Sarah & Alec’s Engagement Session on UNC Chapel Hill’s Campus

Photographed by Courtney

Why UNC Chapel Hill's Campus is the Perfect Backdrop for Your Engagement Photos

Your engagement photos will be precious memories that will last a lifetime. You want to capture the unique chemistry between you and your partner in the most perfect setting that reflects your style and personality. Look no further than the beautiful campus of UNC Chapel Hill. The stunning architecture and historic landmarks, the lush greenery and gardens, and limitless photo opportunities make the campus an ideal backdrop for your engagement session. In this article, we will explore five reasons why UNC Chapel Hill's campus is the perfect location for your dream engagement photos. Get ready to be inspired!,

Iconic Architecture and Landmarks

UNC Chapel Hill's campus is full of iconic architecture and landmarks that make for stunning backdrops in engagement photos. The Old Well, a symbol of the university, is a popular spot for couples to take photos and make memories. The Bell Tower, with its beautiful stone architecture and picturesque location on Polk Place, is another iconic spot to capture the magic of your engagement. The Coker Arboretum, with its stunning gardens and peaceful ambiance, is also a popular location for romantic photos. These and other historic landmarks throughout the campus provide unique and memorable settings for your engagement session. But don't just take our word for it - explore the campus and discover your own favorite location for your perfect engagement photos.

As breathtaking as the architecture and landmarks are, the gardens and greenery of UNC Chapel Hill's campus are equally enchanting and will be covered in the next section.

Gorgeous Gardens and Greenery

As you wander through UNC Chapel Hill's campus, you'll quickly notice the abundance of greenery and colorful gardens. The campus is home to several botanical gardens, including the North Carolina Botanical Garden and the Coker Arboretum. These peaceful and serene locations offer a picturesque background for your engagement photos.

Imagine strolling through the gardens hand-in-hand with your partner, the vibrant colors of the flowers and foliage surrounding you, and the soft murmur of a nearby fountain providing the perfect soundtrack for your shoot. Whether you prefer a romantic, intimate setting or a more playful and lighthearted vibe, the gardens of UNC Chapel Hill offer limitless possibilities for your engagement photos.

Next up, we'll explore the various nooks and crannies of the campus that provide unique backdrops for your session, so keep reading to discover even more photo opportunities.

Limitless Photo Opportunities

The stunning natural scenery of UNC Chapel Hill is not the only reason why it is the perfect backdrop for your engagement photos. The campus also boasts endless opportunities for unique and captivating photos. From the iconic Old Well to the intricate architecture of the buildings, there is no shortage of interesting backdrops to choose from.

The university's vast and diverse gardens are also a treasure trove of photo backdrops, from the manicured flower gardens to the whimsical sculpture garden. The gardens are designed to be enjoyed, explored, and captured on film by visitors. With a variety of locations and moods, the gardens provide couples with an abundance of choices that allow them to personalize their shoot to their liking.

But the campus offers more than just gardens. The historic buildings are also a favorite location for engagement shoots, providing a timeless and classic aesthetic that will never go out of style. Whether you opt for the classic architecture of the Old East building or the more modern aesthetic of the Genome Sciences Building, each location adds its unique charm to your photos.

In the next section, we will take a closer look at how UNC Chapel Hill's campus provides a timeless and classic aesthetic for your engagement photos.

Timeless and Classic Aesthetic

The beauty of UNC Chapel Hill's campus lies in its ability to showcase a timeless and classic aesthetic that will never go out of style. The historic buildings, such as the Old East building, with its stunning brickwork and classic architecture, make for the perfect backdrop for engagement photos that exude elegance and sophistication. On the other hand, the more modern Genome Sciences Building offers a sleek and contemporary vibe, showcasing the campus's ability to cater to different tastes and preferences. Shooting on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill guarantees engagement photos that stand the test of time, always looking chic and timeless.

UNC Chapel Hill's campus provides the perfect setting for your dream engagement photos - from stunning architecture and gardens to endless photo opportunities. Don't miss out on the chance to document this special time in your life with the beauty of UNC Chapel Hill as your backdrop.

UNC Chapel Hill Engagement Photos

Although I am not Tar Heel born, bred or dead, I am absolutely living for Katy and Joe’s UNC Chapel Hill engagement photos. Their engagement session at UNC Chapel Hill features legendary landmarks such as the Old Well, Bell Tower, Coker Arboretum and Kenan Memorial Stadium. I adore university-inspired engagement photo shoots. As a North Carolina wedding and lifestyle photographer, college campus photo shoots aren’t uncommon. Especially considering how many amazing schools are located within a small radius! 

I’ve photographed couples at UNC Chapel Hill, Duke University, North Carolina State University and UNC Greensboro. I was even asked to capture a surprise proposal on UNC’s beautiful campus. North Carolina Central University couples, hit me up! #flyeaglesfly

Keep scrolling to find out how Katy and Joe got the best UNC Chapel Hill engagement photos!

The Old Well is a legendary landmark at UNC Chapel Hill and a must for engagement photos on campus.

Katy & Joe’s UNC Chapel Hill Engagement Photos

When Katy and Joe reached out to Fancy This Photography about UNC Chapel Hill engagement photos, we were an instant match made in heaven. I fell in love with NC bride-to-be Katy during our very first Zoom consultation. Seriously, we are best friends now. Fun fact: Katy’s good friend Brooke was also a Fancy This Photography bride! Click here to see Brooke’s wedding at The Rickhouse in Durham. 

