5 Places to Take Engagement Photos in Mississauga

Ah, engagement photos. While some couples might not be entirely sold on their necessity, they offer creative couples a chance to be fun, casual and original. Unlike your actual wedding photos, engagement shots can be a little less serious and a lot more fun. You can be photographed as the people you are and not the ones your grandparents want you to be.

So, here are five cool locations for engagement photos.

5 – Dairy Cream

This iconic ice cream joint is an integral part of the summer (or fall, winter or spring) experience in Mississauga. A super-retro relic, this location harkens back to a time you’ve only seen in movies. For that reason, it’s a cool and off-the-beaten path location for some engagement shots — especially if you met or went on your first date there. The dessert resto is a great spot to capture your pre-wedding love because it’s supremely casual. You can cuddle up on picnic tables or frolic through the sprawling lot. Vintage is nothing if not romantic, so take advantage of the old-school vibe and enjoy fusing it with your cool and modern look.

4 – Waterfront in Port Credit

While some might argue that scenery shots are overdone, it’s hard to say they aren’t beautiful. Simple and reliably gorgeous, the waterfront area in Port Credit — especially the space that runs from the lighthouse to Hurontario — offers a serene and picturesque backdrop. In photos like these, you’re the focal point and the lake, trees and piers provide a quiet foreground. Nature shots are classic and celebrate not only your love, but the wider world around you. You can take some candid shots wandering through the weeping willows or putting your well-manicured toes in the frigid waters of Lake Ontario. If you go at sunset, you’ll look even sexier in that low lighting.

3 – Leslie Log House

Leslie Log House, located at 4415 Mississauga Rd., is a hugely fun and original wedding and engagement photo location. Built in 1826 (EIGHTEEN TWENTY-SIX, guys!), this extremely vintage setting will add a unique pioneer feel to your otherwise glamorous or modern photos. The site also offers ample outdoor space, so you can take advantage of the natural scenery as well as the heritage structure. If you’re into role-playing, you can indeed pose as pioneers. Or lumberjacks. I hear they’re really hot right now.

2 – Franklin House

I would actually recommend any historical property along Queen St. in Streetsville, but there’s something uniquely youthful and vibrant about Franklin House. Built in 1855, this standout property is delightfully old and allegedly haunted (perhaps by friendly ghosts, but who’s to say?). It’s right in the centre of the action, so you get that juxtaposition of old and new in the background of your photo. It’s also a pub, so it can represent the newness of your love and the relative youth of your bodies (or hearts and minds, if your bodies aren’t quite fresh from the womb). It’s a location that’s fun, carefree, historical and unique. It also photographs well at night, which is great if you met at a pub (perhaps even that pub!) in the moonlight hours.

1 – Outdoor Art Installations

I absolutely love the idea of art gallery engagement photos, but the brass at major galleries might not agree (the work does need to be protected from the harsh flash of the SLR, after all). Fortunately for you, Mississauga has a ton of standout pieces that are made for harsh weather and powerful cameras. If you go to City Centre, climb the hill on Living Arts Drive and nestle between the iron legs of Contemplating Child. You’ll get a cool and original work in your photo as well as the chic urban skyline — a perfect shot for the modern big city couple who loves art and a concrete jungle.