A Photographers Secret Guide to Essex County

Want the inside scoop on all the best photography shoot locations in Essex County, New Jersey? You’ve come to the right place. Essex County has an incredible range of locations able to fit nearly any couple’s tastes. From the sprawling natural landscapes to views of New York City, there’s just so much to choose from. We’ve narrowed down the list to some of the places you should definitely check out first.

Verona Park Location: Verona, New Jersey

Verona Park is one of the most breathtaking parks in New Jersey, not only is the layout of the park simply gorgeous with native trees and plants, it also has an incredibly large lake. This lake is home to many local wildlife and features a number of fountains. Verona Park also has a little boat house so visitors to the park can rent a small paddle boat or row boat which would be a unique and fun element to introduce into any wedding or engagement shoot. There are a number of smaller buildings on location including one that has a fireplace so couples doing a fall or winter engagement shoot could curl up next to it and get some very romantic shots as well.

Presby Memorial Iris Gardens Location: Montclair, New Jersey

The Presby Memorial Iris Gardens requires a little bit of planning to make sure you arrive during the blooming season, but just a few moments of planning definitely pays off. From mid-May through the first full week of June over 14,000 Irises and over 3,000 varieties will produce over 100,000 beautiful blooms. It is so vibrant and so colorful the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens are often called “the rainbow on the hill”. If you do miss the first blooming season some of the beds will bloom in October, but early spring is really when this location is at its peak making one of many beautiful venues in Essex County.

Liberty State Park Location: Jersey City, New Jersey

Even though Liberty State Park Starts in Jersey City which is in Hudson County, this 1,212-acre park stretches over three of New Jersey’s counties including large portions of Essex County. The park’s large size gives it a wide range of shoot locations included shots of the Lower Manhattan Skyline, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty which are must haves for any hip and trendy couple that regularly visits the Big Apple. There is also a wide variety of other historic buildings located on the park’s grounds that provide ample opportunities for photographers to get that vintage, retro look and feel for their photos.

Cora Hartshorn Arboretum & Bird Sanctuary Location: Short Hills, New Jersey

The Cora Hartshorn Arboretum is a historic woodlands garden and nature educational center dedicated to preserving and teaching visitors about conservation and local wildlife. It has a number of woodland paths that provide romantic, natural and picturesque forest views. The building on the property is known as, “the Stone House” and has a very vintage rustic feel which is perfect for the couple planning a rustic wedding. Other garden elements like their carved wood benches also have that same untamed style perfect for rustic photos that an Essex County wedding photographer could capture perfectly.