Engagement Session Photo Props (15 great ideas)

We are traveling headlong through the year! Before we know it, wedding season will be upon us. While most summer 2023 brides will already have their engagement photos taken, there will still be some looking to get their own photoshoot completed. To help those that are planning, I created the engagement session photo props guide.

Depending on the location of your setup, you may need very few props (or none at all!). Sometimes though, a prop can be a great way to add a fun or personal element to some of the photos. If you are looking for guidance on session ideas for engagement photos, please check out my other post Engagement photo session themes.

Note: A lot of these items work as well for just couples sessions, even if it isn’t for an engagement. Some might be celebrating an anniversary, or just want to get some fun photos together. There is always a great reason to do a photoshoot!

What works well for engagement session photo props? Usually items that help draw the two people together, or represent something special about them. I compiled a list of 15 engagement session photo props that work well in a variety of situations:

Balloons
“&” Sign
Fairy Lights
Engagement Rings
Giant letters representing first names
Flowers
Seasonal items
Letterboard (and other signs)
Sparklers
Scrabble tiles
Champagne
Banner
Picture Frame
Smoke bombs
Umbrella

Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail:

Balloons

Balloons seem to make all my prop lists! These can make for some sweet pictures. Try having a bunch of helium balloons held by the bride-to-be, or both parties. Usually natural colors work well (beige, white, light brown).

Pin 01 - Engagement Session Photo Props - Engagement Ring on a shell

“&” Sign

This prop works well with couples, and can be saved for a Valentine’s Day session. A popular way to use the “&” sign is to have the couple stand with the sign between them. Have them hold hands over the sign and look at each other. A super cute pose!

Fairy Lights

I love my fairy lights, and they work so well for so many different settings! Engagement shoots are no exception. If you have the kind that can change color, set them to white or some soft color for the occasion.

If you are going to be doing a lot of photos, a set of fairy lights is a good addition to your photo prop collection. They can be incorporated into so many different kinds of shoots. Plus you can also use them as decorations around your house!

Engagement Rings

The nice thing about this is that the couple will probably already have this! Engagement rings have a lot of potential with pictures. Here are a couple of ideas:

Close up of the ring on the finger.
Picture of the ring on another prop.
Image of the couple holding hands, with a focus on the ring.
A picture of the back of one person, while the other has their arms draped over the shoulders.

Pin 02 - Engagement Session Photo Props - Bridal Bouquet

Giant Letters Representing First Names

You could use two giant letters with the fist or last names. This works well with the giant “&” as well. You could also use one letter that will represent the last name that the couple will eventually be sharing.

Flowers

Flowers are very versatile in photo session. You can have them scattered around, or have a person holding a bouquet of them. Look up the meaning of flowers to have a subtle message in the images.

Seasonal Items

Depending on the season you are taking the photos in, you can use some of those types of items as engagement session photo props. To see more comprehensive lists of the different seasons, please check out some of my other articles:

Letterboard

If you have read any of my other posts, you know a letterboard is one of my favorite props. It seems to make it onto most of my prop articles! If you would like a list of Engagement phrases you could use, please check out my other post Engagement Phrases for a Letterboard.

Pin 03 - Engagement Session Photo Props - Engagement Ring on finger

Sparklers

Sparklers are a fun addition to an outdoor shoot! Especially if you are doing a sunset shoot and may end up having some pictures in the dark. Using a long shutter speed, you can also spell something with the sparklers. You can find many YouTube tutorials on how to accomplish this effect.

Note: Be sure to read all the safety information on the sparklers and use them correctly during your session!

Scrabble Tiles

Scrabble tiles work well for some macro shots. Usually the couple is holding the Scrabble tiles that spell something like Love or their last name. Sometimes, the engagement ring is substituted for the “O” in Love.

Champagne

This one is defiantly better outdoors! Popping a champagne bottle makes for some wild and fun images. Make sure it is done safely and that your camera is outside the splash zone!

Banner

You can utilize all different kinds of banners for an engagement photo session! Burlap, neutrals, letters that spell “I love You,” etc. A nice generic burlap banner not only works well for this session, but many other kinds as well.

Picture Frame

Using an empty picture frame (with no glass either) can be used in a couple of ways. You can have the couple hold it out with their hands, and they can kiss “inside” the frame. Or, if you are somewhere where the ground is soft, you can put the frame in the ground and have the couple stand off at a distance.

Smoke Bomb

Smoke bombs are a current trend in photography

Note: Be sure to read all the safety information on the smoke bombs and use them correctly during your session!

Umbrella

Umbrellas are a cute idea for engagement pictures, especially if you can find a red or pink one. You can also use a clear umbrella; it adds a fun element to your pictures. If you are doing a lot of different kinds of pictures, I would suggest investing in a clear umbrella because it will work for a variety of different shoots.

Summary

I hope you enjoyed this article and found some ideas on what to use for engagement session photo props! Which of these was your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!

Just a recap of the 15 engagement session photo props I listed in this article: