Engagement sessions are one of our favorite parts of our job! They’re the best way for us to get to know you, your relationship, and the types of images you love most. Most importantly: they allow you two to get relaxed and confident in front of our cameras, experiencing how we shoot before the big day.
You've probably seen tons of engagement photos out there on the internet, and the possibilities can seem endless, cheesy, or like carbon-copies of each other. Here’s the most important idea to take away from this: we simply want you to be yourselves and enjoy it! We want to get to know the real you, and to document all of the sweetest and most authentic parts of your relationship during this exciting time. The realer the better.
We've put together this handy guide with tips and FAQs as we plan for your shoot. There's really no rule book, and our sessions are not about the coolest backdrops, the fanciest outfits, or the latest social media trends. They’re about you two connecting with each other, and taking a break from planning to celebrate this exciting time in your lives.
Dig on in, and of course feel free to reach out with any other questions or curiosities! Topics we’ll cover here:
1. What to Expect • 2. Timing •
3. Locations • 4. What to Wear
1. What to Expect
We want your engagement session to be about more than just making images. We see these couple of hours as time set aside from the logistics of wedding planning for you to enjoy each others' company, reminisce, and focus on sharing this new chapter together.
How do we do this? By focusing on the connection between you two. Our goal is to bring out and document your personalities, quirks, and the things you love about each other. The way we direct is very organic, camera-unaware, fun, and most of all - meaningful.
First we'll make sure you look great, composing flattering photos with beautiful light, but then our priority is to get you two connected. We'll ask questions, move around, give you breathing room - things to get your focus off the camera and onto each other.
Documenting your unique connection is our favorite part of what we do. Thank you for trusting us to do so, and in return we promise to create a safe and special space for you to just be with one another!
Honestly, taking photos with them felt like one of the best double dates we’ve been on.
• Chrissy + Kyle
2. Timing
When should we schedule your shoot? If you'd like to use your photos for save the dates, these are typically sent 9-12 months in advance of the wedding. Factoring in edit time: we'll return your photos within about 3 weeks of your shoot. If you don’t plan to use the photos for save the dates there is more flexibility.
Most people next consider seasonality. Spring and summer are lovely, lush, and versatile seasons to shoot in. Fall is beautiful with crisp light and changing leaves - and it's our busiest season of the year! A bit less expected, we love shooting in winter with its soft pastel sunlight and minimal snowy landscapes.
No matter the time of year we'll always start your shoot about 2 hours before sunset for the best lighting. Harsh mid-day sunlight creates wacky colors and skin tones, unflattering shadows, sweating, and squinting, so we avoid it when possible. The hours before sunset have beautiful directional light - think warm golden rays, soft/even shadows, and the romantic blue-ish tones of twilight.
We schedule engagement sessions Mondays-Thursdays as our weekends are heavily wedding-focused.
3. Locations
Above all we encourage locations and activities that represent you as a couple - think sentimental spots, unique hobbies, or shared passions. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the typical spots! Avoiding popular landmarks will cut down on crowds (photobombers and watching eyes), permits, and other restrictions, and will allow your photos to stand out as unique.
One helpful trick is to think of your session as a story, rather than a collection of images in various locations. What does the best of your time together really look like, and what setting can best convey that?
Some ideas to help you brainstorm: do you love hanging at home together? In-home sessions are our very favorite, and they allow us to truthfully capture your lives together at this moment in time. We also find that people are much more relaxed and natural in their own environment, without lots of other people around.
Have a favorite neighborhood you live in or love to spend time in? We love wandering around to find interesting light, backdrops, and local hangs. We've cooked in peoples’ kitchens, been on sailboats and canoes, had a few at breweries, explored art museums, you name it. We are always game for new locations, adventures, and concepts, and we’re happy to help brainstorm if you’re stumped.
4. What to Wear?
This is most peoples’ biggest question leading up to their engagement session. The biggest key here: be yourself, and be comfortable! If you're not feeling like yourself in a new outfit it may show in photos, so we suggest opting for a style of clothing you would normally wear. We vote for your favorite worn in pair of jeans over a stiff new dress or shirt any day.
In addition, locations and outfits go hand-in-hand. Once we know the location and season for your shoot it will help guide choices so they make sense with the setting, and so that you stand out instead of clashing. As for number of outfits, most couples do just one or two. This helps with the flow of the shoot, so we don’t have to take too many breaks to change. Feel free to bring options along for us to check out!
Some specifics to keep in mind when choosing outfits:
1. Comfort: Staying comfortable will help you focus on each other.
Feel like yourself in what you’re wearing, and don’t worry about what you’re ‘supposed to’ wear for engagement photos.
Be conscious of the weather - choose materials and layers that will keep you comfortable no matter the temperature.
Be able to move - we'll likely move around a fair bit during your session, so keep breathable/movable clothes (and footwear) in mind.
2. Style: Most of the time we encourage casual, simple outfits. This helps remove visual distraction to keep the focus on emotion and connection.
Colors - try to avoid very bright colors. Although we have no beef with bold, poppy colors in everyday life, they tend to read funny in-camera and can bounce weird colors up on your face in certain lighting conditions. We’d especially suggest avoiding neons, reds, oranges, and bright corals, as these can mess with how your skin tone will appear in photos.
Patterns and logos - Avoid loud patterns as they will read funny in camera. However one of you in a subtle pattern works great - think delicate floral, gingham, small dots, and a variety of texture. Also avoid very graphic logos or text, unless it’s something meaningful to you like your favorite band tee!
Movement - we LOVE flowy, moving fabrics if that’s your thing! It adds an extra level to the photos if we get a bit of wind.
3. Complementary: Choose outfits that are complementary vs perfectly matching. Shoot for a variety of friendly tones, textures, and patterns.
If you’re still feeling stumped feel free to email us a a snap of a few options laid out next to each other on your bed for us to check out! This is helpful to visualize how different colors, patterns, and textures work together. Don’t hesitate to bring options/layers to choose from as we change settings during the shoot.
Any other questions?
Please feel free to shoot us a message if you have any other curiosities or ideas about your shoot! Most of all we are so excited to hang out with you two and to make some memories capturing your connection together.
