Being able to meet before a couple’s wedding day is one of my favorite things, because it gives us a chance to connect long before your wedding day and begin building that relationship so we’re comfortable with each other! I know that engagement session preparations can seem overwhelming. I know that you and your partner aren’t models, and that’s actually preferred! This way, I can really guide you through the process and direct posing that’s flattering for both of you.
Here are 5 tips to nail your engagement session, and answer some questions in case you’re curious about outfits, locations, props, and expectations!
1. Choosing Your Outfits
Long, flowy dresses and skirts look amazing on camera because they bring extra movement to the photos! Cute, shorter-length dresses photograph beautifully as well. Dresses and skirts tend to look most stunning on camera because they really flatter the female body, I recommend avoiding pants and shorts for your session and saying yes to a dress or two!
Most of my brides who choose two outfits will bring one “wow” dress and then another shorter sun dress or cocktail dress for a more casual “us on a date” feel. If you want to bring two “wow” dresses and forgo the more casual dress altogether, give yourself permission to do it! The camera loves runway-esque apparel and so do I! Remember, you don’t have to bring two looks if it’s too stressful or if you’d rather just stick to one fabulous look. One outfit that you love will be so much better than one outfit you love and another you’re not very excited about.
When choosing colors for your outfits, I recommend selecting lighter tones and more muted shades. By avoiding ultra-bright, bold colors, it will help bring all the attention to your faces and let the eye focus on the way you feel about each other. The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown, and white. That softer color palette fits beautifully into almost all natural outdoor environments!
2. Selecting Your Location
There are SO many tips to remember when selecting a location, and nothing makes me happier than knowing that the location is special to my couples. Here are some tips to choose the location of your engagement session!
- Think about where you first met
- Consider your hometown.If you live in a picturesque area then your hometown might be the perfect location for your shoot!
- Go back to where you GOT engaged!
- Choose a place that you visit often!
- Find a place that suits your interests and personalities. – Think about how you like to spend your time together and choose a place based on that. If you prefer hiking to exploring a city (and vice-versa!) that can help you figure out where you’d like to go.
- Pay attention to the season.
- Some locations are prettier during a specific time of year. If you know you want spring photos, do a little research and find out which locations look best at that time of year.
3. Consider professional hair and makeup
I type this with a grain of salt, because I know that some people don’t love going all glam for photos (and that’s okay!) BUT, an engagement session is also the perfect time to meet your ahir stylist and makeup artist during your wedding!
Photos require slightly more saturated or done-up makeup, so if you’re not an expert in this region, contacting a professional could be the way to go!
Before Brooklyn and Matt’s engagement session, Brooklyn met with her hair and makeup artist to do a trial run of her updo and makeup before their wedding day! It was the perfect way to get all glam while also checking another box off of the list.
4. Mix it Up with Props!!
Personalize your session by bringing props that compliment your personalities! Some of my favorite props are below:
- Champagne!!
- A handwritten sign
- Books
- Musical Instruments
- Pets!!
If you like to read, consider bringing some of your favorite books! Does your partner play guitar and loves music? Bring your instruments along! A popular addition to any engagement session are fur babies!! I LOVE working with any and all pets (specifically dogs) and welcome them to your session!
Remember that less is more, you don’t have to worry about or stress over bringing ANY props if you don’t want to.
Bonus Tip: Make a day out of it!
It’s not every day that you get to dress up and cuddle up with each other in front of a camera. Take the day (or evening!) and celebrate! My favorite thing to suggest is going out to dinner RIGHT after your session and (if it’s in the evening)
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