Engagement Session Tips | For Brides

Engagement sessions can be a whole lot of fun for couples. Sometimes, though, the anticipation of getting in front of the camera can get in the way of having a good time. We want you to enjoy your engagement session as much as we do, so here are our top tips for getting the most out of your engagement session!

1. Have your wedding photographer photograph your engagement session.

You’ll thank yourself later. Sometimes a friend or family member may offer you a free engagement session. While this is a great gesture of friendship, your wedding photographer values engagement sessions more than you may realize. You see, we see them as a way to get to know our clients. Engagement sessions offer an hour of learning the little things that make you unique as a couple. They help us learn how to pull you out of that awkwardness and into your comfort zone. Not only are engagement sessions valuable to the photographers, but it’s also valuable to you as a couple. Showing off your love in front of someone you’ve met once or twice can be hard. Believe us, we are the first to admit that when a camera comes out, suddenly we don’t know what to do with our hands or how to interact with the other. However, the engagement session helps to get those awkward jitters out.  It gives you time to get comfortable with your wedding photographer behind the lens as well as comfortable with how we lead you into those moments that were made for cameras.

2. Use your engagement session as a time to make up for missed hugs and kisses.

If there was ever a time to be overly affectionate, this would be it. While engagement sessions are great for your save the dates and guest book, they are also for you to enjoy and hang on your walls! This is the time to show off your love in the best way you know how. Not sure how to do that? An easy way thing to remember is to have multiple points of your body touching (heads together, arms wrapped up, torsos close). That recipe will never fail to create those intimate photographs.

3. Wear clothes that make you feel beautiful.

My mom used to tell me: When you feel good, you look good. And we believe this with our whole hearts. We always suggest our couples bring two outfits, a casual and a dressed up look to change it up. If you really want to up your game, choose a dress that has a lot of movement. If you do, be prepared for your wedding photographer to do a whole lot of, “YES!” “Oh my gosh, I can’t even!” You’ll rock your photographer’s world, and your photos will be gorgeous for it. We have a whole board of engagement session outfits that we think would look great photographed check them out here.

4. Choose meaningful locations for your engagement session.

Parks and fields are always pretty, but choosing a location where he proposed, or where you had your first date will do wonders for your engagement session photographs. What we’ve found is that couples who photograph in these special spots love to tell their story about it. Those stories often lead to laughing and teasing and truly intimate moments.

5. Schedule your engagement session with your wedding photographer for 1.5 hours-2 hours before sunset.

We always schedule our A&R brides with this schedule because you will get some of the most beautiful lighting of the day. This time of day is called golden hour, and it’s called that for a very good reason. All the sunshine just makes all the edges golden. The sun isn’t as harsh as it would be in the afternoon, and creates beautiful images.

6. Use your engagement session as an excuse to treat yo’self.

Make it a date night! You are all dressed up with your hair and makeup on point, take advantage of it! We encourage our couples to carry the romance into the rest of their evening. Wedding planning is stressful, and sometimes it is just nice to sit down, and talk about something other than your wedding to do list.

7. Finally, have fun!

We know that everyone says this, but don’t take the session too seriously. The best photographs are found in the silly & in-between. Sometimes you just need to dance it out, sing at the top of your lungs, and chant your favorite camp songs. Whatever it is that makes you guys laugh and enjoy yourself, do that. We can’t guarantee this for other wedding photographers, but we always promise our couples to assume they’re doing it right. There is no wrong way to interact with one another.

We’d love to hear your comments and engagement session tips below! Let us know how your session goes.