With so many parks, landmarks, beautiful architecture, and cultural sites, Minneapolis is a popular place for wedding and engagement photos. If you’re planning an engagement session or wedding and looking for beautiful photography spots in Minneapolis, you’ll absolutely want to check out the following nearby locations!
Photographers note: you must have a photo permit for all Minneapolis public city parks! Click here for a photo permit.
24 Minneapolis Engagement & Wedding Photography Locations
1. Boom Island Park
This is one of the best parks for stunning skyline views of the downtown Minneapolis skyline. The park has other amazing offerings as well, including a retired train bridge, woods, a wide-open field, river views, and a historic lighthouse.
2. BF Nelson Park
Tucked next to Boom Island, this tranquil woodsy walk along the Mississippi river boasts beautiful autumn colors. If you’re going to Boom Island, stop by BF Nelson too!
3. Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
An outdoor extension of the Walker Art Museum, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is home to the iconic “Spoonbridge and Cherry” fountain and art installation. A walk through the gardens will reveal other great photography opportunities as well — including a “LOVE” sign, a greenhouse-esque atrium space, and a big blue rooster, to name only a few. Once you’re done there, walk over the yellow and blue bridge to Loring Park!
4. University of Minnesota Campus
Just across the river from downtown Minneapolis sits the largest university in Minnesota. The campus is huge offering a mix of historic and contemporary backdrops. If you and/or your partner are alums, this would be the perfect place to relive some memories in your wedding and engagement photo sessions.
5. Theodore Wirth Park
Theodore Wirth Park is Minneapolis’s largest park and plays host to year-round activities for everyone. Near the center of the park lies the historic Theodore Wirth Chalet — a Swiss Style building with adorable features. The areas surrounding the chalet are wonderful for photography, boasting tall trees, bridges, and the Chalet itself.
6. Stone Arch Bridge
This is arguably the most popular location for photographers, pedestrians, and cyclists! The Stone Arch Bridge is somewhat synonymous with Minneapolis, and many couples choose to use it as a location for their wedding and engagement photos.
Note: The bridge will be under construction for repairs, starting Spring 2024, and is expected to last two years. Half the bridge will be under construction next summer, and the other half the summer after that.
7. Orvin “Ole” Olson Park
Just like Boom Island Park, this park in North Minneapolis has an amazing skyline view of the city! Orvin Olson Park is a small natural paradise with plenty to do and see offering a bit of both nature and city.
8. Saint Anthony Main
Another extremely popular photography location, especially for weddings. There are at least five wedding venues within walking distance of this spot — including, but not limited to, Aster Cafe, Hall of Kings, Machine Shop, Nicollet Island Pavilion, Grand 1858, The Riverside, and The View. There’s always a “line” to wait your turn for a photo on the rock outcropping with the city skyline!
9. Quincy Street – Northeast Minneapolis
Home to Art-a-Whirl, hundreds of artist spaces, and several wedding venues, Quincy Street NE is a must-have destination for couples looking for that industrial city vibe. Nearby wedding venues include the Solar Arts Building and Quincy Hall. Earl Giles Distillery also has rentable event space! If you go here for photos, don’t forget to hit up Indeed Brewing’s outdoor patio and MN Nice Cream!
10. The Music Wall
Located near S 10th St and S Marquette Ave., this 5-story mural features oversized musical notes. The music itself is from a piano piece written by French composer Maurice Ravel, called “Gaspard de la Nuit.” The section depicted on the building comes from the third movement, called “Scarbo.” Turns out, it’s an extremely difficult piece for a solo pianist — but it sounds amazing! Here’s where you can listen to the piece!
11. Minnehaha Falls Park
To the south of the city, along the Mississippi River, sits Minnehaha Falls Park. The falls are beautiful in both summer and winter–when it’s cold enough, the falls will freeze up creating a cascade stuck in time. Right by the falls, there’s a stairway where you can get down to the creek and create an epic backdrop for an engagement shoot.
12. The Commons at US Bank Stadium
For you football fans out there, US Bank Stadium is the perfect place to show off pride for the Vikings. The building’s unique and reflective design offers a stunning backdrop from The Commons — a park and greenspace just in front of the Stadium.
