4 Tips You Need to Know For Preparing for your Engagement Shoot
How to make the most of your Engagement SessionPreparing for your engagement session can be fun, but stressful.
“What do I wear?”
“Where do we go?”
“I have no idea what style I’m going for.”
These are just a few things we’ve heard from couples when planning their engagement shoot. But fear not! We got you.
After doing hundreds of engagement shoots, we wanted to put our top tips in one place for our couples so that we can make your engagement shoot a blast! There are a few little details that can make or break your session if you don’t plan accordingly. Here’s the skinny on our engagement shoots and how you can best prepare.
We do things a little differently…
Our engagement shoots are slightly different than you may think. Traditionally, engagement shoots were an hour when you’d dress up, say cheese, and then later print and send out your save the dates. While this is still partly true, and engagement shoot is so much more to us than just that.
At your engagement shoot, we are not only able to capture a beautiful photo of the two of you together, but also have a chance to capture this exciting new stage in your lives. As a couple, you might be learning to make decisions together and to take your partners views into account more than you had previously (like, why would ever want to put THOSE napkins with THAT table placing…). You are navigating a brand-new stage in your relationship and it will be gone in an instant. We want to take this time so that you are able to truly appreciate one another.
When you are planning a wedding, it is so important to slow down, look at your fiancé, and remember your reasons for it all. An engagement shoot is a time to slow down, enjoy each other’s company, and of course have fun together. We laugh, hang out, and enjoy the adventures that we plan for your shoot.
Did you say Activity?
Now that you understand a little bit about the type of engagement shoots that we do, it is time to start thinking about the location and activities that you want to enjoy at your shoot! You heard that right, I said ACTIVITY! We want to capture you as a couple authentically and have a good time while doing that. In order to capture your true emotions and show your real personalities, we like to do an activity that you would ACTUALLY do. Not just frolicking through a random field while gazing into each other eyes (although there is definitely a time and place for that!).
A great place to start is to think about if you both had a day off. If you both wanted to spend time together and do something you enjoy. Maybe it’s playing Xbox and eating pizza for dinner, or maybe it’s pouring wine/bear and taking a bath together. I know Andy and I LOVE to snuggle in bed and binge Netflix and eat copious amounts of ice cream. Any of these scenarios are the perfect way to start your shoot! We want to start with something cozy and relaxing in your home to get you guys comfortable and again, show who you truly are.
After we do the in-home portion, we can think of things that you guys like to do outdoors or just out of the house. Taking your pups for a walk, going to comic con and lunch, going antiquing or even roller skating. We are up for anything, the more adventurous, the better! Can’t think of any ideas? No problem, we’ll help you think of something fun!
“I have no idea what to wear.”
After you nail down your locations and the date/season, you can start thinking about your outfits! We can usually fit in 2-3 outfits, so choosing all the pieces can be hard. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the appropriate outfits for your shoot!
For the in-home portion: You should choose something cozy, but still you! Avoid colors that are too bright, so that the color doesn’t cast on each other’s faces. Depending on what you are comfortable with, you could choose anywhere from a white t-shirt and jeans, to lingerie and sweatpants. Onesies and long johns are great for winter and fall shoots, and a rompers and shorts are great for summer and Spring shoots!
For a coffee shop/bar/in-town- This is a great time to wear something fun and cute. In the fall, it could be plaid shirts and boots, or in the warmer weather is could be a sundress! The Mr. could wear shorts or jeans with a plaid shirt or T-shirt!
Outdoor/Sunset: Flowy dresses are the absolute best when it comes to outdoor photos because it shows movement and is a nice texture against the background and lighting! For the guys, a pair of slacks and a button up works just great! You can get as formal as you want, and there is no such thing as being over dressed for your shoot.
“I don’t know what to do with my hands.”
Last but NOT least, remember to relax and have a good time! The more relaxed you are, the better the photos will turn out and the more they will actually look like you! Do you feel like you are super awkward in photos? No problem! We’ll help you get comfortable in front of the camera. We have a million poses to help you look good while goofing around with your fiancé. Make sure to bring the jokes and be silly. And guys, don’t be afraid to kiss the heck out your girls face because she’s a beauty, we won’t judge. Wanna grab his butt ‘cause it looks great in those pants? Do it up, we’ll even make sure to get picture of it.
Now that you’ve read all of this information, it’s time for you to set up your engagement photo shoot ASAP! We would love to hang with you for a day and give you guys an idea of what it’s like to have us there on your wedding day!
