April 23, 2014
It’s no secret, I love Engagement Sessions and I think they are incredibly important! It’s a great way to show the world the love you have for one another. It’s also a great chance for us to work together before the day of your wedding, because you never want the first time I photograph you to be your wedding day. With Engagement Sessions, you can start familiarizing yourself with the way I shoot and you can feel what it’s like to be in front of the camera. Engagement shoots are a lot of fun, you’ll be smiling and laughing throughout the whole session!
Here’s what you need to be ready for your Engagement Session:
Choose a Theme
You could pick something literal (like Romantic French Picnic or Bohemian on the Beach) or it can be more vague (like natural in woods or modern in the city.) Either way narrow down the “feeling” for your shoot. We’ll have plenty of meetings before the session for me to get to know you two as a couple and help your theme come to life. Once we have an idea on how the shoot will look we can start planning location and outfits.
Location, Location, Location!
Now that we have an idea and a direction for the shoot, it’s time to find the right place. I know a ton of different locations but I’m always open to anything you have in mind. Brainstorm any great spots you might like to shoot at. Think about spots unique to you two as couple. Maybe it’s where you had your first date. Maybe it’s your favorite vacation spot. Either way, when we put our heads together, we’ll think of the perfect place to be the backdrop for our session.
Check out my post on how to Choose Your Perfect Location.
Plan Your Outfits
Finding the right outfit can make all the difference in the world. When you find that perfect dress or that pair of jeans that fit you just right, you feel unstoppable! Same with your engagement shoot, you want your clothes to make you feel wonderful and compliment our session. It helps to bring a couple of different options too. I always suggest a more dressy/classic outfit and a more casual one, but you can bring as many as you’d like! There are also certain types of clothing that look better being photographed than others. The color black photographs well and is more slimming. Writing and big logos on shirts are extremely distracting. While we are in the middle of planning for our session, I can provide you with a Style Guide outlining what looks best in front of the camera. I also like to put together Mood Boards of different examples of outfits to wear for our unique shoot.
Pick Your Props
Tie everything together with a couple significant pieces that help explain your love. The first gift he gave you, musical instruments you like to play together, or even your pet! Keep in mind, we don’t want to overdue it. It’s important to make sure the props are minimal but meaningful, so they highlight your love but are not a distraction.
Professional Hair & Make-up
For all my Engagement Sessions, professional hair and make-up is included. I have a team of highly talented professional hair stylists and make-up artists that will come over the day of our shoot and make you look and feel beautiful. If you have some ideas of how you’d like to look bring some examples to share. No problem if you don’t have any ideas, that’s why they are professionals! They will take our theme and create a great look for you. Hair and make-up usually starts two hours before our session. All you have to do is come over to my lovely home studio the day of our session, sip some Mimosas and be pampered as they work their magic. Don’t worry, your fiance will have a great time too.
Time to Shoot!
You look great and now it’s time for the best part, the shooting! It may feel a little awkward at first but don’t think too hard about it! You look amazing, we are at a great location and your fiance is at your side; how could it get any better? Relax. I’ll start directing you two in a couple poses and we’ll move on from there. It’s about capturing the moments which usually means the best photos are when you aren’t trying too hard. You could be sharing a laugh with each other in between poses or a quick kiss when you think I’m not shooting, that’s when we see the real love. Be yourself and I’ll take care of all the posing and shooting. Most importantly, have fun!
Want to handy checklist to make sure you have everything you need for your Engagement Session? Download it here – Engagment Session Planning Checklist
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