Hello Brides! I am SO excited to start blogging again for YOU and share as many tips as I can to help you with all things wedding photography! It’s been SOOOO long since I wrote an actual blog post that wasn’t an engagement session or wedding day and I truly missed it! I wanted to start blogging again and I wanted to write about things that would help Brides be more excited about wedding planning and photography but also, would get ME excited to share any knowledge I can with you! I have SO much planned but for now, I’m starting at the very beginning.. your engagement session!

Engagement sessions are one of the best ways for me to connect with my couples before their wedding day! It’s a great way for us to get to know each other and more importantly, for the two of you to let lose and have a fun night staring at each other and kissing in a fun location. Ooh yes, LOCATION! That is one of the FIRST things you think about when it comes to engagement sessions and so many of my Brides have a hard time picking a location! So here are a few tips to help you pick a great spot for your photos!

THINK ABOUT YOUR SHARED INTERESTS

An easy way to pick a location is to think about what the two of you enjoy together! Do you like hiking? Maybe photos in a park or reservation would be great! Do you like drinking wine? A winery would do! Or maybe you just love being in the city together! it’s Thinking about the things you enjoy together will help you easily pick a location that you’ll both love!

GO BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN…

If the two of you met somewhere like college, high school, or even are from the same hometown, this might be the perfect spot for engagement photos! College campuses and high schools can be great backdrops for photos. So many of my couples will say “there’s not much too it” or “it isn’t that pretty” but it will be special to YOU and that’s what makes it work! Plus, it’s always so fun walking around retelling all the stories of when you went there!

… OR STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!

SO many of my couples live in a town together that they absolutely LOVE and just want photos around their town and at their favorite spots! Two examples of this are Hoboken and Morristown! Lots of great alleys and streets, shops and cafes… perfect for photos! 🙂

DID HE PROPOSE SOMEPLACE SPECIAL? THERE YOU GO!

If your fiance proposed some place that we’re able to easily revisit and you didn’t get photos when he proposed, this is a PERFECT location! So many couples were engaged in a spot in New York City or near the beach… wherever! If we can go back to the spot where you said YES, that makes your photos even more special!

PICK YOUR SEASON, THEN PICK YOUR LOCATION!

If you know what season you’d like your photos in, this can help you pick a location for your session. If you’d love a spring session, then maybe you’d love photos in the park with cherry blossoms. If you love summer, then maybe a beach or carnival! Do you both love the fall? Then maybe a pumpkin patch or apple orchard! Picking the season can help you a lot when it comes to picking a location!

DOUBLE CHECK THE LITTLE DETAILS!

A lot of couples want photos with their dogs, which I LOVE! But not all locations are up for you bringing your pooch along. Be sure to check that wherever you want your photos to be, that they allow pets too. This is also a great time to check that your location doesn’t require any permits in general! And don’t think about us sneaking onto the location if they do… I’ve had locations STOP us mid-session to pay for their permit fees on the spot! :/

I hope these tips are helpful when it comes to picking your location for your engagement session! Stay tuned for more posts in the coming weeks about preparing for your engagement session… including picking outifts and props! 🙂