Asbury Park Engagement Photos – The Ultimate Guide

Why Asbury Park?

One of the most popular requests I have every year is for Asbury Park engagement photos. New Jersey has so many shore towns, and many tend to look the same as the next one. For couples looking for something different, I highly recommend checking out Asbury Park Beach and Boardwalk if you aren’t familiar! It truly has the best of both worlds.

Unlike other shore towns, Asbury Park offers a fun and unique vibe with its boardwalk consisting of multiple restaurants and bars, its bustling music scene and the iconic Stone Pony, and various shops with something for everyone. It’s no surprise that this is one of the most beloved shore towns in New Jersey! With its strong arts and music scene and proud LGBTQ support, Asbury Park stands out in a big way.

If this resonates with you or you’re looking for a colorful, beachy location, this is an ideal spot for your engagement photos! It’s easy to navigate, plenty of parking, and wonderful anytime of year. You might even run into the Boss, if you’re lucky! If you’re looking for the inside scoop on how to make the most of Asbury Park for your engagement session, read on for locations, tips, and inspiration.

Popular Locations for Asbury Park Engagement Photos

With so many wonderful spots across the town, Asbury has no shortage of photo locations to pick from. Here is a list of the most popular Asbury Park engagement photos spots my couples love.

1. Carousel Building or Asbury Park Casino
2. Rainbow Crosswalk
3. Mosaic Wall on the Empress Hotel
4. Asbury Park Convention Hall
5. Asbury Park Art Murals from Wooden Walls Project
6. The Boardwalk
7. The Stone Pony
8. Sunset Lake
9. Asbury Park Beach
10. Asbury Lanes
11. Cookman Avenue
12. Wonder Bar

Aside from these, there are many other little pockets here and there to get really creative!

How many locations should we go to?

Prioritize Your Favorites

Depending on our gameplan, it’s relatively easy to hit 3-4 of the above stops in a short span of time. For example, Convention Hall, the boardwalk, and the art murals are all on the same stretch.

What if we want to go to them all?

It is possible and I have done it before with couples! If we start at the art murals on the north side of Convention Hall, you can easily pop over to each of these locations, end at the Carousel Building, and be done in about an hour and a half! It’s about a half mile walk from Convention Hall to the Carousel Building.

Asbury Park Logistics

Parking

Parking is incredibly easy! There are hundreds of street parking options as well as paid parking lots, like the one next to the Carousel Building. When parking on the street, you will need to pay via the app Asbury Park (get it?) which is super easy and convenient. You can even add time from your phone, and you’ll get a notification when your time is coming to an end.

Music Festival Weekends

Since this town is big on music, naturally they go big with their festivals. Avoid scheduling your session when there is a big music festival. The most notable festival is Sea Hear Now, which usually falls on the second or third weekend of September!

What do we do if it rains?

Rain Plan and Indoor Options

Even with inclement weather, there are indoor options throughout Asbury Park so you can avoid rescheduling your engagement session. Some options are:

• The Berkeley Hotel – They have a stunning indoor space with checkered floors, high arching windows, and an overall elegant vibe. This space does require a permit and prior permission, which can be submitted for through their website.
• Inside Convention Hall – There are a few good spots inside Convention Hall, like in front of the “Greetings from Asbury Park” sign.
• The Asbury Hotel Lobby – This is no ordinary lobby! It’s full of good light, funky, and so visually stunning for engagement photos. They also have a cool record wall and a stylish bar where you can grab a drink! You do need to request permission to use their space and the photographer needs to submit a certificare of insurance to use the space.
• Silverball Retro Arcade – A really fun option for the gamers! Pay the admission and enjoy the retro games, vintage photo booth, and more right on the boardwalk.
• Asbury Lanes Diner – a retro diner where you can share a milkshake with your sweetheart! I recommend calling in advance for permission.
• Any of the restaurants or bars that will let you! I’ve had multiple couples give their restaurant of choice a call, and they are usually very kind and accomodating.

Pictured: The Asbury Hotel Lobby

Best Time for Asbury Park Engagement Photos

What time of year should we pick?

First, there are two main seasons for Asbury Park – summer and local summer. Summer brings large crowds and tourists to the area, and local summer brings a much calmer vibe to Asbury Park. If you’re a little shy and don’t love attention, I’d recommend off season months for your engagement session.

What time of day is best?

The time of day for your engagement session in Asbury Park will also vary by the time of year.

• In the high summer season, which is Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend, we start your engagement session at 6:00 or 6:30pm. This ensures the beach is mostly free of people and the temperature has a chance to drop. A bonus is the perfect golden light that falls over all of Asbury Park!
• During local summer, which is September through May, you can get away with anytime of day! If you’d like to take advantage of sunset, we would begin our session anywhere from 4:00 to 5:00pm depending on the month.

A Date Night in Asbury Park

Additionally, you can make a date night out of your engagement session! There are so many wonderful restaurants and bars in Asbury Park, so it’s easy to pick a place to unwind after (or before) your session. Some of my personal favorite spots are

• Porta (the best pizza!)
• Black Swan
• Lovesick
• Pascal & Sabine

Asbury Park Engagement Photos Inspiration

Blog Posts from Past Couples

When you’re looking for inspiration, a blog post is a great way to see what is possible. Below are some blog posts from my past Asbury Park engagement photos and wedding days so you can visualize what your session or wedding can look like!

• Silverball Arcade and Stone Pony Engagement Photos
• Asbury Hotel Wedding
• Porta Wedding Reception
• Watermark Wedding

Getting Married in Asbury Park?

If you’re an Asbury lover like myself and can’t imagine getting married anywhere else, I have the best news for you! Thankfully, there are no shortages of incredible wedding venues right in the heart of Asbury Park. If you’re considering also getting married here, check out this blog post of 9 offbeat Asbury Park wedding venues!

Ready to plan an Asbury Park engagement session?

I hope you found this guide to Abury Park engagement photos helpful! If you’re looking for a wedding or engagement photographer to trek around Asbury Park with you, click here to reach out!