Portland Magnolia and Cherry Blossom Engagement Shoot

I have not seen a more beautiful spring than in Portland, so much of this city flowers! It’s an absolute dream for photographers as well as for couples who are looking for the perfect backdrop of blooming flowers for their engagement or couples shoot. One of the most popular spots to see this is the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, where a grove of Cherry Blossoms blooms mid to late march. This spot is unfortunately very crowded and the surrounding environment is the city. I prefer Hoyt Arboretum for being immersed in nature and getting much more diversity! I’m so happy we went to this location, it offers much more intimacy and privacy.

We started by the Winter Garden parking area, where after just a minute of walking your enter into a large blooming grove of various Magnolia trees. These trees are massive and so full of flowers! It’s beautiful to see the different types of trees, flowering in various shades of pinks and whites, as well as the scattering of petals that begin covering the ground. We went towards the end of March, and at least for this year the trees will continue to bloom for another few weeks, likely hitting their peak in early to mid April.

Once we had our fill of bathing in the sunlight and romping through the trees, we headed further up the Magnolia trail towards the viewpoint marked on the trail signs. You’ll cross a street at the top of a hill, where some lucky residents get to live basically inside the park, then shortly after enter a small collection of Cherry Blossoms. It feels incredible to have access to both of these within such a short walk, not to mention this is just one small part of the park.