If you’re newly engaged (or getting engaged), love nature, and are drawn to a serene outdoor experience over a bustling city one, I highly recommend a sunrise engagement session at Brookside Gardens.
Hi, I’m Jalisa – the photographer behind Jalisa Roslyn Photo. I’m a DC film wedding photographer, a memory collector, and a digital documentarian. I explore locations all throughout the DMV looking for the best engagement photography locations, and Brookside Gardens is one of my favorite spots to frequent!
Brookside Garden Information
Located in Wheaton, Maryland, Brookside Gardens is a 50-acre public garden filled with well maintained walking paths, full trees, blooming florals, and critters of all kinds. The park is free year round, however some annual events do require tickets and may have an associated fee. The gardens are open from 6:00am – 8:30 pm seven days a week and offer public parking, restrooms, and accessibility features.
Photography Session Requirements at Brookside Gardens
If you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in having your photos taken at Brookside Gardens – I love that for you! As a DC film wedding photographer, this is hands down one of my favorite locations to work at. It is peaceful, easy to navigate, and beautiful year round. Now, let’s get into some of the nitty-gritty questions related to taking photos here.
Do I need a permit?
Brookside Gardens does require a photography permit if the primary purpose of your visit is to photograph your family or group, you are wearing formal/costume/wedding attire, and a photographer or videographer is accompanying you. This applies to professional, hobbyist, and family/friend photographers and videographers alike.
If your primary purpose is to propose at the gardens, you need a permit. Now if you want to bring additional props with you, I suggest reaching out to the garden’s office for their rules.
How do I get a photography permit at Brookside Gardens?
Photograph permits for sessions at Brookside Gardens are seriously so easy to obtain. One hour permits may be reserved online through the ActiveMontgomery site, and are available 45 days in advanced up until 24 hours prior. As far as DC permit-required photography locations go, this is a very flexible timeline.
How much does Brookside Gardens permits cost?
In 2025, Brookside Gardens advertised their photograph rates based on group size and reservation status:
| Group Size | Advanced Reservation (Online) | Day of Reservation |
| 1-7 | $50.00 | $90.00 |
| 8-16 | $100.00 | $145.00 |
| 11-25 | $150.00 | $200.00 |
For peace of mind and convenience, I always encourage my client’s to reserve their photography permit well in advanced. And while there isn’t an official permit that needs to be displayed during your session, I always recommend keeping a digital copy accessible on your phone.
Additional permit information is available here.
Sunrise Engagement Session at Brookside Gardens
As you may have seen above, photography permits are available in one hour increments. When booking a permit on the website, you are asked to select a time slot. I tend to encourage my client’s to select the first, or close to last session of the day. This helps avoid some crowds, and brings us closer to optimal light! It’s pretty rare that those times will coincide with golden hours (the hour immediately following sunrise, or the hour right before sunset) but when it does happen….it’s MAGICAL. This sunrise engagement session at Brookside Gardens occurred during morning golden hour – fall colors, a golden sunrise, and the cutest puppy were on full display.
By pure coincidence, this engagement session occurred the morning after daylight savings time. When we started at 7:00 am, there were just a few other visitors walking throughout the gardens, so we had ample use of the gardens with little to no obstacles, other than the biting cold (huge shoutout the this lovely couple and their pup for braving the cold AND managing to look so good!) that is.
Outfit change? Say less.
If you love this session just as much as I do and want to schedule your own engagement phots, reach out! I’m always booking and love nothing more than documenting your love story.
Photographer: Jalisa Roslyn Photo (formerly Ethereal Love Collective)
Location: Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland
Meet Jalisa
DC Film Wedding Photographer
Jalisa is a documentary wedding photographer who passionately preserves weddings on digital and film.
Serving Washington, DC, Baltimore, Maryland, and beyond.
