Bridal Advice | Engagement Photography Tips

Bridal Advice | Engagement Photography Tips

I have been writing a lot of posts on Bridal Advice for your wedding day and I just realized I really needed to put something together around Engagement Sessions because they get overlooked so often! If your reading this post and you have already committed to Engagement session YAY, and I hope you find this information and Engagement Photography tips helpful in your planning. If you have not booked an Engagement Session or you are not sure, I hope this inspires you to invest in one! Your engagement is a new chapter in your life and LOVE story and I believe it is just as important to document as your wedding day.  And since your wedding day is such a big day, your engagement session is great practice! I have listed some topics that I think are helpful engagement photography tips as well as some information on the importance of you session prior to your wedding day, ENJOY!

CONNECTING WITH YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER(S)

Picking the right Wedding Photographer is a big decision! Especially considering you probably spend the most time on your wedding day with your photographer! For me as a Wedding Photographer it is never just about a service and always about the EXPERIENCE. And one of the best ways to start the whole experience is with an Engagement Session! This is why I choose to include Engagement Sessions with my Wedding Collection. Unlike your Wedding Day, your Engagement Session is not restricted by locations and strict timelines so this gives us time to get to know our couples and sometimes even begin lifelong friendships! I always encourage my couples to just relax, have fun and be yourself. For many of our couples this is their first time working with a professional photographer and this is OK! It’s actually good when you have no experience because we will explain everything you need to do, your job is to just have fun and be yourself and we will create the story! And lastly, Engagement Sessions help build TRUST and relieve anxiety on your Wedding Day because you have now built a connection with your photographer and learned some great posing so it feels much more natural on your big day!

PRACTICE

So I mentioned this above Engagement Photography tips but I think its good to cover the importance of “Practice” in more detail! Most Brides-to-Be and Grooms-to-Be have never had a professional photo session prior to their Wedding, and this makes couple uncomfortable, nervous and very unsure of themselves. This is exactly what you do not want to happen on your Wedding Day! You have enough to worry about on your Wedding Day and your photos should not be one of those things! The best photos and moments happen when you are confident, relaxed and just having fun. When you choose to have an Engagement Session this is exactly the practice you need! Your photographer will teach you everything you need to know so when it comes to your Wedding Day you feel like a pro!

OUTFITS

So this one comes up over and over and I have to admit that even I am guilty of stressing over what to wear during a session. But what I find works best is when couples chose two outfits (one dressy and one casual) that fit their personality, and don’t be afraid to be creative! I also think its important to mention that you should be comfortable in whatever you choose, if you normally don’t like the way you like in a certain silhouette or color then you should avoid these for your session. If you don’t like the way you look in something normally you are not going to like the way you look in the photos no matter how good the photo. Avoid outfits that match and instead focus on coordinating. Also avoid anything with small patterns or logos … they do not photograph well. And don’t be afraid to accessorize! Think colorful shoes, necklaces and scarves for the ladies and ties, bow ties and belts for the gentlemen!

LOCATIONS/TIME OF DAY

This is your chance to be creative with your location and choose something meaningful to both of you. On your Wedding Day you are normally pretty restricted by a schedule and how far you can travel from your venue so your locations for photos are limited. So with your Engagement Session you have the chance to pick something that is significant to both of you. This may be a first date location, a favorite season, a park that you both love or you may already have a setting in mind that you both enjoy such as the beach, a wooded area or a city. I am always happy to recommend locations but it’s always great if its something meaningful to the couple.

As far as the time of a day, I am a natural light photographer and prefer to shoot when the light is soft and golden. This is normally two hours after sunrise or two hours before sunset!

INTERESTS

Similar to picking a location that is meaningful to you, do you both have an interest or hobby you enjoy doing together that you want to incorporate in a session? This could be anything from having a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop or stopping by an ice cream shop. Maybe you love picnics so you enjoy a picnic together in a park or you bring your dog that you adopted together … the possibilities are endless, just be creative!

HAIR/MAKEUP/RING

Most Brides-to-Be schedule hair and makeup trials prior to their wedding day so if you are able to coordinate this on the same day as your Engagement Session this is the perfect way to not only have beautiful hair and makeup for your photos but also get the chance to see how it photographs prior to your Wedding Day. If you do your own makeup just remember to apply your eye makeup a little heavier than you normally would to ensure it pops in the photos! I also recommend having your engagement ring cleaned prior to your session so it is sparkly and clean. I love taking close-ups of the ring during our engagement sessions to show off your bling!

BE ON TIME

Most photographers use natural light for their sessions and if the best light occurs two hours prior to sunset and you are late to your session you will end up losing that time during your session. Natural light photographers depend on the sunlight to create that consistent beautiful image and style you fell in love with when you booked them so if at all possible make sure to arrive on time to ensure you don’t lose any time or any of that beautiful glow!

And there you have it, I hope you enjoyed these Engagement Photography Tips!

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