Unique locations in Toronto for your engagement photoshoot

[Last update: January 2024]

We’ve meticulously put together this location guide as a helpful reference to find the perfect spot for your engagement photo shoot. There’ll be some familiar names, but I promise you’ll also find a few hidden gems that might not have come across your search before. (If you’re looking for inspirations specific to wedding venues, we also have a guide for the top wedding photo locations.)

In fact, use the guide to plan dates around the city! We truly believe in making efforts to celebrate every day’s small joy, not just the one monumental day that is your wedding.

Discovering new places or new charms in old places is one of our favorite things to do. If you saw a location for your engagement photo shoot that caught your eye, or want to explore with us, let’s chat! 

Allan Gardens

Style:  Nature-inspired garden in an urban jungle
Elements: Beautiful tropical plants make up the photogenic backdrop for an intimate engagement photo-session, including banana leaves the size of a boat. It’s a quiet little jungle within a bustling city. The glass ceilings give the softest, most dreamy lighting.
Region: Downtown

Aga Khan Museum

Style: Modern, clean minimal, architectural, sculptural
Elements: Clean concrete walls, geometrical glass architecture, reflective waterbody
Region: Midtown Toronto

Parkwood Manor

Style: Country-style, lavish, historical, European
Element: Historical manor, Italian garden with fountains
Region: Oshawa Ontario

Financial District

Style: Modern, urban, upbeat, metropolitan
Region: Downtown Toronto

Kortright Center for Conservation

Style: Natural, earthy, botanical, care-free, mystical, earthy
Elements: Gorgeous tall pine trees, forest
Region: Vaughan

What a mystical forest look for all seasons. These giant pines create a grandiose and earthy look for engagement photoshoot for nature lovers.

Distillery District

Style: Hipster, rustic, contemporary
Elements: Red brick walls, charming small shops and restaurants, pedestrian streets
Region: Downtown

If you and your better half are envisioning an engagement session that reflects a city-chic vibe, you’d love the Distillery District.

Liberty Village

Style: Rustic, industrial, urban city chic
Elements: Red brick walls, charming restaurants, and cafes, graffitis
Region: Downtown West

These grungy red brick walls give a perfectly industrial and urban look to a photoshoot. There’s also something about the way they form intimate alleyways and bounce lights that gives a tasteful look.

Glendon Campus – York University

Style: Elegant, whimsical, floral, natural, classic
Elements: Garden, French windows, ivy climbed walls
Region: Mid-town, Lawrence & Bayview

Glendon College began life in the 1920s and still kept its Italianate charm to this day, as you can find at this Whimsical Spring Garden Themed Pre-Wedding Session.

Evergreen Brickworks and Don Valley Park

Style: Rustic, industrial, nature
Elements: Boardwalk, brick wall, greenery, endless fields,
Region: Downtown/Midtown

The Evergreen Brickworks and the Don Valley Brickworks Park right next to it give that perfect rustic and carefree look. The open field is also perfect for a picnic inspired photo shoot.

Spadina Museum

Style: Historic, opulent
Elements: Mansion, terrace, formal garden
Region: Toronto Downtown

Lush gardens, dazzling mansion, and greenery – this historical venue makes a magnificent location for both engagement sessions and wedding ceremonies. Located right across the street from Casa Loma, it is also a nice alternative to having the mansion backdrop without the overwhelming number of tourists in Casa Loma. To note, a photo permit with the venue is required for a 2-hour engagement session.

University of Toronto

Style: Grand, historical, architectural, classic
Elements: Gardens, arches, traditional architecture
Region: Downtown

It’s not just for alumni of this gorgeous university, many couples love the historical look of this location for their portrait session – which looks especially gorgeous in the fall. There are beautiful courtyards, rustic window arches, and a ton of climbing vines decorating the exteriors of buildings.

St. Lawrence Market

Style: Old city charm, hipster, urban city chic
Elements: Red brick walls, European-style lime stone arches
Region: Downtown

If you can’t get to the Big Apple for that classic Flatiron building shot, you can get the same old-city look here. The St.Lawrence market gives that lazy yet stylish weekend brunch feel – also with some European looking arches for lovely framing for the perfect engagement photos.

Cherry Beach

Style: Country chic, cottage vacation, warm and natural
Elements: Cute little house by the beach, greeneries, and of course sand and water
Region: Downtown

From certain angles, this spot feels like getting away from the city to the cottage. Perfect for those running-off-to-the-sunset shots for your engagement set.

Yorkville Toronto

Style: Urban chic, industrial, luxury
Elements: Storefronts, minimalistic patterns, bold colors, string lights
Region: Downtown

Yorkville Toronto offers that perfectly modern and luxury look for the modern, city-lover, with no shortage of interesting storefronts, brick walls, and city lights.

Polson Pier

Style: Urban chic, industrial, hipster, city view
Elements: Waterfront view, the lake, boats, Toronto skyline
Region: Downtown

For the modern, city-lover, this Toronto skyline by the waterfront gives that perfectly modern and carefree look. From sunset to dusk, that’s one romantic view that doesn’t get old.

