Engagement Session Prep Guide

We LOVE love…more specifically, we love capturing it, in all its forms. Wedding photography is a huge part of what we do; we are so happy to be able to offer engagement sessions with our wedding packages. Engagement portraits are a great contrast to wedding day portraits. We can go to your favorite park or your favorite coffee shop and even hit a variety of spots as long as time allows. Best of all, it’s a fun and relaxed intro to being the center of attention (good practice before the big day!) and very much all about you as a couple. Keep reading for some of our tips on how to prepare for the session.

When and Where

Your engagement session can be inside or outside; it will depend on the time of day, the weather and what you want to capture. Indoor sessions can take place at any time of day. For outdoor sessions, we’ll be aiming for either morning or late afternoon/early evening. Taking pictures close to sunrise or sunset means we get to work with soft, gorgeous light. If your session takes place where there is plenty of shade from trees or buildings, we have more flexibility with the session time.

If you have a location in mind, let us know! We have our favorite spots that we can recommend based on the time and weather, but we’re always willing to check out a new setting, especially if it carries some significance for you and helps tell the story of you as a couple.

What to Wear

First and foremost, choose outfits that make you feel good and comfortable! That feeling of confidence will show through in your photos. Dress appropriately for the weather; it’s hard to give authentic smiles if you’re are feeling way too hot or too cold.

Don’t be afraid of vibrant colors, textures and patterns like florals and plaid. Do avoid pinstripes and logos. We recommend that you go for coordinating colors rather than matching. You don’t need to wear matching khakis and blue sweaters! A mix of textures and colors that “go together” rather than match makes for fun and stunning photos. Remember to include shoes when you’re considering the overall look and coordination of your outfits; your feet will definitely be in some of the pictures.

If you are hoping to change outfits for some variety, we recommend no more than 2-3 changes per hour so we can be efficient with the time we have together. For additional outfits you might like to bring, keep the location in mind. If we’re at a park with no restroom handy, switching from one sweater to another and changing up your accessories will be much easier than an entire outfit change. Dressing in layers will help.

Finer Details

For those of you who wear makeup, plan on applying it as you normally would, just a tad heavier. You should still look and feel like yourself. We do recommend paying the most attention to your eye makeup; we really focus on eyes in portraits, so check to make sure your eyeliner and mascara look the way you want them to (separate your lashes, try to avoid harsh low-lid lines with your eyeliner).

Chapstick is a great idea to keep your lips from looking dry or cracked. Consider bringing along a comb and hair ties/accessories if you need to do some quick fixes to hair in the middle of the session. If you’re planning on haircuts, do so about a week before the session.

If you wear glasses, you’ll probably find us spending extra time getting your pose just right to try to reduce glare and shadows from the lenses. Some people like to wear contact lenses or take their glasses off for the session; however, don’t feel the need to go without glasses if that means you won’t look like yourself. If you happen to visit your eye doctor before your session, check and see if you could borrow a spare pair of frames without lenses; you can still look like you but eliminate the glare and shadows.

Another note on shoes: consider your comfort level for walking around in whatever pairs you pack. If your gorgeous stilettos need to make an appearance but they’re less than comfortable for walking, bring some flats to wear while we walk from one spot to another.

The Day of Your Session

Once again considering our agreed upon location, be sure to use the restroom right before your session. There might not be one easily accessible.

Props aren’t required but are always welcome. This could be anything from your own bench or chair, balloons, instruments, flowers or anything else you’d like to include. Props are a fun way to allude to inside jokes, significant memories or help tell the story of how you fell in love.

For more info on why engagement sessions are awesome AND will help you de-stress before the wedding, check out this post!