AH, the engagement session! This is personally one of my FAVORITE parts of the wedding experience. You’ll (usually) only be engaged for a short time and I LOVE capturing the pure joy and exciting anticipation that accompanies the waiting period before you officially share a last name 🙂 So let’s dive into my 5 top things to know so you can make your engagement session incredible and memorable!
1). It’s actually really important.
A lot of couples skip out on the engagement session because of two main reasons. 1, because it’s an extra cost, or 2, because they think they’re unimportant. I personally include engagement sessions in all of my wedding packages because they are so important to your photography experience. The engagement session allows you both to get comfortable in front of the camera before your big day! That way all of the first time jitters are out of the way and I can capture the authentic emotions of your wedding day!
2). Location isn’t everything… but it kind of is.
You know in real estate, they always say, “location, location, location.” Well, photographers say it, too 😉 This is a chance for you to think outside of the box! Think of a place that you can get private access to or family friends that have a private estate or family land! Think about the cities surrounding yours as well. Instead of doing your engagement session in the city you live in, what about a surrounding city, the beach, or on top of a mountain? You quite literally have endless options and this is a way to really make your photos stand out from the crowd!
3). Dress it up.
The best advice I could give you, hands down, is to leave the boots, flannel, jeans, flip flops, and pants at home! Say yes to the dress and get your man in a suit and tie! But really, other than your wedding day, how many times do you have the chance to dress up in a beautiful dress and hold onto your man in a nice suit? My favorite suggestion for brides are dresses from LuLu’s or Rent the Runway. Just know that when you’re picking a dress, there is NOTHING too dressed up for your engagement session! Men, if you don’t have a nice suit, it’s a great time to invest in one! You can find a well-tailored suit for a great price these days (Zara is my favorite place to find them for a steal).
(Pro tip: bring a fresh bouquet of flowers, a statement necklace, balloons, or any other props you can think of to give your photos an editorial feel).
4). Go pro for hair and make-up.
Ladies, how many of you have had those moments where you stress out to NO END because your hair isn’t doing what you want it to or you have that ONE eye where the mascara is actually going to war with your eyelashes?! (If you haven’t, I’m not sure I believe you…). Imagine that on the night of your engagement photos… AH! Having a professional for hair and make-up scheduled for your engagement session relieves you of that stress so that you can be free to relax and have a great time with your guy! Professional make-up also shows up beautifully on camera!
5). Prep your man.
Take some time to make him feel empowered and ready for the session! Most men aren’t heading into an engagement session thinking about how excited they are to have their picture taken for two hours in front of someone they don’t know in a suit they may not be used to! BUT, if you take some time before the session to prep him and tell him why this is so important to you (and how dang handsome he looks in his suit), it can help ease a lot of nerves and tension for him!
I hope you now feel empowered to take on your engagement session! This piece of the wedding experience is so important to me, which is why all of my brides receive a 52-page Engagement Session Style Guide magazine to help guide their experience, give outfit inspiration, precise directions, and detailed directions on picking outfits, how to flatter your figure, and what colors show up best on camera.
If you’re engaged (YAY!) and interested in booking your engagement session, let’s chat! I’d love to give you your very own style guide and get you in front of my lens so we can create a little bit of magic together 🙂
xo, Demi
