What to expect at your engagement session + tips

What to expect at your engagement session + tips:

One of the number one things that my clients tell me during their wedding consultation is that they’re very awkward with photos or that they never have taken professional photos before! And honestly that’s a valid reason to feel a little nervous but that’s why we have an engagement session prior to your wedding to shake off those nerves and get comfortable with each other. Doing an engagement session is the perfect way to do that.

Location, Location And Location.

Choosing a location for your engagement session is one of the most important things to do when scheduling them. I always ask my clients off the bat what kind of scenery that they want to have in their photos which can range from wanting to have downtown/city scapes to having more of a nature feel. Sometimes you might even want very specific type feelings or features for example: big columns or skyscrapers in the background and communicating that to your photographer so we can find that location is very important!

What To Wear?:

I always say wear what makes you feel comfortable! I do love seeing bold colors + muted tones but essentially it’s up to you on what feels like it fits your personailty. One item I say to bring for your shoot is confidence and to feel beautiful in what you’re wearing. You could wear the most beautiful gown known to man but at the end of the day it’s feeling that confidence that makes it so much more beautiful.

Shoes, wear comfortable shoes! During our session we might walk around quiet a bit and so having a comfortable heel or sneaker depending on your look will make a huge difference in your comfort.

Shooting Times:

There are so many different options and times. While I am comfortable shooting in all lighting types other photographers might feel more comfortable with golden hour. The golden hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset, It tends to have a more soft and radiating tone. Depending on your area this is the optimal time to take photos so you can have those say rays and rich tones. Think of it as a giant diffuser or softbox. Weather its a morning and evening golden hour I try my best to schedule my engagements around whatever time works for my clients and sometimes that means middle of the day high sun and that’s completely fine! You can get some AMAZING shots during the high sun and it adds almost a more editorial look.

What to expect on your session date:

On the day of the session I will make sure to watch the weather, keep you updated if there is a weather issue or just confirm time. When we meet I usually always request we meet at a very open area so it’s easier to find each other and usually I always tell my clients a description of what shirt color I will be wearing.

When I start the session I really like to go in very gently regarding posing and not start off with hard things or prompts this usually is belly to belly then forehead to forehead or hugging! Going in very gently kind of lets you grove into it without feeling overly posed. Overall I don’t really like posing to much but I do like having prompts that bring movement and emotion to the image. So often you’ll hear me say things like say MEOW! Or tell me a funny story about your partner. The goal is to just showcase your story in photos.

Tips that I recommend:

• Clean your ring before the session, That way it is nice and pretty for those up close detail shots.

• Clean under your nails or have your nails done! I always recommend giving yourself a clean up job on your nails so that they look nice! Whether you’re just cutting them or having them done it makes a huge difference in your photos.

• Avoid Matching clothes, We want to compliment each other not be 90’s matching couples.

• Remember to give yourself time to park and find the location.

Getting your photos:

After our session I will usually tell you the process of how getting your photos will work. I send a link with your gallery then you can download them to whatever device you’d like to download them. If I’m your wedding photographer to then I’ll say you the day of your wedding and you will have known some of the prompts and poses that we did for your engagement session.