An Engagement Session is usually scheduled shortly after finding your wedding photographer and most wedding photographers include it in their packages. Planning your engagement session is part of the wedding planning process and usually is something for the bride and groom to check off their wedding planning checklist. This is the ultimate guide to planning your engagement session. Planning your engagement session can be stressful, but we are here to help!
Why Should I schedule an Engagement Session?
We’re big fans of engagement sessions for a few reasons. First, they allow you to get comfortable in front of the camera. It takes time for most couples to warm up to being photographed and understand how we pose. Timelines can be pretty tight on weddings days and 30 minutes may be all we have for portraits – which is why we’ve found that wedding day portraits turn out so much better when couples do engagement sessions ahead of time.
Second, you can showcase your personalities in a more casual setting that is significant to the two of you (and even include pets!). While they’re great for save-the-dates, we’ve taken engagement photos anywhere from 18 months in advance to a few days before the wedding.
Do you Photograph Destination Engagement Sessions?
Yes, and I LOVE photographing destination engagement sessions. While we take most of our engagement sessions in the Florida area, we’ve photographed sessions everywhere from New York City to Utah to Arizona, to Washington State. If you have a location in mind that is significant to the two of you, let us know because if our schedules align, we might be able to take your engagement photos outside of our normal area. SIDE NOTE: If we are already traveling to a destination location, we DO NOT charge travel fees! We travel a lot, so just ask us and maybe you can plan a trip!
What Should we Wear to Our Engagement Session?
When picking outfits we recommend keeping in mind the word “complement” rather than “match.” For example, if the groom-to-be is wearing a blue and pink pastel plaid shirt, the bride-to-be may want to choose a long, soft blue dress. It can also be a great idea to choose “color-families,” such as pastels or jewel tones.
Generally couples pick two outfits for an engagement session: a more formal outfit and a casual outfit. We recommend saving your favorite outfit for later in the session, when couples usually feel more comfortable in front of the camera. And don’t forget to bring a few accessories! Statement necklaces, cute shoes and classic watches are great ways to add detail to outfits.
An Important Tip:
When we can, we always try to take a photo of your ring during your engagement session – so it’s a good idea to have it cleaned or clean it yourself before your shoot! To clean at home, soak your ring in warm water with dishwashing soap for 20 to 40 minutes. Then gently brush the stone with a soft toothbrush, rinse and repeat if needed.
Do we Need to Know How to Pose?
When it comes to posing for your engagement session, you don’t need to worry about a thing! We’ll guide you through the entire process beginning with “poses” that are super easy and natural. If we tell you to do something that feels a little funny, it’s probably because we know it’s going to make the two of you laugh – and that’s the photo we’re actually looking for.
Throughout your session, we’ll keep an eye on your hair, makeup and outfits to make sure things stay in place. We want you to feel as relaxed as possible and enjoy your time together!
When Will we Get Our Images Back from our Engagement Session?
As soon as possible after your session is complete, we’ll start editing your sneak peek images. It normally takes them about 3-4 business days to get your sneak peeks to you. Unless we have a holiday closure, you can expect to receive your full engagement gallery between 2 and 3 weeks after your engagement session.
When Should we Send out our Save The Dates?
If your wedding is local, save the dates should be sent between 6 and 8 months before the wedding. For a destination wedding, you’ll want to send them out 8 to 10 months before the wedding.
If you’re hoping to use your engagement photos for your save the dates, we recommend scheduling your session at least two months before you plan to send out your save-the-dates. Between inclement weather, editing, designing your save-the-dates and printing, two months is generally a safe amount of time to make sure your images and cards are ready.
A Note to Your Groom:
We get it. Having your picture taken for 1-2 hours might not be in your top-10 favorite things to do during your downtime. And at first you might feel sort of awkward being in front of the camera. But I think you’ll find that by the end of the session, it’s a lot easier than you thought, and you even had a little fun. I look forward to it because it’s a great opportunity for us all to hang out a bit before the wedding day.
Bringing Pets to Your Engagement Session
Our dogs are huge part of our family, which is why we love when couples choose to incorporate pets into their session. Keep in mind that bringing a pet along often means that we’ll need to choose a pet friendly location.
We recommend planning for your pet to be at the first part of your session and then either dropping them off or having a friend take them home. We won’t use the pet in every single photo so it’s also nice to have a friend available to hold him or her in between shots.
If you’re going to bring a pet, we recommend exercising your pet before the session and bringing your pets favorite toy or treats! Depending on your pet’s fur type, it might also be a good idea to groom them before the shoot.
Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina & Destination Wedding Photographer
[…] may remember Jen and John from their engagement session at Ft. De Soto earlier this year!! I am still in love with their engagement photos. They got […]