How to prepare for your engagement session
So maybe you haven’t had professional photos taken of you since you were in school. Don’t worry, these won’t be nearly as painful as your grad photos! Your engagement photos will be a lot more casual and fun!
First things first, what time of year should we plan it for?
Consider planning your engagement photos for a different season than your wedding will be. Like if you’re having a summer wedding maybe fall or winter engagement photos would be nice so you have a variety of photos of yourselves! If you want to use them on your save the dates or invitations, make sure you plan ahead!
Next up, choosing a location
This is totally up to you! I love when my couples choose somewhere that speaks to them as a couple. Like maybe you guys always hit up the same brewery together or walk your dog in the same park. If you are big homebodies consider taking them in the comfort of your own home, where you spend the most time together. Of course you can never go wrong with beautiful landscapes like in the mountains or the badlands! I always schedule them for about an hour before sunset for the best possible lighting, so keep that in mind too!
What the heck do we wear?
You should wear whatever you feel the most comfortable in! I am a huge fan of long flowy dresses but if that’s not who you are then you should wear whatever makes you feel FINE. AS. HELL! Maybe that’s your favourite pair of jeans and a t-shirt! Feel free to send me photos if you’re having a tough time deciding! You are welcome to bring more than one outfit as well, maybe you could bring a ‘fancy’ outfit and a casual outfit to get a good mixture of photos!
Here’s a few tips for success:
Iron/steam your clothes beforehand (photoshop does exist but excessive photoshopping like fixing wrinkled shirts often comes with an extra fee)
Avoid anything with words or logos
Stay away from bright/neon colours
Neutral colours complement any background
You don’t need to be totally matchy matchy but wear complementary colours (Pinterest can help big time with this)
Keep your location in mind (if you’re doing photos in a forest, heels may not make sense)
Manicure your nails so you can show off that bling without hesitation!
Plan your trial hair and make up for the same day as your engagement session
This is the best trick!! Seriously, if you are already planning a trial for your hair and make up why not plan it for the same day as your engagement session?! If you’d rather do it yourself that is totally fine too! Just remember to go heavier on the make up than you normally would because it doesn’t show up as well in photos (learn from my mistake with my own wedding!!).
Can we bring our dog?
HECK YES YOU CAN BRING YOUR DOG! I love when people bring their dogs along. It can help to bring someone else along that can take them while we do photos of just the two of you. If your dog is super high energy you may want to take them on a walk prior to the shoot. Also make sure you bring along some treats or a toy so I can get their attention!
What do we do with our hands? Is it going to be awkward?
I’m not going to lie, it’s probably going to feel a little awkward. It’s totally normal to feel weird at first, most people aren’t used to having a big ol camera in their face. I will guide you through the entire process, giving you prompts and cues so you aren’t wondering what to do with your hands. You won’t have to fake smile and stare at the camera the entire time, most of the time you’ll be looking at your partner! I’ll also get you guys to tell me funny stories about each other, you might not actually forget the camera in your face but you’ll feel much less awkward about it. Picking a location that isn’t super busy can help to make you feel more comfortable too!
