Top 3 QuickTips for the Bride Planning an Engagement Session | Tips and Tricks

Congratulations, you are newly engaged! I’m sure there are a bunch of items on your “to-do” list and engagement photos is probably one of them. But, where do you start? Here are some of my initial tips when preparing for your engagement photo session.

1. Use Your Wedding Photographer

It is really easy to get caught up in the excitement and rush into an engagement session with any photographer, but there are some big advantages to using the same photographer hired to capture your wedding day.

For example, I provide a free engagement session as a gift to all my brides and grooms. Many photographers are doing something similar and by rushing off to another photographer, you may be unintentionally adding an unnecessary expense to your budget.

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White Rock Lake, Dallas

 

The other advantage to using your wedding day photographer is the time you spend together before the wedding day. One of the reasons I provide that gift of an engagement session to my brides is to give me a chance to get to know them better before their big day. As an added bonus, it gives my couples an opportunity to get comfortable in front of my camera. On their big day, things always run smoother because I have learned their personalities and they are relaxed in front of the camera.

2. Choosing the Right Location

My first suggestion on this topic is always to consider locations that hold special meaning for you and your fiance.

For example, my husband and I went miniature golfing on our first date so for our engagement session we started there. We then headed over to the hotel on the beach where he proposed (on a side note: that same hotel served as the location for the first few nights of our honeymoon and where we spent our first wedding anniversary). Now, when we look at those photos we share memories not only of our engagement session but also of that first date, his proposal, our honeymoon, and even our first wedding anniversary!

And don’t be afraid to think outside of the box! You may be able to get access to some off the chart locations not normally open to the public. Uncle Bob own that beautiful private ranch estate? Or maybe your boss is able to get you access to that super exclusive members only clubhouse? You might be surprised to find you have a lot of amazing and unique options for your engagement session location.

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The Harbor in Rockwall, Lake Hubbard

3. Make it a Date Night

Most photographers who work with natural light are going to recommend starting your photo session right before the golden hour. I also recommend this which means starting a couple hours before sunset is scheduled. So, you are all done with photos and all dolled up with no place to be… Now what?

Make it a date night! Make reservations at that special restaurant you don’t go to often. Go see a movie. You choose! Make a night out of it and enjoy some time alone together. Just have some fun!

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