One of my favorite things about being a wedding photographer is getting to know people. Everyone is unique and interesting, and I really never know who I’ll meet. The engagement session is really when I start to get to know my couples, so I try my best to do an engagement session with every couple.
I started doing engagement sessions in Kansas City roughly 5 years ago, and it’s been amazing. KC has this vibe to it, so there are lots of great KC engagement session locations. I thought I’d share some of my favorites.
1. Loose Park
Loose Park has been my go to location in Kansas City. I think I’ve done around 7 engagement sessions there. This place is huge, so even when there are 10 other engagement sessions going on, I can still find a place and avoid the traffic.
As most parks do, it has a nice mixture of trees and fields. It also has a few structures that work really well like a garden and a pond with bridges.
2. West Bottoms
West Bottoms is one of the places the cools kids go. It’s an older area that they are revitalizing and making some really nice changes. It’s an urban area with lots of brick buildings and a really cool underpass. I’ve only done one session there, so I would really like to explore more.
3. The Plaza
The Plaza or Country Club Plaza is down by the river, and it’s an assortment of stores and shops, so it’s very popular. Besides getting close to the water, there really isn’t much nature here. The Plaza makes up for it with all the large buildings and interesting structures.
4. Union Station
In every big city, there is some sort of classic and famous place. Union Station is one of those locations in Kansas City. As KC grew, it was one of the central points because of transportation.
It’s a huge building that looks great from the outside or the inside. They have exhibits and things going on the inside, so if you want to do photos in there, you have to pay for a pass.
Outside, you can use the building as a backdrop, or there is this fountain right past the parking lot. Just check to see if it’s on. I’ve had that issue before.
One of the other great things about Union Station is it’s location. It’s right next to the WW1 Museum, so you have two great engagement locations in one spot.
5. Shawnee Mission Park
Shawnee Mission Park is technically not in Kansas City, but it’s so close that I put it on the list. It’s another huge park that I’ve only partially explored. There are two entrances, so depending on where you come from, you’ll see different things.
When I’ve been there, we found wooded areas with tall trees, fields with tall grass, trails, and a few bridges. I love it because you can just explore and find so many beautiful areas for photos.
6. Burr Oak Woods
Burr Oak Woods is another great nature spot in Kansas City for engagement photos. It is much more of a woods/forrest than most of the parks. It’s mainly trails that wrap around the woods, so you really feel like you are out in the middle of nowhere. Still, here and there are structures like I’ve used a bridge before for some engagement photos.
7. The National WWI Museum & Memorial
I love history, and when I visited Kansas City for a trip, I got to go visit the National WWI museum. I don’t remember how long I spent there, but it was really a blast.
The cool thing is outside of the museum is beautiful as well. There is a huge memorial that overlooks the city skyline, and down below there is a giant lawn that leads to Union Station. This is where I did my first ever KC engagement shoot, and I’ve gone back multiple times.
8. Kauffman Center of Performing Arts
The great thing about Kansas City is there are lots of fun things to do. You’ve got all types of museums, art, and activities. Even better, most of these places make for a great background.
The Kauffman Center is another one of those. I’ve never actually been inside, but the outside and architecture is amazing. The building looks kind of like a shell with different layers. Tons of people come here for photos, and it one of the most recognizable structures in KC.
9. Hartman Park
Hartman Park is another place that technically isn’t in Kansas City. It’s just south in Lee Summit. It’s right by these baseball fields and then you just follow a trail into the woods. It’s not a rustic as Burr Oaks Woods, but it still has that secluded feel.
10. Museum at Prairiefire
The Museum at Prairiefire is in Overland Park, but like many of these places, it’s so close it might as well be in KC. This place is located right in the middle of this really new and fun shopping center. It’s got a movie theater, restaurants, and shops.
The big draw to the Museum and Prairiefire is the unique outside of the building. It has a really neat shape, but more so, it’s made up of all these different colored pieces of glass, making it look like stained glass.
Other Kansas City Locations for Engagement Photos
I could have easily made my list of Kansas City engagement locations much longer, but I wanted to stick to places that I have actually been. I wanted to really base things off of my personal experience. Still, I thought I would share a list of other great options.
- Nelson Atkins Museum
- Unity Village
- HERITAGE PARK
- The Colonnade
- River Market
- POWER & LIGHT DISTRICT
Unique Engagement Locations in KC
I also wanted to share a few unique locations in KC. These places aren’t for everyone and for all of them, we had to get special permission to do the engagement shoot there.
Casual Animal and Other breweries
Kansas City, like most big cities, has it’s own local breweries. One really fun one is Casual Animal. This place is pretty big and its main room is open with tables and chairs and plants all around. Off to the side, there is another smaller room with a few couches and a lot of interesting memorabilia.
Up Down Arcade
Right down the road is another super fun place, Up Down Arcade. Honestly, I wish I could have just stayed there and played. It brought back all my memories of the 80’s and 90’s and playing in arcades as a child.
This place is packed with games and a bar right in the middle. Up some stairs, there’s a rooftop area where you can hang out and enjoy the view.
Panther’s Place
Panther’s Place has to be the most unique and hard to find location on my list. When I went there to do an engagement session, I literally was driving in circles trying to find it. It’s a secret little gem of a bar that is made up of the giant shipping containers and the spaces in between them. To get it, you have to walk through one of these containers. From there, the space isn’t huge, but it is very interesting.
Why Book an Engagement Session?
At this point, you’ve seen some of my favorite spots in Kansas City to do an engagement shoot, but why should you do one anyway? Well, like I mentioned earlier, this is a great chance to interact with your photographer and get to know each other. You’ll start to build a relationship, so when it’s wedding time, you’ll be more like best friends.
I also think everyone should do an engagement session because it’s a fun way to celebrate your engagement and show off who you are. You can use the photos for your Save the Dates, wedding website, or decorating the reception.
Quick Tips for Engagement Session
I thought I’d throw in a few quick tips to also help out with choosing a location for your engagement session. Having such a big list can be helpful but also very overwhelming.
The first thing I would suggest is going through all of the options. It doesn’t have to be an in depth search, but see what’s out there and see what connects with you.
After you have a brief list, talk to your photographer. They might have an opinion of what’s best or share their experience.
Last, if you have the opportunity, go check out the location. Seeing it in person can give you a better idea of what a place is like.
Great Engagement Locations in Kansas City
Hopefully after you’ve seen my list you are really excited about planning your engagement session. Kansas City is a great place with tons of options. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about my list or if you’re looking for a wedding photographer for a Kansas City wedding!