5 Tips for great Engagement Photos
#1 - Use the photographer that’s going to photograph your wedding
This is probably the most important piece of advice I can give for couples looking for engagement photos. Your wedding photography is an investment and this is your chance to really get to know how you feel in front of their camera, how the direction your photographer gives feels to you, and how you like the images. Having that experience makes an incredible different in the ease of the portrait time on your wedding day, and is very unique to each photographer. You also get to see your photographers communication style, their personality while behind the camera, their editing and delivery style up close. Hopefully by the time you get to this point, it’s still all a match and any concerns you may have had about looking fabulous and loving your images are settled in your mind. If not, you have a chance to change course (breaking a contract is a whole different conversation, and I honestly am not sure how that works because nobody has ever asked that of me — but I have had clients come to me after not liking their photos taken by someone else). Bottom line is this is your chance to practice and get a preview of what your wedding photos will look and feel like.
#2 - Location, location, location
The perfect location for you is one that you frequent, one that that is meaningful for you, or one that makes you happy. It can be literally anywhere! A beach, a coffee shop, a park, a busy city street, a library, a bike trail — you get the idea. While your wedding location shows your personality, you were likely also considering guest count, pricing, & amenities. This is your chance to get photographs done anywhere you’d like, no strings attached! Casual or formal, outdoors in nature or inside by a fireplace — pick somewhere that feels right for you. Some clients like to match the vibe of their wedding, and some like to do something different for a little variety. There's no wrong answer here - just do what feels right for you!
*For anyone stuck for ideas, I am happy to give a list of suggestions. It is certainly not exhaustive or limiting. I’d love to hear where you have in mind!
#3 - Schedule carefully
I can’t stress enough how important it is to show up to your engagement photos in the right mindset. Be relaxed - take a walk or grab a light meal together beforehand if you are nervous. Leave plenty of time to get there, as well as plenty of time to not feel rushed to end the session. Make sure you aren’t sunburnt or have pulled an overnight shift the night before. Be ready to just spend an hour enjoying each other’s company and learning a few posing tips that you’ll use on the wedding day.
The timing of when to have your engagement photos in relation to your wedding can vary widely, but I advise my clients to not go too much farther than a year out from the wedding date. This is because all of those posing tips and photography advice I’ve given is really useful on your wedding day and I’m hoping that information is still in your mind when we get there!
#4 - What to wear
Wear clothing that matches each other’s formality, season, color family, and style. Be comfortable in how you look, meaning be yourselves and not some Pinterest version of another couple and their style. If you want cutoff jeans and bare feet? Great! Shirt and tie? Also great! You do you! Just make sure your clothing make sense with your fiancé’s look and the location you chose.
Looking for more specifics? I love solids, layers and statement pieces (great shoes or jewelry or a hat). Stay away from black or white and instead pick a color that brings out your skin tones. Leave cell phones, purses (unless they are a part of your look) and other items that add bulk to pockets behind.
#5 - Be ready to collaborate
As much as I'd love to photograph just candids without intervening at all (and sometimes that happens), the truth is most of us want a little help looking and feeling great in photographs. I’ll be looking at how comfortable you are in front of the camera and giving tips on posing if you need it. Everyone’s body types, body language, and fiancé’s in proportion to yours is different, so this advice will be different for each couple. The goal is to help you be comfortable with basics of holding your posture and arms in a way that looks best *for you*. I am reading your body language with each other so that any adjustments I may make still look and feel authentically you. This part is the most valuable thing you’ll get from your engagement session because it will benefit your wedding photos in so many ways! By the time you see this series of images and we get to the wedding day, you’ll know that I know how to pose you, what to look for, and that we have the same vision. Wedding photos also move a lot quicker when couples have an engagement session because you’ve heard, practiced, and seen the results already.
Bonus tip is to Have fun!
The best images I get are when clients allow themselves to loosen up and show their personalities together. We will be moving around, laughing, walking, and snuggling. If you feel like the moment calls for a twirl, a giggle, a quiet hug, a kiss on the cheek — go for it! Even if we are “posing”, it shouldn’t feel stiff or awkward. Creating images that show who you are need *you* to show up in them, and having fun together is the best way to do that.
What kinds of images to expect from your engagement session
My goals for every family and engagement session are to get one classic, traditional image (this covers my bases with moms), looking at the camera and smiling. If we’re in a great spot maybe two of those, full length and close-up. The rest of your gallery will have movement, laughter, little glances and soft embraces.
You will have about 100-125 print-ready, fully edited images in your final gallery.
What to do with engagement photos
Save the date cards, announcements, shower invitations, wedding-day guest book, wedding programs or menus, and to have images that celebrate this exciting time in your lives! These will take their place as the start of your new family’s story.