Proposal at Lincoln Memorial

This is probably one of the most popular memorials / monuments in DC to propose at. You have two excellent backgrounds to choose from: the Washington Monument or, obviously, the Lincoln Memorial.

A benefit of choosing the Washington Monument as a background is that you can get close to the edge of the reflecting pool and there will be no other people in the photo. There’ll likely be a lot of people in the background if you choose the Lincoln.

Besides that, there’s a wide variety of spots for post-proposal portraits both in and around the Lincoln Memorial. Some photographers try to dissuade proposals here, but I say go for it.

Also, since the Lincoln Memorial is under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, you technically need a permit. You can see more at the link below.