The sun is shining, the days are longer, and engagement season is in full swing yaaaayyy! With all our amazing couples sharing their love stories I was inspired to share some of my top engagement session tips on what to do and what to NOT do for your engagement session. Taking engagement photos is often the first taste you and your photographer have of each other and a great way to feel out how your big day will go. But, engagement sessions can often come with nerves!! Whether this is your first photoshoot ever or your millionth, it can be intimidating sharing your love in front of a camera.
When and Where
Let’s talk about location and time. You’ve decided on the perfect location for your engagement shoot. The vibe is PERFECT, the lighting is ideal!! And, you’re comfortable. I cannot emphasize how important comfort is during your engagement session. Many couples lean towards popular locations for their engagement session and I get it! A ton of the most commonly visited spots are popular for a reason – they’re stunning. But, if you’re someone who gets a little shy in front of the camera (especially if others are around) opt to hold your engagement session on a weekday! There are so many beautiful locations and the day of the week can make a huge difference in how many people are around when you’re shooting. Plus, fewer crowds = fewer people in your photos 🙂
This next tip is maybe a given (especially if your photographer has the experience), but as a friendly reminder – don’t shoot in the middle of the day! This is when the light is the brightest and harshest. You will be straining and squinting in all of your photos, plus talk about majjjoooorrr wash out. Golden hour is our go-to time for photos because that’s where the warm, dreamy light comes in. We alllllll love that!
Outfits, Hair, and Makeup? Check!
Our next tip? Schedule your hair and makeup trial to land on the same day as your shoot! We recommend this to every one of our brides. This is a great way to get that trial out of the way AND be camera ready. No need to stress over doing your hair and makeup for photos, let yourself be pampered a bit. Plus, this will give your engagement photos and wedding photos a cohesive look – professional hair and makeup looks fantastic on camera.
While we’re on the topic of looks, I recommend bringing two outfits! One casual and one dressy, but make sure they’re cohesive and go well together. Your photographer will likely have recommendations or might event send you a “What To Wear Guide”. We have one of these and share it with all of our couples to make sure they have a clear direction to go in for their photos! At the end of the day make sure you’re comfortable and in an outfit that feels like you. One BIG suggestion…. Avoid wearing patterns, they can clash easily! If you’re into color GO FOR IT!! Or stick to neutrals. Whatever you go with just be sure your partner’s outfit matches.
It’s a Date
One of our favorite engagement session tips: why not turn your session into a date night for you and your babe? After you’re dressed up, dolled up, and have secured some super adorable photos I think you deserve to carry on the fun and make it a date night. Your session will go by soooo fast – seriously, I always wish we had more time! So go ahead and make reservations for a nice dinner after, use this opportunity to soak in alllll the pre-wedding goodness.
Trust Your Photographer
The last of our engagement session tips is for you is to allow your photographer to do what they do best. Aka, don’t stress over poses or how you look in front of the camera! Your photographer is a professional, they’ve done this before!! So trust them when they say they’ll pose you and make you look your best. They know exactly what to do and just how to guide your moments together to make sure you have a fun and comfortable experience.
This is an exciting time, I am so thrilled that you are starting to plan out the details of your photos and I hope you found these engagement session tips helpful! Let’s take some time and get to know each other over a cup of coffee and talk about how amazing your engagement session and wedding photos can be. Head on over to our contact form to get in touch!
