Waterfall Engagement Photos Taughannock Falls in Watkins Glen

Beautiful New York Waterfall Engagement Photos taken for Lauren & Aaron in upstate New York, featuring Taughannock Falls Photography

I’m still not sure which is the best part of my job – getting to meet you and learn all of your incredible stories, or the chance to explore some of the world’s most beautiful scenery. And Lauren & Aaron’s engagement adventure session didn’t let down on either front! Lauren & Aaron met on a bus, of all places, when they realized they were on the way to the same protest. They immediately hit it off, and well… now they’re planning their wedding (which I cannot wait to photograph next June)! They were so natural in front of the camera it was crazy, and I’m sure it helped that we’d found such an epic and unexpected location for their engagement portraits, just a 4-hour drive from New York City… 

NEW YORK WATERFALL ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | TAUGHANNOCK FALLS PHOTOGRAPHY

New York Waterfall Engagement Photos

When you imagine New York Engagement Photos, I’m guessing a wild, towering waterfall isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. That’s exactly what we found though for Lauren & Aaron’s adventure engagement session at Taughannock Falls. They travelled from New York City to upstate New York for the session, where we planned to meet around sunrise. If possible, I often recommend sunrise sessions to avoid any crowds. It’s so much easier to enjoy your engagement portraits if you have the location all to yourself and aren’t worried about onlookers. Just as I’d hoped, we wound up having the place pretty much all to ourselves! Lauren & Aaron were really sweet, casual and fun the whole time, as we explored the trail and took plenty of photos with the waterfall behind them. 

Taughannock Falls Photography

The Taughannock Falls State Park is located in New York’s Finger Lakes Region, where of course, the Taughannock Waterfall itself is the main attraction. That said, this park has some really beautiful views that can be found hiking along its various gorge and rim trails. It’s also home to Cayuga Lake, which plenty of families make the most of in the summertime. While you would need a permit to host your wedding or elopement there, there is no permit required for an adventure portrait session like Lauren & Aaron’s. You simply need to pay for entry & parking, which costs $9 per vehicle. Truly, this is a spectacular location if you’re planning an adventure engagement session in New York. I couldn’t believe this waterfall was on the East Coast – it looks straight out of Yosemite!  

Why You Should Have an Engagement Session

If you’ve recently gotten engaged, congratulations!! It makes sense that right now you’ll be celebrating, but also starting to plan for your epic wedding or elopement. You could also be tossing up whether or not an engagement session is really worth it. Of course, I might be a little biased, but I definitely believe you should make time for engagement portraits. Here’s why… 

The lead up to a wedding – whether it’s an intimate elopement close to home, an epic adventure elopement at your dream destination, or an micro wedding with your nearest & dearest – usually comes with some form of stress. This is normal for any kind of event planning! An engagement session is a beautiful chance in the middle of all this to celebrate this milestone, no pressure, no stress. Just the two of you in a beautiful place, focusing on each other and the love that you share. And of course, photos will always provide something to look back on to remember each phase of your life. They’re a beautiful, physical record of this incredible time – and that alone makes engagement portraits worth it! 

Are you getting married and planning your engagement session? I’d love to document this time for you and help you plan something epic! Just get in touch.

Did you love Lauren & Aaron’s New York Waterfall Engagement Photos at Taughannock Falls? Or do you have a question about engagement photography? Let us know in the comments below!