Are you ready to ROCK your engagement photos!?

So you’ve booked me for your wedding photographer ( woo-hoo!! ) and we picked the date for your engagement session!  So now what?  How do you prepare for whats most likely your first experience doing a professional photo shoot!?   Well I want to help you get the most out of your engagement session experience.

Light’s Camera Action!

Because I believe that natural light from the sun and its reflections, creates photographs that feel fresh, timeless and true to you as a couple. I begin all engagement sessions two hours before the scheduled sunset during “the golden hour,” when the light is the most beautiful. Remember, the sun sets much earlier at the end of the year and much later during the summer months, so make sure to factor that in when choosing your session date, especially if you’re taking off work. To get the most out of your session, please plan a buffer when getting ready so you can arrive a few minutes early to your session and be ready to start on time.  If you’ve planned two outfits, save your formal / dressy one for the second half.

Style Your Session… Want your engagement images to look a little more badass and editorial? Bring a little extra something with you! A small freshly picked bouquet for you, or fresh flowers to put on something we’re including into the session, like a bicycle basket, tree swing, picnic basket, car bumper or rowboat, is a fun way bring a little extra romance to the session. Whether it’s a small item like blankets or hats, or a large item like a classic car! Even including just one extra styled item, could be a way to make your session more unique and fun!

Look good feel good

The first thing I tell my couples is to have a look at ideas online for outfits. If you’re like me and you love shopping, this could be the best part of the session, lol.   I think having your engagement photos taken should be the beginning to a date night!  ( Plan on maybe heading to a nice dinner after)

I always like to be a part of this process too, so send me some Pinterest pins, or a few cell phone pics so we can get inspired for the shoot together!  Some times it’s a great idea to plan the colours of your outfits to coordinate with you wedding colours.  It makes the save the dates so easier to plan!  I am working on putting together a style guide, so stay tuned for more super helpful advice.

If the location allows for it,  start off in some comfy clothes, but be sure to have some rockn’ date night clothes with you to get changed into.  A beautiful long  dress you’ve been dying to wear, and some killer heels to go with it!  And for him, a nice suit jacket or dress shirt and pants.  If we’re doing a little hiking to get to the epic location we chose, be sure to pack some good comfy shoes too!  Something to keep in mind is don’t drive to the session in your formal clothes.  They will wrinkle! ( yikes ) We’ll find somewhere for you to do a quick change.  Follow the link at the bottom of this blog for a few tips on how to select those magazine quality outfits for your session!

Location, Location, Location

The next thing we want to plan for is the location!  This is where we can have a lot of fun planning!  I always try to stay with the date theme, so lets go to the beach, or out for ice cream along the downtown core, or to your favourite coffee shop!  The ideas are endless, and it can make the photos that more personal if the place or activity is something that you two have a connection with.  Or if you’re like me and you’re always up for an adventure!  Lets find an epic location!  Waterfalls, beaches, urban settings,  lets brainstorm some where completely original and fun!

Think Outside the Box… This is the time to think outside the box! I encourage you to brainstorm unique locations that you might have special access to that most people don’t. For example, maybe you, or someone in your personal or professional network, can secure permission to a location that would otherwise be off-limits, like a beautiful private estate or country club.  Maybe even an airplane hangar or family barn. The sky is literally the limit!  You might be surprised with what you can come up with. If something seems out of reach, just remember: you never know until you ask!  😉

Keep in mind though that some locations might charge a fee to be able to use their property, so it’s best to check ahead of time! I have some go-to locations around London that we can always hit up as well.

Hot Tip:   My weekends fill up fast and far in advance. Weekdays are a little easier,

so schedule your shoot today to reserve your date! 

 

Make a Day of it

Take the day off!  You deserve it.  Get your nails done, have some champagne and  go get a couples massage!  Have a relaxing afternoon together.  Kindle that love, trust me it will show in the photos.  Another great idea is for you to call up your hair and makeup artist for your wedding day and schedule the trial for the morning of your engagement session, that way you look and FEEL your absolute best for the pictures!

Weekends are typically reserved for weddings and family time so we will need to work out a weekday for your session.  Depending on the time of the year, scheduling might allow a weekend date.  Let me know and we’ll try to work something out.

Don’t worry I got you!

The last thing I tell my couples is about what to expect for the session itself.  A lot of times there is anxiety about how the session is going to go.  Am I going to have to know how to pose?  Where do I look?  How should I act?   But here’s what I tell them……its going to be super awkward…..NAH, just kidding, its going to be great!  And you know why?  Because I’ve got your back!  The whole session!

I like to make the photos as natural as possible, and I do that by getting you to relax and get out of your own head.  I want to focus on you two, and your beautiful connection to one another!  So I am going to help foster those moments and bring out the real you in front of the camera!  And if your clothes are bunched up or the way you’re standing doesn’t look great, well I’ll nudge the scene so that it looks amazing

And there you have it a few tips on how to prepare for your amazing engagement session, and a little bit on what you can expect from your session!  Engagement sessions are seriously some of my favourite shoots, we can take our time, get you some amazing photos to make all your friends super jealous.  And maybe have a little fun and a couple laughs along the way.

Your engagement session Style guide.

https://wesleyforbesphotography.com/2019/05/31/engagement-session-style-guide-wesley-forbes-photography/

Have a look at Steph and Dave who rocked their engagement session!

https://wesleyforbesphotography.com/2019/04/26/cranberry-creek-gardens-ds-engagement-photos-wesley-forbes-photography/

Need help with your wedding day timeline?  I got you!!

https://wesleyforbesphotography.com/2019/05/22/wedding-timeline-help-wesley-forbes-photography/