4 Tips for a Perfect Engagement Session

I love engagement sessions because it’s a chance to meet a couple and spend some time with them before their wedding! It gives me a chance to get to know them and understand what their vision is for their gallery, and that always helps their wedding go MUCH more smoothly.

Did you know an engagement session is included in your wedding package?

If you’re a bride gearing up for your engagement session, then this list is for you! These tips come from years of experience doing engagement shoots and weddings with all kinds of brides, and I’m confident that they’ll make your engagement session that much more special.

Tip #1: Choose the Right Time of Day

My favorite time of day to take photos (and most other photographers’ as well) is golden hour. It’s just before the sun is going down, and the light isn’t overwhelmingly bright— it warms the setting just enough to produce a cheery, ambient light that makes every photo look like a movie. Then, at the very end, you have the opportunity to get some beautiful sunset shots, too.

However, if golden hour doesn’t work for you or your photographer (or maybe it’s supposed to rain during golden hour), I also LOVE shooting around 9:00 or 10:00 in the morning. The morning light gives a similar cheery feel, and it makes your photos look really bright. Also, if your shoot is in the summer, the morning is a great option to avoid the heat.

This engagement shoot took place during golden hour, and the light is just perfect!

One more thing: don’t panic if the sun doesn’t come out on the day of your shoot. If you scheduled your session for golden hour, but it seems like there isn’t going to be any sun, then you’ll get some BEAUTIFUL overcast photos. When it’s cloudy, shadows are reduced, which gives us more location options. The sun is beautiful when it’s in the right place in pictures, but shadows— especially around leafy trees— can be a little tricky. Overcast skies do not ruin photoshoots— in fact, they enhance them!

Tip #2: Choose a Place That’s Meaningful to You

A photographer can do a lot with any location, so this tip is just for you. When you look at your engagement photos, you want to see meaningful moments, and the photos are made even more meaningful when they’re taken in a place that’s sentimental to you. This could be the place you and your groom met, it could be your family farm, it could be your favorite place to walk your dogs… the options are endless!

Not only does choosing a sentimental, meaningful location make your pictures that much more special, but it also helps you feel comfortable. Whether this is your first time in front of a camera with your groom or your tenth, it’s still easy to get nervous and feel unnatural. Being in a location where you feel at home (it could even be IN your home!) makes all the difference in making your photos look as natural as possible.

Tip #3: Bring an Outfit Change

This tip will give you a gallery with lots of variety. On top of a venue with a few spots to shoot, bringing an outfit change will give you tons of different photos with slightly different feels. Typically, brides do one formal outfit (think: white dress, blouse and pants or skirt, etc.) and one casual outfit (think: sundress, patterned shirt and jeans, etc.). The groom can just wear a button down with khakis and change into jeans for the more casual shots, like this groom did.

With the more formal outfit, you can do more formal, traditional poses. These are great for a save-the-date! With the more casual outfit, you can have a little more fun and do some more casual poses. However, it is YOUR shoot. If you want to change things up, go for it! These are your photos and your memories, and my goal as a photographer is to tell your story, not someone else’s.

Tip #4: Choose Some Poses Beforehand

My last tip to make your engagement shoot go seamlessly (and exactly how you want it to go) is to choose your poses beforehand— or at least some of them. For your wedding day, we will get a shot list together so we make sure to capture everything you want, and I want the same thing for your engagement shoot! You don’t have to go into great detail (you can if you want, though!), but scan Pinterest before your shoot for poses you MUST have, and send them your photographer’s way. Even if it’s just a few, anything helps!

Also, if you have a specific vibe you want for your photos (formal, cozy, outdoorsy, etc.), let your photographer know that as well. Again, I want to give you the engagement shoot of your dreams, so any input from you is appreciated.

If you have absolutely no idea what to ask for, here’s a short list of poses I love to do at engagement sessions that aren’t just “smile at the camera” and “kiss each other.”

Holding his hands from the front while he hugs you from behind.

Looking at each other, smiling.

Walking hand in hand.

Sitting with each other, looking at the camera.

Holding hands, focusing on the ring.

Hugging from behind, looking in different directions.

Giving a forehead kiss.

Spinning you!

Jumping into his arms.

I hope these tips are able to help you have the PERFECT engagement session you deserve! Remember, it’s your story, and we’re just helping you tell it.