Engagement photos are so exciting! What a fun way to celebrate & let’s be real… the ring photos are everything haha). But, you’re also going to find they come in as an essential for wedding planning. You’re going to want them for announcements and invites and lots of other ways to use them. Also, a pre-wedding session will help us get to know each other and you can use it as practice for your wedding photos! This is especially helpful if you’re feeling nervous about being in front of the camera, posing or meeting me (hey – I get it!) It’s easy to put all your focus on the wedding (obviously!) but it’s important to pause and celebrate your engagement because this period of time goes by REAL quick. There’s a lot of anticipation coming, so taking a minute to enjoy your engagement with a photo shoot is going to help you celebrate.
The Benefits Of Engagement Photos
First and foremost, this session is all about you. You can think about it like a practice run for your wedding photos. You’re going to get a feel for how you can pose and I can learn more about your dynamic as a couple. And something that is important to me and I feel can get overlooked a lot is humor. Your sense of humor with each and how you respond to one another are really helpful queues that I look for to follow. The most important thing I tell all my couples is that it’s about you. You’re the subject so you’re more important than the background, the outfit or the location. While all those things are really important, the most important thing is that we capture your love.
A few things I want to remind you about beforehand are what to bring… and what to leave behind. (Don’t worry – I won’t be mad at you if you forget!) This is just for your mental notes so that you’re not scrambling and thinking “WHY DIDN’T SHE TELL ME?!”
THINGS TO NOTE:
- Try to avoid bringing too many props. It’s so fun to bring one thing like champagne and glasses. But there is so much love to capture between the two of you that you don’t need props. They are quite cute, so if you choose to bring something I would suggest 1-3 props max.
- Bring a tote bag of some kind that you can throw any keys, apple watches, phones, wallets, etc. into. Those are items you don’t want to toss in the sand or loose in the grass, but we don’t want you holding bulky items in your cute pics!
- I’ll ask you to do this if you forget: but (please) don’t chew gum. It’s simply just not the vibe for engagement photos haha.
- You know when you wear sunglasses and you get those little lines on the bridge of your nose? You can avoid that by not wearing sunglasses before you get in front of the camera. Just try to keep that in mind, because it’s not something I’m going to be able to edit out of every photo.
- Your friends and family will love to celebrate with you at your wedding, but these photos are about you and your spouse-to-be. If you still want to bring people – just let me know ahead of time!
- It’s never a bad idea to bring your lipstick or even a small makeup bag for touch-ups! You may not need it, but if you think of it, it might come in handy.
How To Use Them
You can use your engagement photos in so many different ways. One of the things I will usually tell my couples is that the photos you two have of each other is literally art. You can use these photos to decorate your house. It might be kind of nice to have more casual photos of the start of your life together in some areas of your home other than your wedding photos. You can also use them on save-the-date cards, your wedding website, social media announcements, and a lot more. Having professional photos of the two of you as a couple also helps everything feel that much more official too!
And, like I said earlier, having engagement photos is such a great way to document this moment in time of your relationship. Engagement photos will capture a unique chapter in your love story. Years down the road, you’ll love looking back on these photos. They’re SO worth the hype, and I would never want you to go without them.
Selfishly, I love getting to have a session before the wedding to really capture your personalities and style. I want to be able to tailor your experience with me as your wedding day photographer to you as much as possible. Intake forms and video calls aren’t the same as the little nuances that I can pick up on when we’re spending time together. As a couple, you’re undoubtedly going to have a unique vibe. The better I can understand that, the more authentic your results are going to be.
I can’t wait to get to know you in this setting! Engagement sessions are where I really thrive. I love to laugh and I’ll be your biggest hype girl. I’d advocate for you if you’ve got a hair out of place and I’ll OBSESS over the wedding details with you. Creating a space where you feel comfortable and relaxed is what I do best and I absolutely cannot wait to capture your love! Now, all we need is you (and your gorgeous ring) to show up.
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Kind Words
“Jenn is crazy talented and shocked us with the photos she took for our engagement! Easily some of the best photos we’ve ever had of each other, and out of the hundreds of great photos it is hard to choose a winner. Her direction and fun personality made the entire experience super fun and effortless. We’re excited to use her in the future! Highly recommend her.”
