There are few places in Arizona that feel quite as romantic as Royal Palms Resort and Spa.

With its lush gardens, towering palms, warm Spanish-inspired architecture, winding pathways, and beautiful Arizona light, Royal Palms feels like you’ve stepped somewhere far outside of Phoenix. It’s one of my favorite locations for couples who want engagement photographs that feel romantic, timeless, elevated, and a little European-inspired.

For this Royal Palms engagement session, we wanted to create something beautiful without losing the couple’s personality.

We started with a more elevated look, wandering through the grounds and taking advantage of the architecture and gorgeous golden light. Then, for the second half of their session, they changed into jeans and white tops and set up the sweetest little picnic complete with two of their favorite drinks—Coke and iced coffee.

And that second half is exactly why I love encouraging couples to make their engagement session personal.

Beautiful photographs are wonderful.

Beautiful photographs that actually remind you of your relationship are even better.

A Romantic Engagement Session at Royal Palms

Royal Palms is one of those locations where you could turn around every five minutes and create something completely different.

The warm architecture and greenery give photographs an old-world, romantic feeling, while the palm trees and Arizona sunshine keep everything from feeling overly formal.

For the beginning of this engagement session, we leaned into that atmosphere.

Her blue-and-white dress paired beautifully with the warm tones of Royal Palms, while his neutral jacket kept everything classic and understated.

Then we let the evening light do its thing.

And ohhhh, that light.

Photographing into the sun gave us that soft, glowy, slightly imperfect flare that makes an image feel less posed and more like a memory.

Engagement Photos That Feel Like a Date

One of the biggest pieces of advice I give couples planning their engagement photos is:

Don’t plan a photoshoot. Plan a date.

You don’t need two hours of standing in pretty locations staring lovingly at each other.

That gets awkward pretty quickly. 😂

Instead, I want to incorporate movement and things you would naturally do together.

Walk.

Explore.

Hold hands.

Sit together.

Have a drink.

Laugh.

Talk.

Let your fiancé make you laugh even when I’m trying to take the serious romantic photograph.

When you’re actually interacting with each other, you stop thinking so much about the camera.

And that’s when your photographs begin feeling like you.

A Cute Picnic Engagement Session

For the second half of their Royal Palms engagement photos, these two changed into something more casual and created a picnic on the lawn.

And I LOVED it.

Instead of filling the picnic with random props simply because they would photograph well, they incorporated something from their actual lives:

their favorite drinks—Coke and iced coffee.

It’s such a small detail, but that’s exactly what makes an engagement session meaningful.

Years from now, those photographs won’t only remind them of what they looked like during this season of their relationship. They’ll remind them of the tiny things they loved together, too.

How to Make Your Engagement Photos More Personal

Your engagement session doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

In fact, I would rather it didn’t.

Think about what the two of you actually enjoy together.

Maybe that’s morning coffee.

Maybe it’s martinis at your favorite cocktail bar.

Maybe you bring your dog.

Maybe you make pizza at home.

Maybe it’s hiking, vintage cars, golf, bookstores, ice cream, or drinking Coke and iced coffee on a picnic blanket.

It doesn’t need to be elaborate to photograph beautifully.

The best ideas are often incredibly simple because they already belong to your relationship.

Personal will always be more interesting than perfect.

What to Wear for Royal Palms Engagement Photos

I love doing two looks for engagement sessions when we have enough time because it gives your final gallery so much variety.

This session is a perfect example.

For the first half, they chose something more elevated and romantic. Her floral dress brought a soft pop of blue against the warm architecture and greenery, while his jacket and button-down kept the look classic.

Then they changed into simple white tops and jeans for their picnic.

Suddenly, the photographs felt completely different.

Same couple. Same location. Same photographer.

But we went from romantic engagement portraits → relaxed Sunday-afternoon date.

If you’re choosing two engagement outfits, I usually recommend making them intentionally different rather than choosing two versions of the same thing.

Candid + Timeless Scottsdale Engagement Photography

My engagement sessions aren’t entirely candid, and they aren’t entirely posed.

They’re a mixture of both.

I’ll tell you where to stand.

I’ll find the beautiful light.

I’ll fix your hand if it’s doing something weird. 😂

I’ll give you prompts and movement so you don’t have to wonder what you’re supposed to be doing.

But then I want to leave room for something real to happen.

The laugh immediately after the posed photograph.

The way he looks at you when you’re fixing your hair.

The hand squeeze.

The kiss you weren’t expecting.

The photograph that’s slightly out of focus because you were both moving and laughing.

My photography blends romantic, timeless portraiture with candid storytelling and a touch of editorial imagery.

The goal isn’t simply to make you look good.

It’s to make the photographs feel like the two of you.

Planning a Royal Palms Wedding?

Royal Palms isn’t only beautiful for engagement photography. It’s also one of my favorite settings for a romantic Arizona wedding.

The property’s architecture, gardens, courtyards, greenery, and views around Camelback Mountain give couples so much variety throughout a wedding day.

You can have elegant getting-ready photographs, an intimate outdoor ceremony, romantic garden portraits, beautiful golden-hour light, and an entirely different atmosphere once the reception begins.

For couples dreaming of a luxury Scottsdale or Phoenix wedding with an old-world, European-inspired feeling, Royal Palms is especially beautiful.

And if you’re getting married at Royal Palms, having your engagement session there can also be a wonderful opportunity to become comfortable with the property—and with your photographer—before your wedding day.

Why Your Engagement Session Matters Before the Wedding

An engagement session isn’t just about getting photographs for your save-the-dates.

It’s also a chance for us to work together before your wedding.

You’ll learn how I give direction.

I’ll learn how the two of you naturally interact.

You’ll figure out which prompts make you laugh and which ones make you look at me like I’ve lost my mind.

And by the wedding day, we’ve already done this together.

Instead of worrying about how you’ll look in photographs, you can concentrate on getting married.

That’s exactly how I want it.