Engagement Session Guide
More than just pretty pictures
Why your engagement session is important and how to get it right
Engagement sessions tell your story and communicate the relationship that you’ve built together. There are very few things you should be doing for the first time on your wedding day. Being photographed isn’t one of them. The engagement session allows us to connect again prior to your wedding so instead of a stranger, you are photographed by a friend with a familiar process. You’ll practice in front of the camera and receive coaching and tips so you’ll know exactly what to do with your hands on your wedding day. We’ll be able to see what works best so we can work together to make images you’re thrilled to share with your world. Engagement sessions are a blast and will help you feel more comfortable on your big day and make your photographs even more meaningful.
Questions? Ask away!
Before we dive in to crafting the perfect engagment session, I want you to know that you have unlimited engagement session support from me. Email or text me any time with whatever questions or concerns pop up. Can’t decide between two dresses? I can probably help! Feel stuck on which location to choose? Let’s work through it together! The more collaborative we are, the better your engagement session will be!
Location and Time
Choose a location with personal significance that is unique and special to you. Get creative! Challenge your imagination! I love new ideas and blazing new trails to create beautiful memories!
No matter what cool ideas you have, try to incorporate a story or special meaning. The location should be beautiful, whether natural or architectural. There’s also no rule that says we have to stay close to home! Pitch me your ideas, no matter how far flung!
Sessions are about 2 hours on location and typically begin 2-3 hours before sunset, depending on location. We’ll meet up 20 minutes early to chat about your wardrobe and our plan for the session.
Fashion
Treat this as an adventure! Use it as a chance to explore and have fun! Ask yourself and reflect on the aspects of your personality and relationship that feel most authentic to you. Be creative, explore, and we’ll create something beautiful together!
Above all, choose outfits that reflect your personality authentically. Show off your personality with color, texture, and accessories but stay true to yourself! Choose outfits you could plausibly wear on your favorite date night—whether that’s a honky tonk or black tie ball.
Multiple outfits. 2 outfits are better than 1! We have plenty of time so bring both formal and comfortable looks.
Consider two to three coordinated looks that are refined casual, classic chic, metropolitan dressy, timeless formal—and don’t forget the accessories!
Dresses are a great choice as they accentuate your natural shape. Skin tight cocktail dresses are great for a night out, but generally for an engagement session you will want to pick something you can comfortably move around in. A dress with some flow to it also does a great job at adding a sense of motion and dynamism to your pictures. No matter what style of dress you choose, A line silhouettes look incredible on most body types!
For him, skip the jeans and get dressed up! A well-fitting suit jacket, collared shirt that is pressed and tucked in without a tie looks much better than khakis and a polo!
Wear shoes you’ll be able to move around the location in. Or, if you've got a killer pair of heels you'd love to wear, bring something else you can easily slip on for when we’re moving around.
Avoid big logos, graphics, and aggressive patterns. The goal is to draw people's eyes towards you, not what you're wearing so skip the yellow and black houndstooth dress and the giant Nike Swoosh. Oh and only one person should be wearing a pattern otherwise you’ll clash with each other.
Build your outfits around a halo piece. Which piece of clothing most excites you? Start there and coordinate with that piece.
Coordinate, but don't match. Leave matching clothes for the family Disney World trip and coordinate instead. Choose lighter shades and muted colors. Super bright, saturated colors can be distracting and even reflect onto your skin.
There are a few common methods of developing a color scheme:
Monochromatic—wearing different shades of the same color—like a light blue dress paired with a navy suit.
Coordinating with complementary can give you a bold look in your pictures. Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel, for example, yellow and blue, teal and orange, or red and green. Be careful when coordinating this way, as the line between bold and aggressive is small. Analogous colors are the best way for a couple to coordinate their colors for an engagement session, which are colors that are near each other on the color wheel. For example, blues and pinks.
And if you were sick the day they taught color theory in school just drop me a line and I’ll be happy to help!
Props & Pets
Whatever your passion—from sailing to puppies—props can elevate your engagement session and bring your photographs to life. Make sure your props are location appropriate—if in doubt, ask!
Props can be anything from boats, to cars, to pets or whatever amazing idea you come up with!
If you choose to bring a dog, arrange a friend to tag a long so they can wrangle the dog while you concentrate on looking your best, then bringing the good pupper home while we finish the session.
Hair & Makeup
Hair and makeup is just as important as your fashion choices. Your engagement session is a the perfect opportunity to schedule a trial session with a hair and makeup artist before your wedding day.
Having your hair and makeup professionally done for your engagement session is a great way to see how you will photograph in professional images. This experience will help you choose your wedding day look. During your engagement beauty session, my advice is to stick with what you know and simply look like a more polished version of yourself!
Turnaround Time
You will receive a handful of images as a preview within a few days while you wait for your photographs expertly retouched then to be delivered to you via a private, online gallery.
Lastly…
…be yourselves! Please break every rule in the book if you need to! How you feel you look will come through in the pictures much more than following a fashion checklist!
Send me your questions!
I’m happy to chat anytime whether you have a specific question or just want to make sure you’re on the right track!
