Hello Brides! I am here with a new post in my For the Bride series and this is all about planning and prepping for your Engagement Session!

Why an Engagement Session? For one, it’s all about documenting this incredibly exciting moment in your lives. You are engaged! You are in love! We are capturing your excitement and love before you are married and this is something you will want to remember. I always tell my brides not to think of it as a photo session but just a few hours hanging out with your friend (that’d be me) thats just really good with a camera. A great excuse for you and your fiancé to dress up in your favorite clothes, take pictures in a location that means something to you both, looking back at your relationship and just having fun.

Engagement photos in my opinion are SO necessary for OUR relationship leading up to your wedding day. It gives me the chance to capture your own love story a lot more naturally. It gives you the chance to get comfortable with me and how I shoot, so you aren’t uncomfortable in ANY way on your wedding day. It’s so important to take your engagement photos AND your wedding day photos with the same photographer for that very reason. You’d think photographers are all the same but we aren’t… we shoot differently, we pose differently, we edit differently and it’s great to have such consistency in all your professional photos of the both of you. Not only that but think of it was a great excuse to STOP wedding planning, dress up and enjoy your time together for a few hours away from your work and jobs and just BE in love 🙂 And years from now it’ll be so fun to look back at the photos of just the two of you being yourselves, in a natural setting!

That is why it is so important to have Engagement Photos. Now… it’s time to prep for your Engagement photos! There’s a lot to consider with your photos and I’m here to help point you in the direction of making your engagement photos more creative and more importantly, telling YOUR love story 🙂

1. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

One of the first things to decide when planning your Engagement Session is the WHERE. I leave this all up to my brides and grooms, but of course help when they need inspiration 🙂 You could do your shoot at a location that is really special to you both, like where he proposed or a place where you spend most of your weekends. If you love the outdoors, we can do your session at a beautiful local park you both walk to all the time or if you love the city, we can shoot it with cobblestone streets and tall buildings surrounding you both. We could even do a shoot at your Apartment, house or local coffee shop that you both love! The possibilities are endless!

2. SEASONS OF LOVE!

Choosing the time of year you want your photos is also really important! If you’re a fall bride, you might want your Engagement pictures to be taken in the fall to send in your Save the Dates and set the tone for your wedding early! Or maybe you’re getting married in the Fall but LOVE the Spring and want pictures with beautiful cherry blossom trees. Or you want pictures on the beach and the summer is the best time to achieve that! Think early about the season and when you’d like your Engagement Session to be because picking this and the date are the first things you plan before anything else!

3. FEELING AND LOOKING FABULOUS!

I always insist my girls get their hair and nails done for their photos and making sure they are feeling and looking fabulous! You are having your photos taken and just like your wedding day, it should capture you looking your BEST! This is is especially true for Engagement Photos since its you and your man, in a casual setting and just being yourselves… you don’t want to look over the top, just you having a GREAT hair day! This is a great time for a makeup and hair trial, too! I also am sure to send my couples tips for dressing for your Engagement Session! Since your session is so long, I suggest TWO outfit changes – one a little dressy, one a bit more casual. Wearing colors that compliment each other and staying away from black tops is best. And accessories are always fun 🙂

4. LOTS OF PDA!

There is one thing you need to prepare yourself for before your shoot… you are going to be doing a LOT of PDA! Now, this doesn’t mean just a lot of kissing but lots of hugging too. Lots of cuddling, standing really close to each other, nuzzling each other, kissing on the cheek or neck… And if you’re not a couple that does this often, you do need to prepare yourselves for it. The good news is I try to make your Engagement Session as personal and private as I can. I bring my couples away from the crowds, when I can, and let it feel as natural as it can 🙂

5. MAKING IT ALL ABOUT THE TWO OF YOU!

What I love about Engagement Sessions is, just like your wedding day, it gives you the chance to really capture who you both are together! A GREAT way to achieve this is by making it unique and capturing who the two of you are together. This can be done simply by your location… a place that is personal and special to the two of you. Or, it can be with PROPS! I LOVE props and always encourage them. Props can range from something small, like a football because that’s the sport you both like, or even your pet dog! And believe it or not bringing dogs along INSTANTLY make you feel more comfortable in front of the camera because they are such HAMS! More examples of props are signs or dates for your Save the Dates, a beach ball for your beach Engagement session or a cozy blanket and hot chocolate for your winter engagement session! It’s so great to theme your Session and go all out for it!

6. MAKING YOU COMFORTABLE & HAVING FUN!

Ask all of my clients and they will tell you… I inform you before anything happens that you WILL feel awkward and nervous for the first 5 or 10 minutes of your Engagement Session because that is NORMAL! You both aren’t models, you’re not used to being in a public place with strangers watching you get your photos taken. But guess what? That feeling does instantly go away! Before you know it, you are up for ANYTHING and YOU’RE the one telling me poses and ideas for pictures you want to take! And most of the time, it’s the GUY doing this! The last thing I want is for you to feel awkward. That’s not fun for me! We are going to laugh, joke around, get silly and just have FUN with it! Because we are here, CELEBRATING your love for each other 🙂

YAY! Did that make you feel any better and more confident about your Engagement Photos? I hope it helps prep you for what to expect and gets you SO EXCITED for your session!