Helpful Tips to Plan Your Engagement Session
YAY!!! If you’re reading this post, there is a good chance you’re starting to dig into the details for your engagement session! These sessions are some of my favorites as I get the opportunity to learn more about your story and what brought you two together. This builds the foundation of our relationship together and often leads me to tear up for you guys documenting your love on your wedding day! ;)
This is the very reason why I include engagement sessions completely complimentary to all of my wedding packages. It is so important to me that we spending time together getting to know each other. It’s also the time where you learn my photography style so that you end up being super comfortable on your wedding day. Since this session is often the very first time having professional photos taken together and it's common to feel nervous about it and I want to help you know there is nothing to be nervous about! This session will help you see just how easy and fun photos are when we work together which allows us to hit the ground running on your big day.
Whether you're ready to book your engagement session now or if you're just starting to think about it to book in the future, here are a couple things to consider.
1. Selecting The time of year.
Once your wedding deposit is paid we can shoot your engagement session any time you'd like. Depending on your wedding date this can look a little different. If you're on a tight timeline, we may want to book something right away. Depending on the time of year, it can take 2-4 weeks for your gallery to be delivered so you want to keep that in mind.
If you plan to use any photos for your save the dates, you'll want to decide the date you’d like to mail those out and then plan the buffer time needed. I'd recommend around a month prior to when you'd like to start working on designing your save the dates which may be a few weeks prior to when you want them in the mail.
If your wedding is further out, or you don't plan to use the photos for save the dates, you can start thinking about which season you'd like photos in. A few things to consider with each season:
Winter
This season is often the coldest which can make it hard to be out in the elements for the time of your session. Some clients will bundle up so their warm and make the most of it, or others will push through the cold and bare the elements.
Spring
This season is great as things are beginning to bloom again. It’s much more likely to have flowers or trees in bloom in your photos when picking this season. It can still be a little cold and rainy but we get some really beautiful spring days here in the PNW so you can't go wrong.
Summer
This is often a popular time of year as we can better predict the weather and it is easier to achieve photos during the ever popular golden hour. One thing to consider during this time of year is that it is wedding season so weekends are almost impossible to come by so we’d need to look at a weekday evening for your engagement shoot.
Fall
This is becoming equally popular as the fall colors are so stunning here in the PNW. With the beautiful fall weather it gives us the best of both worlds when booked earlier in the fall months.
2. Choosing a Location
For location I always encourage you to think about a specific place that is important to the two of you. Keep in mind we'd want to stick within a 30 minute travel time for your session. We can always travel further out, there is just a travel fee assessed.
A couple options to consider:
The location where you proposed.
This is a fun way to commemorate the location you proposed.
A favorite date spot.
Whether indoors or outdoors, this can be fun to document a location that has played an important role leading up to your engagement.
A location that is important to your or your family.
Some clients have property in their family that is important to them. It's always fun to go to this unique locations to create something special that will continue to be important to you in the future.
Neutral location with no particular meaning.
There is nothing wrong with this decision. We can make anywhere special for you two. I have my favorites when it comes to locations so I can send you some options. Thinking if you'd prefer woodsy, fields, water, architecture, etc, is often what I recommend couples to consider. I can then recommend locations that fit the style you’re going for. And if you don't mind at all, I can always pick a location and make it easy for you!
Another thing to consider, often your contact at your wedding venue will recommend their location for engagement photos. One thing to consider in this case is the fact that you will soon have photos from the same location from your wedding day. In the future, trying to deciding which photos to use, it will often make it a harder decision when your wedding day photos at that location will always carry so much more impact due to the emotions that day carries at that location. Choosing a different location helps provide you with timeless engagement photos.
3. What to do for Attire/Hair + Makeup / Props
Attire
When it comes to attire, I'm from the mindset of making sure you guys are comfortable during your session. With that being said, dressing up a little and upgrading from everyday wear does step your photos up to the next level. I have [[[[a blog post here]]]] that talks about how to plan outfits for your session.
Hair + Makeup
For hair and makeup, if you plan to do your own, it's best to consider going just a little more than your everyday wear. Covering blemishes, adding simple lashes, and additional powder/bronzer can go a long way. It's best to avoid makeup that adds shine or makeup that may not show up on camera as blended. Some of my clients will pair their wedding hair and makeup trial run to be the same day as their engagement session. This is a great option as you end up making best use of your professional hair and makeup. If that doesn't work, while in no way required, if you'd like to hire someone to do your hair and makeup for your session, feel free to let me know and I can send you some recommendations.
Props
As for props, this can be fun to add into your session. You two (and your ring) will be the star of the show for your engagement shoot, but it's fun to add in props. A few pops to consider would be:
Hats/Jackets/Clothing
Items that are important to you. If you have a hat or jacket you enjoy, bringing that can be fun to add to layer your outfit. Or if you guys have matching style hats, jerseys if you're big fans (or opposing fans), or any other clothing that is important to you, that can be fun to bring into the mix.
Decorative Sign
There are often signs that are tailored for engagement sessions that you can put your wedding date on the sign or your soon-to-be last name. This can be great to add to photos and a fun option to use on save the dates or online as you prepare for your wedding.
A Furry Friend
And then last but not least, another option would be a pet. In almost every case this is a dog, but I don't want to discriminate against the other pets that might be out there and loved by you two. When considering if you'd want to bring your pet, I always recommend you considering their obedience level. I'm always open to a good challenge, in the event your pet is extra challenging, this can add an additional level of stress to what can already feel like a stressful time getting your photos taken together for the first time. If you pet is comfortable being in the car by itself, one option is taking a few photos together either at the beginning or end of your session so we can enjoy the majority of the session with you two, and then get a few shots with your pets as they are just as much apart of the family!
Any other things you're curious about that I didn't include here? Be sure to leave your questions in the comments below as I'm confident you're not the only one thinking it! I can then reply to your question and work on updating this post to include the answer to your question to help future couples! I'm so excited for your session to get here and helping you capture your love!