San Antonio Botanical Garden Engagement Photos

Two weeks ago, I gave you my recommendations for the best photo locations in the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. Well, this week I got to put those recommendations into practice. Emily and Ian’s engagement session hit all the highlights from the Fern Grotto to the Rose Garden, and everywhere in between. So, go behind the garden walls with me in this week’s blog post as I share with you all the behind-the-scenes details plus a few tips to make sure your San Antonio Botanical Garden engagement photos bloom equally as well in the Texas heat.

Meet Emily and Ian

How They Met

I have to start this romantic photo shoot with a not-quite-so-romantic love story. Emily and Ian met in church when they were both around 11 or 12 years old. They started off as friends, and from their telling of the tale, alternated between liking each other.

They finally got on the same page and became an item three years ago. Of course, once they announced to friends and family that they were dating, this was not news. It seems that everyone around them could tell they were fated to be together. Everyone it seems, except them.

The Proposal and Upcoming Wedding

For the proposal, Ian put his woodworking skills to work, and handcrafted a box to hold the ring. Emily said yes, and their wedding is planned for December of this year in Waring, Texas. Note they had originally planned to have the wedding in August, but elected to reschedule to December in order to avoid the heat of summer.

San Antonio Botanical Garden Engagement Photos – Choosing the Right Day and Time

Speaking of Texas heat, we avoided the brunt of it by starting Emily and Ian’s engagement shoot at 6 PM. The Botanical Garden has extended hours in the summer until 8 PM, and we took full advantage to avoid the midday sun. As discussed in my earlier article, this helps with light as well as temperature.

Furthermore, I cannot emphasize enough the benefits of scheduling your San Antonio Botanical Garden engagement photo shoot on a weekday. We were there on a Wednesday, and – as during my venue check – there were perhaps five other people in the garden with us. It was as if we had the entire garden all to ourselves. If this had been on a weekend, I would be writing a completely different tale (i.e., nightmare scenario) for you.

San Antonio Botanical Garden Engagement Photos – My Approach

The Pinterest Board Come to Life

For Emily and Ian’s session, the couple wanted a free flowing, un-posed look to the shoot. Emily and Ian had prepared a Pinterest board for me ahead of time, showing couples in very active poses. While I sometimes come to sessions with planned poses to help give direction, in this case, I let Emily and Ian simply be themselves. In a few instances, I made suggestions for the couple to look into the camera, but otherwise I documented the scene and suggested activities rather than poses.

My Philosophy

Photography is often about finding the right balance between giving people direction so that they look more appealing in front of the camera and letting them truly express who they are. It’s one thing to direct someone as to where to put their hands, and another to overly direct someone so that they end up looking stiff. Sometimes it’s better to take more photos of people being themselves until you capture the perfect moment.d

San Antonio Botanical Garden Engagement Photos – Our Garden Itinerary

The Conservatories

We concentrated our shoot mainly in the center of the garden, starting off at the central conservatory. Just as a reminder, the Lucile Halsell Conservatory is under construction until October, and the Exhibit Room will be closed through all of 2026.

With the Exhibit Room closed, I used the Fern Grotto as a substitute. As a tropical plant enthusiast, the Fern Grotto is one of my personal favorite areas of the garden. It lacks a bit of the shadows and depth of the Exhibit Room, but it is still an interesting space for photos. One bit of advice, the floors get very slippery due to the constant drip from the waterfall, so be careful.

Our next stop was to launch up the staircase. Afterwards we headed over to the Overlook, and here is where Emily had a surprise for Ian.

Ian’s Engagement Ring

The Gift

Ian had mentioned to Emily quite a bit ago that he had always wanted an engagement ring. So, Emily took it upon herself to find the perfect ring.

She had emailed me two days prior to the shoot, letting me know that she wanted to give Ian this engagement ring, but wasn’t sure where to ‘propose’ to him. I had suggested the Overlook, because I knew the bench would be there with a picturesque view over the city.

The Delivery

It did indeed turn out to be the perfect spot. Even more perfect, however, was Emily‘s secret hiding spot for the ring. Emily had been wearing shorts underneath her dress for the sake of modesty. While she was sitting on the bench, she simply flipped her dress open and whipped out the ring from a pocket in her shorts. Never have I been so impressed! First, by the fact that the ring didn’t somehow fly out during the photo shoot and that we did not lose it somewhere in the garden earlier. Secondly, the chutzpah of this woman! This is my kind of gal.

Well, needless to say Ian was floored. He was so touched by Emily’s gesture. And, of course, he said yes.

With his ring firmly on, we headed over to the Amphitheater and then to the Rose Garden and Old-Fashioned Gardens. Our final shots were at the Wisteria Arbor – a classic ending for a classic engagement photo shoot.

San Antonio Botanical Garden Engagement Photos – Tips for Your Shoot

Schedule your session during the week. There is no greater feeling than having the San Antonio Botanical Garden all to yourself. However, this is only possible during the weekday. Though the summer extended hours will be ending at the end of August, it is worth it to take a day off from work just to avoid the weekend crowds.

Plan exactly where you want to go before hand. The San Antonio Botanical Garden has so many gardens and so many different types of terrain, it’s not possible to tackle it all in one photo shoot. It helps if you talk with your photographer ahead of time and plan out which gardens fit your specific style. With Emily and Ian, I visited the gardens ahead of time and prepared a Pinterest board for them showing each garden. We discussed it thoroughly, and I knew exactly which gardens were their top priorities.

Wear comfortable shoes. You don’t realize how much walking you’ll be doing as you go from one end of the garden to the other. Moreover, you will also be walking on uneven terrain, so bring shoes that can make it through grass and gravel.

Be prepared to look good while sweating. I always bring a mirror and disposable sweat rags for my clients. The Texas heat and humidity is no joke (check out this article for helpful hints), so be prepared with ways to prop yourself up accordingly.

Check the weather. Unfortunately, there really is no rain back up location at the San Antonio Botanical Garden in case of inclement weather. There was a 20% chance of rain on the day of Emily and Ian’s shoot, and I was watching the news constantly. Alas, if rain is in the forecast, you will likely need to reschedule.

Final Thoughts

The San Antonio Botanical Garden is one of my favorite locations for photo shoots in the city. The garden has easy access, their permit process is informal, and it’s nearly impossible to get a bad photo here. As long as you schedule your session on a day when you will be avoiding the crowds, then you have nothing to lose. Fall is right around the corner, so you know that means family photo time… Hint hint.

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If you found this article on ‘San Antonio Botanical Garden Engagement Photos’ useful, then check out my other engagement portrait articles here:

Are you interested in scheduling a portrait in San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you. I have hourly rates, and all photo shoots include editing and high-resolution files.

To view more images from my photography portfolio, please visit my website – KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com