Asbury Park Beach Engagement Session, New Jersey

For a couple who grew up in Asbury Park, there was only one place to take their engagement photos. On a cool, breezy evening at the end of March, we spent a couple of hours walking their hometown: the boardwalk, the old Casino, the dunes and finally the water's edge, with the Atlantic doing its best to steal the show.

Engaged couple sitting together in the golden dune grass on the beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey

Starting on the boardwalk

We began at the railing above the beach, where the off-season sand stretched out almost empty behind them. The first few minutes of any session are about settling in, and these two settled in fast.

Engaged couple holding hands at the boardwalk railing with the beach and ocean behind them

Bride-to-be resting her head on her fiancé's shoulder at the Asbury Park boardwalk

Couple laughing on the Asbury Park boardwalk

Black and white photo of the engaged couple smiling on the boardwalk

Wesley Lake and the Casino

From there we walked toward Wesley Lake and the historic Casino at the south end of the boardwalk, with its copper-green roofs and arched windows.

Engaged couple walking hand in hand on a path through beach grass near Wesley Lake

Couple sitting on a wall by Wesley Lake with the Asbury Park Casino and carousel house behind them

Engaged couple walking on the boardwalk in front of the steel arches of the Asbury Park Casino

Into the dunes

In late March the dune grass turns a warm golden tan, which looks beautiful against a cream sweater, a blue plaid shirt and denim. The wind picked up, and we let it.

Engaged couple walking along the beach with the ocean behind them

Couple walking hand in hand through golden dune grass

Engaged couple laughing as they walk through the dunes

Black and white photo of the bride-to-be's hair blowing in the wind as the couple walks through the dunes

Couple kissing with their hands and engagement ring in focus

Engaged couple cheek to cheek in the dunes

Then we sat down in the sand for a few quieter portraits.

Couple sitting in the dunes with beach houses in the distance

Engaged couple laughing as they walk across the beach in the wind

The jetties

Shoes came off, jeans got rolled up, and we headed out onto one of the rock jetties as the waves broke around it.

Barefoot couple touching foreheads on a rock jetty in Asbury Park

Couple embracing on the jetty as a wave splashes behind them

Fiancé helping his partner down from the rock jetty, both laughing

Couple running hand in hand along the water's edge

A barefoot walk along the water

The light softened, the clouds turned pink and blue, and the two of them walked and ran along the shoreline past the old wooden pilings.

Barefoot engaged couple walking along the shoreline past old wooden pilings under a cloudy sky

Couple swinging hands as they run barefoot along the beach

Couple laughing and spinning by the waves in Asbury Park

Fiancé lifting his partner off her feet on the beach

Couple sitting close together facing the ocean

Engaged couple smiling while sitting on the sand

Black and white photo of the couple laughing beside a rock jetty

Couple walking together on the sand beside the rocks

One more stop in town

Before we wrapped up, we stopped at a bright turquoise wall in town for a final pop of color.

Engaged couple smiling in front of a turquoise wall in Asbury Park, New Jersey

Tips for an Asbury Park engagement session

Go in the off-season. Spring and fall give you an empty beach, golden dunes and the boardwalk mostly to yourselves.
Plan for wind. It's almost always breezy by the water. Wear your hair in a way you won't mind moving, and bring a layer to wear between photos.
Bring a towel. If you're up for going barefoot on the jetties or at the water's edge, you'll want something to dry off with afterward.
Mix the town and the beach. The boardwalk, the Casino and the colorful walls in town give you variety in a short walk.

Update: a year and a half later, these two got married at Deal Golf & Country Club, just down the shore. See their wedding day.

Planning your own session? See our engagement photography, read why we recommend engagement photos, or check your date.

A Windy Spring Engagement Session on the Beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey