5 Tips To Rock Your Engagement Session

These 5 tips will guarantee you ROCK your engagement session

It happened!  You’re engaged!  Best. News. Ever.  And now, you are waist deep in wedding plans, making sure you’ve checked all your boxes and crossed everything off your list.  So much to think about and so much to do before your awesome big day.  But first, let’s talk about your engagement session!  Because you have a million things to think about, I’ve complied a list of my top 5 tips that will make your engagement session AH-MAZING and you can get back to kicking some serious butt at all this wedding planning stuff.

“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”  ~When Harry Met Sally

Helpful Engagement Session Tips

Location.

1. Pick an awesome location that screams YOU.  Forget the park or that one place that your friends had their pictures taken that one time. Because, do you love the outdoors? Or the arcade, or the ice cream parlor? Do you love to go to the movies together or go to the amusement park? Or maybe you are you drawn to the ocean or hiking in the mountains? Pick something you love to do together and then pick a spot that shows that! Are you stumped for ideas?  Because you can ask your photographer! I know I always have an ongoing list saved on my phone with cool locations and fun photo spots. Your photographer is always happy to offer ideas based on your likes and dislikes. And we can add suggestions for the best time of day for avoiding crowds at those locations as well.

Clothing.

2. Don’t overthink it. What to wear is the number one thing that seems to stress out couples the most. That’s why the first question I always get from someone scheduling their engagement session is what they should wear. And so, my biggest piece of advice is to take a deep breath, and don’t overthink it. Wear something that you feel amazing in. The fun thing about these kind of sessions is that you can bring multiple outfits! Because there’s nothing that says you have to stick to just one set of clothing for your shoot. Many of my couples opt to wear a dressier outfit AND a more casual option. If you need help narrowing your options down, feel free to bring them all with you and I’d love to help you decide. I’ll help you pick and pull from the options you bring to change into for each backdrop we shoot at. This way I can make sure the outfits compliment the environment so that the focus is on you two, not on any distractions, which yes, can be your outfits. So, all you have to do is make sure you bring stuff that you feel like a million bucks in that we can pick from!

Still stressing about what to wear?

My ENGAGEMENT OUTFIT GUIDE is here to help you.

Lighting.

3. Golden Hour.  Okay, we’ve all heard that we should take photos at golden hour, but what does that even mean? Golden Hour just refers to the hour of light when the sun is closest to the horizon. So, in the morning, that would be the hour following sunrise, and in the evening it is the hour leading up to sunset. These hours have the softest, most flattering light of the entire day. So, that means that you won’t have any harsh shadows under your eyes, under your nose, or making you squint in your photographs. This type of lighting is beautiful and gives your skin the most beautiful glow. I always encourage my clients to schedule their engagement session around this time of day to take advantage of this beautiful lighting. Plus, golden hour allows for those lovely sun flares to enter the camera lens and adds such an artistic flare to your portrait.

And if you’re a super nerd like me and want to know in depth why Golden Hour is as amazing as it is check out all the scientific details HERE.

Posing.

4. Act natural. So, forget those posed, both smiling big cheesy grins at the camera shots.  We’ll take a few of those at the end for your parents to ‘oooh and aww’ over. But for the rest of the time, play, tickle, laugh, kiss, cuddle, and breathe each other in.  Because these images should capture your love and relationship, not how well you can smile on command.  Trust me, you’ll love to see the way your boo smiles AT YOU rather than how they smile at the camera. Think you’re awkward? Because, everyone says that, I promise. However, with these engagement session tips and being guided by an experienced photographer, you will feel comfortable, confident, and your images will reflect that. Don’t you worry, you’re going to have so much fun that you’ll forget all about getting your photos taken.

Ask your photographer.

5. Ask your photographer for their opinion! Trust me, I LOVE it when my couples let me help style them and offer suggestions!  It’s one of the best parts of my job.  Not only are we photographers, but we do have to stay pretty up-to-date on the latest trends and styles and we spend HOURS scouring over all the newest and coolest in the photography world as far as location and lighting.  And, we want to create something as equally awesome and unique as you do!  Because, this isn’t just my job, this is my art, my passion, my way of sharing something beautiful with you and the rest of the world.  So I want to create something equal parts jaw dropping and emotional.  That is my jam.  There is nothing more rewarding then seeing something in my head and then helping create it in real life.

As a result, incorporating these 5 Engagement Session Tips will help you rock your portrait session!

You’ll not only have beautiful images at a location that symbolizes you and your love, you’ll look your absolute best and everyone will be able to feel the love you two have for each other.  Plus, you’re sure to have an absolute blast in the process.

So, thanks friends, hope these 5 Engagement Session Tips help make your portrait session as rad as you are.

xoxo

~Dionne

So, you want to learn more about scheduling your own AH-MAZING engagement session?  Contact me HERE.

Are you new to Dionne Kraus Photography?  You can learn all about my crazy self HERE.