With the warmer arriving (thank goodness!!), I feel like not only wedding season is here but engagement season as well! I absolutely LOVE engagement sessions because it allows me to get to know my clients even more – especially before the wedding day arrives! ANNNNDDD we have tons of fun – I promise! I could go on and on about the importance of e-shoots…I think I’ll need to write a separate blog post about all of that! 😀

Let’s get back to business…

I want to preface by saying that even though I’m sharing my 5 best tips for preparing for your engagement session the most important thing to me is that you have FUN and are yourself! The five items below are what I get asked the MOST – what a better way to answer the questions than with a blog post, of course!

Below, I’ll walk you through 5 helpful tips to keep in mind when prepping for your upcoming engagement session!

1. What to Wear

This is the most common question I’m asked, so that’s why it’s at the top of the list! When picking out an outfit make sure you’re keeping three things in mind:

• Wear clothes that are complimentary to one another. You don’t want you and your fiance’s outfits to completely match (anyone remember those all-white attire, beach photos days? lol)! For example, blues and pinks go really well together – they aren’t the same colors, but complement one another! Score!
• Add some texture to your outfit by wearing jewelry, a watch (for the guys), scarves, etc.
• Lastly, be comfortable and don’t stray too far from who you already are together! Think about what you would normally wear if you’d go on a date with your sweetheart! Most likely you’d wear more dressy clothing that would be different than your day-to-day wear! That is what you should wear to your engagement shoot!

2. Location & Time

This is the second most asked question I receive! Location is SO key! Pick a spot that has meaning to you but also has tons of light!! If you’re unsure and open to locations, always ask your photographer! We (photographers) totally have some hidden gems up our sleeves and most definitely have a list of our favorite places to shoot!! Never hesitate to ask!

Now onto time! My favorite time to shoot is during golden hour! 😀 Either two hours after sunrise or two hours before sunset! The light is SO dreamy! Golden hour doesn’t last forever so make sure you arrive on time to your engagement session 😀 This allows your photographer to capture so many more portraits, in addition to spending as much time together as possible!

3. Hair & Makeup

Girl – you deserve to treat yourself! Even though these images obviously aren’t your wedding images, your engagement should be celebrated in every way possible! You’ve invested hours of prep work, time and money into finding a photographer who is a perfect fit to capture not only your wedding day, but your exciting season of being engaged as well!

This doesn’t need to be an extra cost to you at all! I usually encourage my clients to schedule their wedding hair/makeup trial to take place on the same day! That way, you’re able to see how your makeup will look like in images prior to your wedding day!

4. Clean your ring!

During your engagement session, I’ll be sure to get beautiful shots of your engagement ring! Having your ring cleaned ahead of time adds a little more sparkle to the images! And who doesn’t want to wear a shiny ring on their finger?! 😀

5. Make it a Date!

Back to the fun I mentioned above, make your engagement session a date! Don’t overbook your schedule to do anything else on the day of your engagement session other than spending time together! You’re already busy planning so much for your wedding day, why not take a day off for yourselves! 😀

View Amanda & John and Tyla & Chris’ engagement sessions to see more! These couples absolutely ROCKED-IT when it came to selecting outfits for their engagement session! 😀