Belle Isle Engagement Photos | Farrah + Michael
A GUIDE TO BELLE ISLE ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS
When it comes to iconic locations in Detroit, Michigan, Belle Isle is amongst the top spots. Known for the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, the James Scott Memorial Fountain, the Belle Isle Aquarium, the view of the Detroit Skyline and more, you’re sure to find a beautiful spot for your Belle Isle engagement photos.
My fall 2025 wedding couple, Farrah and Michael, certainly knew they wanted to capture photos to remember their engaged-era at the Belle Isle Conservatory that recently reopened to the public in December of 2024.
PHOTOGRAPHY PERMIT
Belle Isle does require a paid permit to take professional photos inside the Conservatory dome and other spots on the island. If you are interested in having your Belle Isle engagement photos inside the Conservatory, the permit to learn more is linked here. They are currently allowing photo sessions Wednesday through Sunday between 10am-11am and 2pm-4pm EST. If you need assistance in submitting your permit for your session, I’d be happy to help!
While they do require a $50 permit fee per session to schedule, Belle Isle is one of the most affordable locations to shoot at in the Detroit area, with other locations charging upwards of $500 per location fee. For this reason, I would especially recommend Belle Isle as a location to consider for your engagement photos
ENTRY TO THE PARK
One other detail to note about the island is that Belle Isle is a State Park, so if you have the park pass on your license plate tab, your entry has already been covered! You may enter for your session with no additional fees. If you do not have the “P” on your license plate tab, the park does charge $11.00 dollars for a day pass or $14.00 for an annual pass. The official Belle Isle website is a great resource to learn more about purchasing your pass prior to arrival.
SESSION PLANNING
Switching back over to the more photography side of things, Farrah and Michael’s Belle Isle engagement photos were photos that we patiently waited for. They were engaged the Spring prior under the cherry blossom trees, making them very special to the couple. Our goal was to catch the blossoms in bloom during the session, which was originally scheduled for early-April, but the blossoms had other plans.
We kept in touch with Belle Isle to get updates on the blossoms and ultimately ended up rescheduling two times before our third scheduled date ended up being the one. (Huge shoutout to the Belle Isle team for being so kind to let us shift dates!)
The final week of April 2025 ended up being the winning week to have our session and catch the blossoms in full bloom. If you’re also looking to have the cherry blossoms in the background of your photos, I would recommend scheduling your session at the end of April.
SCHEDULING TIP:
To catch the cherry blossoms in full bloom, aim to schedule your session at the end of April!
SESSION DAY
Farrah and Michael had received my outfit guide prior to our session, so they showed up looking absolutely stunning in their spring attire. They each brought a second outfit to change into, so we were able to capture photos with the cherry blossoms in both outfits.
We took a casual strolling approach to our session, being that we knew we had a few spots on the island we wanted to capture photos with. We started our session at the Conservatory for our 10am appointment, frolicking on the grounds and within the dome itself. A personal favorite spot of mine was the north-west most room (after the cactus section) seen below. Farrah and Michael showed up ready to share their love and have fun, and is one of the reasons our session turned out perfect. In the end, we ended up taking photos for two hours! Their tangible affection towards one another, the perfect weather and stunning scenery caught me having the best time ever with the two of them.
Here’s what the couple had to say about their experience:
“We just wanted to reach out to say we are absolutely blown away at how amazing the [photos] turned out! You have truly a one of a kind eye for capturing each moment and making it feel like us. We really appreciate you taking the time to make our first photo shoot a memorable one. We are so happy to have connected with you and have you as our photographer!”
Belle Isle is one of those spots that you never get tired of going to. It looks different throughout every season, and they’re consistently renovating the buildings on the island to keep them safe and open to the public. I could shoot and visit there for hours without even realizing! If you and your partner are considering photos on the island, I would love to be there to capture your Belle Isle engagement photos.
I hope this guide to engagement photos on Belle Isle has been helpful, but if you’re curious about anything else (other great photo spots, the best time for your session, etc.), I am here to help and serve you.
