…How should you prepare for your engagement shoot?
It is important to know that for success must work at least 3 people. Photographer and both of you. The best engagement photographer is not able to create an amazing photos without your help:) Remember that you are the most important part of the picture.
Where should we go?
Choosing a good location can make your Engagement Shoot really amazing. I always recommend that it should ideally be somewhere that means something to the two of you, and suits your style – maybe somewhere that you like to visit together, a stroll you took on a first date, the picnic place you loved, the river where he proposed. And you could always be a little different and choose to just hang out at home or in your favourite cafe! Or why not go to your wedding venue? There really are no real limits to the location.
Just a note on permissions – some locations, such as country houses etc, may require that you get permission to have a photography session there. It’s always best to check first.
Time of Year/Day
You can choose to have your Engagement Shoot at any time of year. Perhaps a particular season is more important to you – maybe you met in the autumn, or you really love snuggling up in woolly jumpers in winter. The different seasons give so many different photo opportunities, and it is great to make the most of these, for example playing in the colourful leaves in the autumn, relaxing in summer meadows, or cuddling up in crispy snowy winter scenes.
If this is a pre-wedding shoot or an engagement shoot, normally around two to three months before the wedding day, is best as everything will stay fresh in your mind for your wedding day. If you want to use the shoot for ‘save the dates’ or something like that then that’s also cool. A little note on what time of day to have your shoot – if it is sunny, the light gets nicer as you go later into the afternoon, so if the diary permits, try to schedule your shoot for afternoon or later. I absolutely love the ‘golden light’ you get as the sun starts to set, so if you’d like to do a sunset shoot, I’m definitely up for that!
What should we wear?
I want every engagement shoot to really capture who “YOU” guys are, so feel free to bring anything along that really reflect your personalities or are meaningful to you.
Some couples like to be perfectly coordinated for their engagement photos, choosing the same colours or even full matching outfits, but most people like to keep their individual styles.
Same with colour choices – keeping things similar is going to give a more consistent style to your photos so it’s best to stay within the same colour palette, maybe soft pastels or stick to monochromes to keep everything in a complementary style.
Dress for the weather and season too, winter and short sleeves won’t make for a happy face in those photographs.
As for coordinating your colours it’s good to make sure your styles are in sync. I always think smart casual is best for photos. Layer it up too, having a couple of different looks by just removing a jacket is a nice touch.
Also bear in mind that it needs to be suitable for the location, so if you’re going to be on a muddy farm for instance, make it all about the fun wellies look! Or if you’re on the beach, flip flops and shorts.
Maybe bring along a change of outfits if you want to mix things up – relaxed first and then change to dressy for example.
A brilliant idea for your engagement shoot, is to arrange it on the same day makeup trials.
Lots of brides do this so that they can look fab in the photos, but also to get a good feel for how those styles are going to look at the actual wedding
Weird tip:) but please don’t carry anything in your pockets. Phones, keys, wallets etc will make your clothes look lumpy .I have room in my bag to carry anything if you want to empty your pockets before your shoot. Just remember to collect it back!:)
SOME TIPS
-Stick to basic classic cuts as clothes that are too ‘in fashion ‘ will date the portrait
-Avoid logos on clothes as these can distract
-Avoid prints and colours that are too loud
-you can bring a couple of clothing options. Layers are a great idea
-Ensure clothes are well ironed
-If hand and feet are going to be in the shot then get a manicure and pedicure before the shoot
Do we need to bring anything?
I want every engagement shoot to look like it could be in a magazine, so feel free to bring things along that really reflect your fantastic personalities.
(For example, if you have a motorcycle, bring it. If you have a Viking helmet, wear it. If you have a cute dog, bring it:)
Feel free to bring along anything that is relevant to you both, maybe your favourite books if you like reading, a hamper, blanket and pretty cakes if you want it picnic style.
Then what happens?
I want to capture the interaction between the two of you – the natural personalities, the love, the laughter, the romance and the silliness. I would much rather capture a picture that looks real, than one which is posed and fake. So don’t worry about me – I am just there to photograph the moments between the two of you. You can move about, chat, laugh, hold each other, spin round, whatever you feel like. I’ll help you out if you don’t know how to stand or what to do with your hands, and I’ll make sure you are always looking your best with beautiful light and backgrounds behind you – so don’t worry. Sometimes I’ll ask you to look at the camera, but you can still just keep it relaxed and natural. I know it will be weird at first, but it really will get easier as our session goes on!
There are absolutely no expectations of you, we just want you to have a good time. If you do have anything that you are particularly concerned about, please do let your photographer know beforehand, such as if you have a preferred ‘side’ or if there is anything about yourself that you don’t like in photos.