13. Lyndale Park Peace Garden
Though some love the hustle and bustle of downtown, others hoping for a quieter, more intimate setting for their wedding or engagement photos can look to the Lyndale Park Peace Garden. This park is located right next to Lake Harriet, offering a wide range of opportunities for more natural settings.
14. The North Loop
Formerly known as the Warehouse District, the North Loop has rebranded and revitalized in recent years, easily becoming one of the most popular places in the city, especially for foodies. Couples who get married here have their pick from Hewing Hotel, the Neu Nue, Watson Block, and the Lumber Exchange. The mix of old and new make it a stunning urban location.
15. Mill City Ruins
The Mill City Ruins are a great photo location for those looking for juxtaposition in their photographybackdrops. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Minneapolis was a major center for flour milling, earning it the nickname “Mill City.” In 1878, one of the flour mills exploded — the remnants were left abandoned for years, but now are being preserved. The lower part of the ruins are now a park, , and have been turned into a park for visitors. The upper part has been turned into Mill City Museum, a popular space for visitors that also hosts weddings!
16. Loring Park Greenway
The Loring Greenway is a premier urban garden and pedestrian walkway between Loring Park and the Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Managed and run by a volunteer organization, this space has gorgeous green backdrops in an otherwise very urban part of the city. Next to both the Hyatt Regency and the Millennium Hotel, it’s a convenient and beautiful space for couples getting married in that part of Minneapolis.
17. James I. Rice Park
At 16 acres, James I. Rice Park in the North Loop Neighborhood is one of Minneapolis’s smallest parks. However, it makes up for it’s size in an abundance of woodland backdrops. Featuring two bridges, dirt pathways, and beautiful native foliage, it’s a gorgeous little backdrop.
18. Father Hennepin Bluff Park
Blink and you’ll miss the entrance to this riverside park in Northeast Minneapolis! This is one of my favorite locations in Minneapolis — in some ways, it feels like you’ve left the city entirely. A wood stair pathway leads down to wooded flour mill ruins, and then the park opens to my favorite view of Stone Arch Bridge. It’s not the easiest location for photos, but the light hike is well worth the effort!
19. Foshay Tower
The Foshay Tower is Minneapolis’s original skyscraper (447 feet, 32 floors). Constructed from 1927-1929, it’s an excellent example of Art Deco architecture. Hotel guests can visit the observation tower anytime — photographers and couples who want a few photos on the rooftop can visit for a small fee! Pay at the lobby desk of the W Minneapolis, and ride the elevator up!
20. Cedar Lake Point Beach
The Minneapolis City Parks system has 12 beaches — this is our favorite for photos. It’s quiet and quaint, and a gorgeous little spot for photography. A wooded path leads you from the parking area out to the sandy beach, where you can walk out to the point for a classic Minnesota lake backdrop.
21. Lyndale Rose Garden
Right next to the Lyndale Peace Garden sits the Lyndale Rose Garden, the second oldest public rose garden in the U.S. The park is perfect for those spring and summer shoots when the roses are in bloom and fountain is flowing. Lake Harriet is also right next door, making some additional lakeview shots an easy possibility.
22. Lake Harriet
Minnesota is lake country, so it’s only fitting that its largest city has several lakes, including Lake Harriet. The lake is the southernmost of the four major Minneapolis lakes (the others being Cedar, Lake of the Isles, and Bde Mkaska). Lake Harriet offers sandy beaches, a gorgeous event pavilion, and trails all around the lake and connecting to its sisters.
23. Gluek Park
Former site of Gluek Brewing and Gluek Mansion (demolished in 1966), Gluek Park is a pretty little riverside park within walking distance of The Sinclair on Grand wedding venue. This 2-acre park also includes a gazebo that can be rented for weddings!
24. Gateway Park / Ing Building
Arguably an architectural standout in Minneapolis, the ING building at Gateway Park makes for a stunningly elegant photography backdrop!
OUTRO BLOCK HERE
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Rachel Lahlum is a Twin Cities wedding photographer with experience in hundreds of weddings and engagement sessions. She takes a guided approach towards working with couples, from helping with planning and scheduling, to guiding with poses and prompts during the session. Her photography is crisp and clean with true-to-life colors, and a mix of traditional poses and candid moments.