Pro tip: When scheduling an engagement session at UNC Chapel Hill or any other university for that matter, do your research. Make sure you haven’t scheduled your photo shoot for the same day that students move into dorms, the first weekend students return to school or graduation weekend. You might even want to check the basketball and/or football game schedules to avoid fighting with fans for parking spots.

How to Get the Best UNC Chapel Hill Engagement Photos

Typically, for UNC Chapel Hill engagement photos, I park near the Coker Arboretum trellis tunnel on East Cameron Avenue or Raleigh Street. Parking can be a challenge when it comes to taking engagement photos on a college campus. My advice? Give yourself plenty of time to park and get to your designated meeting spot before the photo shoot begins. Have some patience. I promise, the beautiful backdrops and sentimental ambiance are so worth it!   

The weather was beautiful on the day of Katy and Joe’s Chapel Hill engagement session. Carolina-blue skies and bright sunshine smiled down on us as we started taking pictures at the Old Well. But, as you might have guessed, the must-see landmark was over-saturated with photographers and visitors. So, we pivoted our plans by strolling through the upper quad and across the road to the stunning South Building for our next backdrop. 

Pro tip: if one of your favorite places on campus is too crowded for engagement photos, don’t waste your time herding tourists and students out of frame. Instead, move on to the next spot and come back later!

College Sweethearts on UNC Chapel Hill Campus

While you certainly can’t pass up engagement photos by the Old Well or Bell Tower, please don’t overlook less-popular places on campus. For example, I loved photographing Katy and Joe as they walked hand-in-hand across McCorkle Place on UNC’s Olde Campus Upper Quad. Sandwiched between historic school buildings and Franklin Street, McCorkle Place is an oasis of wide-open green space and massive oak trees. 

As I photographed Katy and Joe walking along UNC’s brick pathways, I couldn’t help but imagine them as college sweethearts taking the same romantic strolls across campus years prior. There’s something pure and timeless about falling in love at school and in a place like Chapel Hill. I don’t know if it’s the old Southern architecture, lucious landscape or contagious school spirit that oozes from every passerby, but it’s sure to melt your heart (and this is coming from a NCSU alum #gowolfpack!). 

UNC Chapel Hill Engagement Photos and Fashion

As a rule, I recommend that couples bring two outfits for their engagement photo session. One outfit that’s fancy and one that’s casual. For their more casual look, Katy wore a tea length, Carolina-blue polka dot dress with white Jack Rogers sandals and Joe wore a navy suit jacket with a light-blue dress shirt tucked into khaki pants. Not only did they look comfortable and cute, but they also looked like authentic UNC Chapel Hill lovebirds! #gdtbath 

For their second, more formal outfit, Katy swapped her darling polka dot dress for a vivacious hot pink dress with a ruffled neckline and sleeve. A long strand of pearls and nude high heels completed the look. Joe swapped his navy suit jacket and light-blue dress shirt for a softer gray-blue jacket and white dress shirt. Together, Katy and Joe popped beautifully against the neutral background of the South Building.

If the Old Well is too crowded, cross the street to South Building for some stunning snapshots between the columns or on the staircase.

Timeless UNC Chapel Hill Engagement Photos 

After capturing Katy and Joe between the South Building columns, we made our way over to the Bell Tower. I love the Bell Tower for many reasons. First, the Bell Tower’s architecture is super cool. Say hello to curved archways and Carolina-blue ceiling tiles! Throw in a few vintage light fixtures and you’ve got yourself some pretty enviable engagement photos. 

Katy and Joe steal a kiss beneath the beautiful Bell Tower on UNC Chapel Hill’s campus.

UNC Chapel Hill Engagement Photos in Kenan Memorial Stadium

Our next stop on Katy and Joe’s Chapel Hill engagement session route was Kenan Memorial Stadium. Have you ever been to a UNC Chapel Hill football game? Perhaps not, since UNC is more of a “basketball school.” Well, in addition to school mascots Rameses and RJ (Rameses Junior), the real Rameses ram attends football games in Kenan Memorial Stadium. You can usually spot him on the sidelines chewing the leaves of a stadium shrub. 

Kenan Memorial Stadium at UNC Chapel Hill

Top 5 Photographable Locations on UNC Chapel Hill's Campus

No. 1: Walk beneath the 300-foot long, wisteria-covered arbor in Coker Arboretum

No. 2: Visit little areas on campus that the couples remember from when they were in school together. There are a lot of places that mean so much to college sweethearts!

No. 3: Sit on the steps or stand below an archway of the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower

No. 4: Take fun images in downtown or on Franklin Street. I especially love the Greetings from Chapel Hill postcard mural behind He’s Not Here on Rosemary Street!

No. 5: The Carolina Inn, ‘nuff said.

The wisteria-covered arbor in Coker Arboretum makes this one of my favorite locations to take UNC Chapel Hill engagement photos on campus.

Looking for more NC engagement photo shoot ideas? Browse our blog:

Siera & Michael at The Raleigh Rose Garden 
Victoria & Cody’s Raleigh, NC Engagement  

Photographer // Fancy This Photography
Engagement Photo Venue // UNC Chapel Hill 

Alyssa and Zack are true Carolina fans and wanted to show this part of their love story off. These two are tieing the knot in Western Virginia in December this year, and Oh My God do I think they will make a beautiful bride and groom! We started off the day at Kenan Memorial Stadium on UNC Campus and then ventured out to the garden outside for some very sweet and serene images. I am so thrilled how these came out! If it's one thing I have always said, it's that I have the best clients a girl could ask for. These two were the epitome of sweet and I had a blast getting to know them a little better during our engagement session.

Enjoy!