Hart House

Style: Grand, historical, architectural, gothic, classic, luxurious
Elements: Traditional stone architecture, formal garden, rich wood-paneled rooms
Region: Downtown

The Hart House at the University of Toronto gives a gothic, traditional look to a photo-shoot. This couple loved it so much they decided to do the session in their wedding attire. Can’t get enough of the detailing in these tall ceilings.

Trinity College

Style: Grand, historical, architectural, classic, luxurious
Elements: Gardens, stone walls, gorgeous folliage
Region: Downtown

Knox College

Style: Grand, historical, architectural, gothic, classic, luxurious
Elements: Manicured garden, gothic arches, grand staircases, dramatic lighting
Region: Downtown

R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant

Style: Historical, Art Deco, Romantic, whimsical, natural
Elements: Architectural, arches, waterfront, beach
Region: Toronto
Permit: Required if you were to bring a car inside for up to an hour. Otherwise it’s free

Nestled by Lake Ontario, this architectural marvel boasts stunning Art Deco design, offering a unique backdrop that transcends the typical romantic settings. The combination of the plant’s industrial aesthetics and the lake’s natural beauty provides a diverse range of settings for your photoshoot, from urban chic to serene waterfront landscapes.

Royal Botanical Gardens

Style: Romantic, whimsical, natural
Elements: Gardens, florals, greenhouses
Region: Burlington

The Royal Botanical Garden at Burlington is a short 1 hour drive from Toronto and is simply an otherworldly space for engagement photos if you want to be adorned with beautiful nature and gardens. See the full set in this engagement session at the Royal Botanical Garden.

Scarborough Bluffs

Style: Natural, grand, carefree, whimsical
Elements: Rocky cliff, the lake, skyline view, great for picnic
Region: Scarborough

Scarborough Bluffer’s Park is the perfect place to soak up the sun and grab a picnic themed engagement session.

Guildwood Park

Style: Earthy, architectural, elegant, whimsical
Region: Scarborough

Casa Loma

Style: Classy, traditional, opulent
Elements: Castle, terrace, formal garden, fountains
Region: Toronto Downtown

Marbles, wood, greenery, and fountains – this historical venue makes a magnificent location for both engagement sessions and weddings. To note, a photo permit with the venue is required for a 1.5 hour engagement session.

See more from this Fairytale Engagement Photo Session at Casa Loma.

Cozy Cottage

Style: Natural, wild & free, cozy, country-style, casual & natural
Region: Muskoka Ontario

Graydon Hall Manor

Style: Glamour, luxury, elegant
Elements: Grand entryway, staircases, fountains, garden, stone terrace
Region: North York

Graydon Hall Manor is a sophisticated historical manor that exudes class in every way. The grand entryway; stone paved walls and elegant arches; and a beautiful terrace and garden decked by fountains excude elegance. Graydon Hall is now offering photo permits for engagement sessions and micro weddings.

Graffiti Valley

Style: Rustic, rebellious, urban city chic
Elements: Graffitis, narrow alleyways, ultra colourful
Region: Downtown West

For the rebellious, playful couple, this colourful alleyway is a great way to represent your fun-loving, creative nature as a fun photoshoot. We love a boho-chic, denim style pairing to match this setting.

Lavender Farm

Style: Romantic, whimsical, natural, free
Elements: Lavender field, luscious forest, greenhouses
Region: Milton, Hamilton, Prince Edwards County

How whimsical and fairytale-like is a sea of lavenders?! There’s a specific timing to the perfect blossom of these beauties – throw in a cute bike and a flowy dress and you’ve got the sweetest setup for a perfect engagement photoshoot.

Alpaca Farm

Style: Farm, nature, carefree, whimsical
Elements: Adorable alpacas!!
Region: Barrie

Need we say more? These fluffy friends add so much fun to a farm-styled engagement shoot. Pair with a casual floral dress, a playful spirit, and enjoy their company.

Wychwood barns

Style: Casual charm, barns, organic, natural
Elements: Rustic exposed brick walls, modern glass buildings
Region: Toronto

Unionville

Style: Old town charm, vintage, warm and cozy
Elements: Charming shops, gazebo, train tracks, barn, park with wooden bridge & water
Region: Markham Ontario

Rouge River National Park

Style: Natural, fresh, wild & free, vast
Region: Toronto East

Jack Darling

Style: vibrant, natural, carefree
Elements: Lake, sandy and rocky beach, rustic boardwalks
Region: Mississauga

High Park

Style: Whimsical, floral, natural, mystical, earthy
Elements: Cherry blossoms in late April and early May
Region: Downtown West

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Style: Country chic, European, Earthy, Boho
Elements: Grapevines, wide-open fields, charming barn with vegetation
Region: Niagara On The Lake

That golden light, highlighting those luscious purple wisteria, draping over this beautiful barn house — what a breathtaking country-side look for a sweet engagement portrait.