, sit the John Kerr Branch House and the Jefferson Davis Monument. The photographer can position the future bride and groom beneath the gorgeous brick Tudor Revival architecture of the Branch House. Then walk across the street to the Jefferson Davis Monument to get some Roman architecture in your backgrounds. The monument features a bronze statue of Jefferson Davis surrounded in a semi-circle of classical white columns. At the end of your photo session, your Richmond engagement photography will encompass a great variety of architectural styles, giving you a dynamic album full of unique shots.

Keep heading down Monument and you will come to one last interesting photo opportunity. At Belmont Avenue, the Matthew Fontaine Maury Monument—immortalizing the famous oceanographer—provides a lovely cap to your photo sitting. The bronze statue of Maury sits in front of a giant bronze globe. The globe is a great backdrop for couples with a love for travel, or simply as a symbol of your joint effort to conquer the world together.

Richmond Engagement Photography in Carytown

Carytown is a quaint shopping area along Cary Street, between Thompson Street and Boulevard. Eclectic shops and restaurants have settled in along the strip, making this area great for Richmond engagement photographers to stage fun small-town shots of the bridal couple. Have your photographer snap shots of you and your future husband kissing in the middle of the street with blocks of shops lining up behind you. The hustle and bustle of traffic and shoppers can add another interesting dimension to your photographs.

The surrounding streets are good settings for more suburban backdrops. Whether you pop over to Ellwood Street or Parkwood Street, you and your honey can pose in front of some of the beautiful and historic 1920’s homes that populate the area.

Walk back over to Cary Street to complete your photo session. No Richmond engagement photography album would be complete without a trip to the Byrd Theater. The theater was built in the late 1920’s and has remained largely unchanged over the decades. With an old-school cinema façade, you can take some black and white engagement shots in front of the marquee. You may have to purchase a ticket to enter, but at only $1.99 per person the fee is trivial. Once inside, the lobby boasts painted murals, cameos, and other adornments. The theater itself is the gem, though. With an eye-popping chandelier, sumptuous garnet seats and curtains, marble walls, and a heavy dose of gold leaf, your engagement photographer will be able to create visually stunning images that you will love to look at again and again.

Richmond Engagement Photography Downtown

The downtown area has a wealth of photogenic sites for your Richmond engagement photography. Old City Hall on East Broad Street is a great first stop on your photographic journey through downtown. From adorable pictures of you and your future groom leaning against the enormous Victorian Gothic building kissing to pictures of the happy couple holding hands set against pointed arches and intricately carved stone, Old City Hall will add an opulent elegance to your images.

For a bit of a change, head down to 17th and Main to get some pictures at the Farmer’s Market. Still an active market, if you visit on a weekend you may be able to enhance your shots with some local veggie colors. Even when the market is not in full swing, though, the green and white awnings and wood posts can provide some interesting backdrops. Nearby alleys are great for some quintessential urban shots in Richmond; engagement photographers can get creative and provide you with photojournalistic pictures, like two lovers caught kissing around a corner.

Finally, end your engagement photo session up on Church Hill. Where East Grace Street ends at 21st Street, Richmond has hidden a magnificent overlook. The cityscape from this high point downtown is truly mesmerizing. Get romantic with your partner while looking out at the amazing view and let your photographer find the million dollar shots for your Richmond engagement photography album.