I just LOVE engagement sessions!! They are a special time for you and your fiance to get comfortable in front of the camera and for us to get to know each other. It’s laid back, fun and great practice for wedding day, which is why I include them in all of my wedding collections! Here are some of my tips for prepping for the perfect e-session.

Your Outfit
I recommend TWO outfits for your session. For the first outfit pick something more casual, like jeans and a cute top. For the second outfit, go a little dressy. Choosing dresses or skirts with flow and movement are best. Personally, I love flowing maxis, neutral colors and soft, romantic prints.

For the guys, this is your time to shine too! A casual outfit example would be a polo/sweater with jeans and brown leather shoes/loafers. An example for your dressier outfit would be dress pants and a button down and blazer. No need for matchy-matchy outfits, just remember to compliment each other 🙂

Hair + Makeup
Your engagement session is a great opportunity to test your wedding day makeup, so consider scheduling your makeup trial on the day of your engagement session. This is also a great way to foster a relationship between your makeup artist and hairstylist. Let them know you’re doing an engagement session and your hair and makeup will SHINE in your photos. If you’re doing your own hair and makeup, keep things light and natural to allow for movement and heat if you’re session is in the summer.

Location + Time
I am happy to assist you in location ideas, but it helps if the location for your engagement session is meaningful to the both of you. Think about picking a spot you and your love are comfortable in. For example: strolling in the city surrounded by the beautiful architecture, going on a hike or to a park with nature as your backdrop, if you’re college sweethearts, your university is a great location idea.

My favorite time for engagement sessions are either 1-2 hours after sunrise or 1-2 hours before sunset. This gives us the PERFECT light to shoot in and really gives that natural glow that you see in so many of my photos also known as “golden hour.” And lastly, please arrive on time for your session so we can get the most out of the time (and golden light!) we have together!

Furbabies are always welcome!
Pets are a part of the family, so they should absolutely be included in your photos. Just plan accordingly (maybe have a friend lend a hand with pup duty), because we will also need photos of just the two of you 😉

Your ring
It is your engagement session after all, so make sure your engagement ring is nice and shiny! I love not only capturing moments between the two of you, but also details like ring shots!

Celebrate!
Don’t be all dressed and have nowhere to go! Plan for a date night after your session, or a hangout with friends to keep the celebration going!