5 NJ Botanical Gardens Engagement Sessions
(through the seasons)
The NJ Botanical Gardens at Skyland Manor is the BEST NJ Engagement Session Location I have found so far! You do need a permit to shoot here (and I do recommend getting it). The permit is $150 for one year OR ten sessions (whichever you hit first), but I’m telling you $15 per engagement session is more than worth it for this magical place.
First, to obtain your permit, you will need to contact your insurance company and add the park as Additionally Insured.
You can use this info:
“State of NJ, Dept. of Environmental Protection, Ringwood State Park,”
and make sure to use this address:
1304 Sloatsburg Rd.
Ringwood, NJ 07456
Then, email Kristen Brandt at Kristen.Brandt@dep.nj.gov.
You can also call this number: (973) 962-2240
Let me know if you need any help with this!
Okay! On to the fun stuff:
5 Tips Before You Go
1.) Try (if possible) to schedule for a weeknight.
First up is scheduling. With the permit, you are allowed to schedule whenever there is availability (you have to call and schedule before you go so they can keep track of how many times you are there and when its time to renew your permit). I actually liker to call and let them know I am coming because they are able to let me know if there are weddings or events going on. I understand it can be difficult to schedule during the week because most couples have traditional jobs, but if you shoot on a weeknight you will have the place to yourself. If you go on a beautiful weekend it can be difficult to find parking and you will be shooting around the crowds of people that flock to the beautiful gardens.
2.) Schedule an Hour and a Half Before Sunset
As wedding photographers, we know that golden hour (the hour before sunset) is the best lighting for photos, but I definitely recommend giving yourself an extra half an hour to get to all the beautiful spots the gardens have to offer.
3.) Choose a Meeting Spot
I tell my couples to park in LOT A. This may not be possible if you are shooting on a weekend, but its a big place and you will want to have a meeting spot. You can obviously call and find each other, but again, its a big park and it can take 20 minutes to walk from one side to the other. Your bride to be is probably wearing heels and is not going to want to walk all the way across the park to meet you and you have tons of gear to carry. Plus, if you are shooting during golden hour (the hour before sunset) you will be losing precious shooting time if you don’t plan accordingly.
4.) One or Two…Its Up to You!
Another reason I love this location is because there is a bathroom and a place to change if your bride is wearing 2 outfits. Pro Tip- Photograph the engagement ring while your couple is changing!
5.) Skyland Manor Through the Seasons
The Gardens at Skyland Manor (or Ringwood Manor) as I’ve also heard it referred to look beautiful all year round. Here are 5 of my gorgeous couples showing off how good they look and how good the gardens look June through October!
August
Get Joelle’s dress here!
October
Snag Haemar’s Romper (It looks so much like a maxi!)
June
Very similar dress to Danielle’s!
Use Code MUSTHAVE20 to get it for just $21
September
Snag Christina’s Dress for just $22!
Use code PROMOTE to get an extra 15% off!
June
Get Georgie’s dress here!
One final note- I have not (yet) shot here during winter. The locations you can use in the winter are obviously more limited, but you can still make it work! The castle itself looks the same all year round and this beautiful spot above is also green all year. Let me know if you go in the winter and send me your pics! I would love to share them on this post with a link back to your website.
So there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this Location Spotlight on Skyland Manor. I do think it is the best NJ engagement session location there is!
But, if you are more of a city person OR garden engagement photos are just not your style, Hoboken might be a better engagement session location for you!
Finally, Happy Shopping for all these beautiful dresses! Leave a comment or send me an email if you want to see more posts like this. And if not- I would love to know what kinds of posts you do want to see!
