It’s no secret that I love working with couples! I love capturing this amazing time in a couple’s life where they have just decided to spend the rest of their lives together and are excited to share news of their love with the world. Besides being fun, engagement sessions give you an opportunity to feel what’s it’s like to be photographed and you get to practice a little for the big day! Plus capturing your love and personalities in a casual environment is a lot more fun than you may think! Plus you’ll have lots of pictures for your “Save the Date” cards, guestbook, and even to decorate your new home when the time comes. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for this once in a lifetime experience:
Location, Location, Location
I love it when our couples choose their own location based on where they like to spend time together, where they like to go on dates, or even where he (or she!) popped the question. Choosing a location that represents you and your relationship as a couple will help create images that are special to you in so many ways. If you don’t have a favorite spot, luckily for you we live in a state that has tons of options. To view our list of favorite spots for an engagement session click here: NJ Engagement Photo Locations. And to check out some more ways to choose the perfect location check out this post: How to Choose a Location for Engagement Photos.
Timing
Most couples opt to schedule their engagement session anywhere between 6-12 months before their wedding. Think about when you’ll want to send out “Save the Date” cards and schedule your session 1-2 months before that in order to give yourself plenty of design time once your images are delivered. You may also opt to schedule your session during a season opposite the one when you’ll be getting married.
Time of Day
My favorite times of day for a session are just after the sun rises and just before it sets. If you’d rather not get up at the crack of dawn for your session then we’ll schedule it about two hours before sunset. This will give us lots of beautiful backlighting – this is the type of light that I love to shoot in!
Clothing
This is such a big topic so I have a completely separate blog post for tips on what to wear – you can check it out here.
Props
Feel free to bring whatever props you’d like, but try not to go too crazy so that the focus remains the two of you =) Some popular items include a blanket for seated shots, champagne + glasses for a toast, save-the-date signs, your ring dish or ring box. Or keep it simple and just bring yourselves – it’s up to you! Just don’t forget your engagement ring =)
Make-Up and Nails
This is a great time to do a make-up trial. Why not schedule your trial run on the day of your engagement session? This way you can see how it’ll look in pictures and it’ll take away the stress of doing your own make-up that day. If you prefer to do your own make-up, be sure to apply a little more than usual so that it shows up in the photos. And don’t forget to get a manicure so you can show off that ring! Also, be sure to check out our post on Top 10 Tips for Bridal Beauty for some more make-up advice.
Prepare
Find some time a day or two before your session to check out the engagement posts on my blog so that you get an idea of what we’ll be doing. I’ll give you plenty of direction but it’s always good to know what to expect. Practice dips and lifts for some fun and romantic photos. Check out some of our engagement sessions here.
Shoes
We will be walking around a lot during your session so, ladies, if you choose to wear heels, don’t hesitate to bring along some flats to change into for easy walking during setting changes.
Purses and wallets
Purses tend to get in the way and wallets tend to be bulky so try to remember to leave those behind. I’ll be happy to put your car keys in my camera bag for you so that you don’t even have to carry those around.
Relax and have fun!
This is an amazing time in your lives – enjoy every minute!
I hope these Top 10 Tips for Your Engagement Session help you prepare for your session and as always, if you have any questions or ideas regarding your engagement session, email us at info@idaliaphotography.com. For more Tips for Brides click here. Happy Wedding Planning!
Engagement Session Planning Guide
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