Bok Tower Gardens Photoshoot Guide: My 9 Go-To Photo Spots

I photograph engagement sessions at Bok Tower all the time, so this is my Bok Tower Gardens photoshoot guide: the nine spots I come back to, how each one looks in real light, and what to know before you go.

The Gardens sit on Iron Mountain in Lake Wales, one of the highest points in Florida. Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. designed the original gardens around the 205-foot Singing Tower, which President Calvin Coolidge dedicated in 1929.

Never posed for photos like this before? That’s okay, because it’s not your job to know what to do. It’s mine.

1. The Path Up to the Singing Tower

The walk toward the tower shows off the whole facade, pink and gray Georgia marble and coquina stone from St. Augustine, framed by palms and live oaks. It’s an easy place to start, since walking together helps everyone relax. Mary and Zachary dressed up for theirs, in a pink gown and a blue suit.

2. The Reflection Pool

This is the classic view. The tower sits just south of the reflection pool, so from the railing at the far end, the whole tower rises above the water behind you, framed by live oaks. In winter, golden hour comes before the Gardens close, so Kourtni and Evan’s February session caught the oaks glowing gold.

3. The Moat and the Great Brass Door

Up close, the tower is circled by a moat that’s home to koi (bring a quarter for the fish feeders). Across the water is the Great Brass Door, where metalworker Samuel Yellin told the story of Genesis, from the creation of light to Adam and Eve leaving the Garden of Eden.

4. Samuel Yellin’s Iron Gates

The hand-wrought gates on the tower’s north side lead to the bridges over the moat, and they’re full of tiny birds if you look closely. With the water behind them, they make a pretty backdrop for a seated pose on the steps.

5. The Lawns and Live Oaks

Wide lawns sit under live oaks hung with Spanish moss, with peeks of the tower through the trees. It’s the perfect spot for a picnic. Kristen and Jordan brought champagne, a little cake with their wedding date on top and their fluffy pup.

Dogs are welcome at the Gardens for $10 a day on a 6-foot leash (no retractable leashes), though they can’t come into El Retiro.

6. El Retiro

Elsewhere in the Gardens, El Retiro is a 1930s Mediterranean Revival estate with arched doors, tiled fountains and vine-covered garden walls. It has so many backdrops that it gets its own post: El Retiro at Bok Tower Gardens.

7. The Hilltop Bench

Up on the hill, a simple bench sits under an old live oak, looking out over the countryside below Iron Mountain. It’s a quiet spot for a slower, closer moment together.

8. The Longleaf Pine Preserve

The Gardens’ nature trails, including the three-quarter-mile Pine Ridge Trail, take you out of the formal gardens and into longleaf pines with a wiregrass understory. At golden hour the grass glows and the sky opens up, which is why so many of my Bok Tower sessions end out here.

9. Seasonal Blooms

Bok Tower grows more than 150 varieties of camellias and hundreds of azaleas, and in late winter their bloom seasons overlap, usually into the first weeks of March. Kristen and Jordan’s March session caught the pink azaleas in full bloom.

Summer and fall bring their own color, too, from purple blooms along the paths to flowering shrubs in November.

Rain? Bring a Clear Umbrella

Florida afternoons can turn stormy, especially in summer, but rain doesn’t have to cancel your session. When the rain rolled in during Mary and Zachary’s summer session, they grabbed clear umbrellas and kept going. A clear umbrella lets the light in, so your faces stay bright.

For more wet-weather ideas, here’s a full rainy day engagement session at Bok Tower Gardens.

Planning Your Bok Tower Gardens Photoshoot

A few things to know before we go, based on the Gardens’ policies as of October 2026 (always check the Gardens’ FAQ before your visit):

• Admission is on me. I bring my couples in on my guest pass, so you two get in free during our session.
• Plan for open hours. The Gardens are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last admission at 5), and after-hours photoshoots aren’t allowed. From November through February, golden hour lands before closing.
• Share the paths. Portrait sessions can’t block the walkways, so we’ll step aside when other visitors pass.
• Skip the glitter. Glitter, confetti, balloons and drones aren’t allowed.
• Wear walking shoes. Most paths are mulched, so walk in flats and bring your heels for the photos.
• Bring your pup, with a plan. Dogs need a $10 ticket and a 6-foot leash, and they can’t come into El Retiro, so a friend can take over for that part.

Ready to plan your Bok Tower Gardens photoshoot? Every one of our collections includes a complimentary engagement session. Check our availability, and if you’re dreaming of saying “I do” here, too, read my Bok Tower Gardens wedding guide. For more ideas close to home, here are my favorite engagement photo locations in Lakeland, and my engagement session guide has outfit and location ideas.