Looking for some Palm Springs engagement session ideas? I got you! Palm Springs is such a colorful and picturesque place! There are endless photo opportunities in this Southern California desert dream! In this blog post I’ve got six location ideas for your Palm Springs engagement session! For lots of variety, I suggest mixing and matching at least two of these locations to create perfect Palm Springs session! Let’s dive in!
1) The Door Tour
Palm Springs is known for having homes with fun and brightly colored doors! You can find cute doors to take photos with just about everywhere you look, but there are some classic must-see doors on the “door tour.” Whimsy Soul published an awesome blog with all the info on how to take a self-guided tour of the Palm Springs doors! While some of these locations no longer permit photography, some of them do, and some of them are even properties you can rent out!
For your engagement session in Palm Springs, consider choosing a couple doors off the list to swing by for some photos!! 🙂
2) The Saguaro Hotel
Although this would fit under idea #4, The Saguaro needs a number all on it’s own! The Saguaro Palm Springs is one of the most “Palm Springs-y” locations I can think of. When someone talks about Palm Springs I can’t help but picture this rainbow hotel with towering palms! If you want to take photos somewhere with tons of color and a rainbow feel, The Saguaro is the place!
This location pairs really well with fun and colorful outfits! If you’ve been dying to wear that rainbow striped skirt, The Saguaro is the perfect backdrop! And don’t be afraid to accessorize! Want to take a few photos with some sunglasses? This is the place!
3) Neighborhood Streets around Palm Springs
You don’t have to look too hard to find great photo locations in Palm Springs! This might sound super simple, but there are SO many picturesque streets throughout the Palm Springs neighborhoods.
This street (found in the same neighborhood as the teal door!) felt like a classic SoCal backdrop! Don’t be afraid to pull over in a quiet neighborhood and take some photos (safely!!) in the street! Whenever I’m shooting, I’ve got my eyes peeled for different locations to use! So don’t be afraid to take a little detour or trust your photographer when they suggest an unplanned stop! Sometimes those end up being some of my favorite pics!!
4) Iconic Palm Springs Landmarks
There are some scenic Palm Springs landmarks that make for great engagement session locations! One of the first that comes to mind is the Palm Springs welcome sign! To get here, you can park in the visitor welcome center and walk over! As a bonus the visitor center can be used for a few photos with the geometric building as a background too! If you’re not afraid of heights, you can also consider taking a ride on the PS aerial tramway! Then you’ll have the added bonus of some AMAZING breathtaking views from the top!
Some other iconic landmarks include, the shops on El Paseo drive, the Ace Hotel, and Moorten Botanical Gardens! The famous Cabazon Dinosaurs can be a surreal colorful adventure, too!
If you’re down to venture for something a little further out from Palm Springs, Bombay Beach is a super cool place with lots of artistic installations, and funky backdrops! The Bombay Beach Drive In is one of my faves!
5) The Windmill Fields
There are many fields of windmills in Palm Springs! The windmills are very classically “Palm Springs” and make for a gorgeous and surreal session location! Especially at sunset time! I really can’t get enough these windmills! For this session, we parked by the Palm Springs train station and walked into the windmill fields from there! There are plenty of other windmill farm locations, but this was an easy access point for us!
6) Airbnb In-Home Sessions
Palm Springs has no shortage of picture perfect Airbnb rentals!! I am always down for an in-home session! Especially with some colorful and fun décor, and pool to splash around in! I’m all about trying something fun and different with my couples! If you want to take unique twist on your Palm Springs session, some in-home (and in pool!!) photos are the perfect way to make it your own! Get some fun pool floaties, a cute swimsuit, and some cocktails!
Palm Springs Engagement Session Ideas – Location Address List
To make it easy, here are the addresses for these session locations in one place for you! Some of these locations require admission fees and/or photography fees, so it’s always good to check in advance!
Ready for your Palm Springs engagement session!? Send me an email, and let’s start planning!! 🙂
Doors
The Teal Door:
2297 S Camino Real
The Yellow Door:
2344 S Yosemite Drive
The Red Door:
1947 Cadiz Circle
Check out Whimsy Soul for more doors info & locations!
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The Saguaro Hotel
1800 E Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92264
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Ace Hotel
701 E Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92264
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Visitor Welcome Center/Sign
2901 N Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
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Aerial Tramway
1 Tram Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262
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Moorten Botanical Gardens
1701 S Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92264
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Cabazon Dinosaurs
50770 Seminole Drive
Cabazon, CA 92230
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Windmill Fields
North Indian Canyon Drive and, Palm Springs Station Rd
Palm Springs, CA 92262
