4 Hacks to Bring Your Engagement Session to the Next Level

If you’re a bride, I think we’ve all scrolled Instagram and had our jaws drop over a gorgeous engagement photograph. There is so much good inspiration available, but sometimes it seems like we either hope  we’ll get those soft and romantic images or believe we couldn’t ever have those types of images. But personally, I wouldn’t want to leave that up to fate. You can easily style your engagement session and set it up for success. I wanted to toss out a few truly easy tips to take your engagement session into that whimsical and beautiful level that is 110% worthy of being on those wedding blogs.

1. Wear clothes that keep it classy just like you

Personally, all of my favorite engagement sessions involve some sort of gorgeous flowy gown. Call me a romantic, but I adore all whimsy and the possibilities that come with a long gown. More importantly than appeasing my personal preference for long gowns, I think choosing classy and timeless pieces will always yield the results you’re looking for. A bonus tip is to choose a lighter colored dress: light blue, sage, light pink, light light light. They will photograph so much better than brighter colors (with the exception of navy. Navy looks great.)

Some great options to find those beautiful gowns are:

Lulus

Rent The Runway

Asos

For the guys, I would definitely recommend dressing up with clothing that fits & is tailored to your body. The girls aren’t the only ones that should look their very best!

1. Choose a clutter free location

Engagement photos are kinda like real estate: It’s all about that location, location, location. While it may be super tempting to focus an entire engagement session around gorgeous buildings ( I love a good bit of architecture, don’t get me wrong.),  don’t underestimate the value of a wide open field or beach. That simple & natural element keeps it less about the location and more about you. Plus, who doesn’t like imagining they’re in the French countryside?

1. Add a prop that makes sense: Bouquet, a picnic basket, wine, champagne, rowboat, a hat, guitar, etc.

Engagement sessions and props have been going together like pb&j for as long as I have been photographing. But I believe what makes a perfectly styled engagement session is a prop that makes sense for the setting. It’s natural and authentic. For example, I don’t feel like it’s that far of a reach to have a bouquet for your engagement session. It definitely makes it more bridal, but hey, you’re a bride. It’s romantic, and it’s something to hold onto with your hands! Not to mention, if you design it yourself, you can spend about $30 and have a gorgeous bouquet. Another example would be have a rowboat or a guitar. Basically: avoid most Pinterest recommendations because they’ve been overdone. 

4. Build a playlist, do a little dance, drop it like it’s hot.

I’m going to fill you in on a little secret: when you feel good, you look good. When you’re relaxed, your personalities start to shine through in your photographs, which is perfect because that’s what we want! So how do we become comfortable in front of a camera? We play music. If you’re a girl like me, a song can make you feel all the things. I literally cried to a song this morning. Ya feel me? So having a playlist with songs that are both upbeat and soft and romantic can change your engagement session for the better! There is absolutely nothing wrong with dropping it like it’s hot during your engagement session. We recommend building a playlist that has both fun songs for more playful photographs, and then softer songs that help make it more intimate.

I don’t know about you, but just writing this post has me all excited for a romantic Cleveland Engagement session!