Mia Engagement Session — Everything you need to know, and photos!

If you’re thinking about having your engagement session at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) in the heart of Minneapolis, you are in the right place to learn everything you need to know. Plus, I’ve got some photo examples for you at the end as well, so stay tuned!

Where is Mia, and how can you schedule a photo session there?

Mia is an art gallery on the 2400 block of 3rd Avenue South in Minneapolis, right off of 35W. It has an equally stunning exterior as it does interior, so you can be sure to get an amazing variety of images when you choose to have your session there.

Mia has an extensive art collection from all over the world, and their goal is to inspire wonder through the power of art. Basically, it’s the perfect place to have your session if you love to visit art museums as a part of your dates together, or generally enjoy beautiful, worldly things!

You’ll get to see some examples of photos inside Mia below, and I’ll note that it was *well* below freezing on the day of Emma & Ryan’s engagement session, so we did skip the outdoor portion to save their fingers and toes. This is another great reason to choose Mia, especially during the colder seasons — it’s a wonderful indoor engagement session spot for those unpredictable winter months in Minnesota!

To schedule your session, you’ll need to get a permit from Mia for the shoot, and they’ll assign you and your photographer a guide. There is a minimum of 2 hours for the session at a rate of $250/hour as of Winter 2025. You can find out more about permitting here, and fill out your permit by clicking here.

Wondering where you should take photos in Mia? Well, the great thing about having a guide assigned to you is that they can lead you around the museum’s greatest spots, and, of course, keep you where you can shoot, as there are some spaces and pieces that are not allowed to be photographed. 

Overall, I would make sure to stop in the “period room” on the 4th floor, where there are super cool spotlights and interesting features like moulded walls and fireplaces.The grand staircase and [former] fountain rooms are also iconic and great spaces with some room to move around. I’d also recommend stopping by anything that piques your interest that day. For Emma & Ryan, it was the painting of purple flowers in a vase that went so well with the outfits they chose — how perfect?!

What to wear to your Mia engagement session

Since Mia is an art museum with clean lines and great architectural spaces, my best advice would be to let those strengths complement you. 

Emma & Ryan’s outfits are great examples of something that would go well both in style and in color with the space. The clean lines in Emma’s dress add to the beauty of the museum and complement the space rather than clashing or competing with it. Ryan matched her purple dress with a textured purple shirt and slacks. Again, a very simple, clean look to go with the space at Mia.

Other colors that I think would work well are cool colors like sage green or another muted green tone, blue, or black. Red or white could also be great colors in Mia! Colors I would recommend avoiding are other neutrals which would blend in with the space like tan or brown, colors that don’t complement the space like gray, or anything too bright like orange or yellow.

There are a ton of directions you could go with style-wise, so as I always recommend, you do you! Whatever you pick, try to imagine yourselves in the photos below and see how you think it looks. Your photographer should be able to give you great pointers as well — that’s what we’re here for!

Example photos at Minneapolis Institute of Art

Now for what you’re really here for: photos! Enjoy Emma & Ryan’s session, and reach out here if you’re planning to have your session at Mia — I would love to help you make it amazing!