How Do You Prepare For Your Engagement Session

Engagements sessions are for getting to know one another and I love doing engagement sessions. There really are no two alike.

This time is an opportunity for the couple and I to get to know each other prior to the wedding, where I get to see how you interact and you get to know how I work. The engagement session gives us both practice with one another and allows us to be comfortable when the big day comes. A comfortable bride and groom make for beautiful wedding photos.

When it comes to engagement photos and the location, every couple wants to be iconic in some way. It may be the Golden Gate Bridge, the place where they met, had their first kiss, or the proposal. I always get excited when the couple chooses a location like the first kiss because chances are it’s at a space where I’ve never shot before, which makes for a fun challenge.

Oddly, quite often, couples choose a bar for their engagement session location (the old fashioned way of meeting) and we have a cocktail to start, during, or after the session. When I’m told one or the other is nervous, we absolutely START with a cocktail. I’ve also been known to bring a little something to the location and have this backup on hand for my clients when necessary. You can never be too prepared. For some reason, this strategy produces the best images.

So how do you prepare for your engagement session?

Here’s a little help based on my experience.

Choosing Your Location

I’m asked most often what is the best location for an engagement session. My answer is that this is truly an individual decision. I can and will make suggestions, but I’m always glad when a couple really thinks about what they want and tells me that their session MUST be at a specific location. Once, I even did a session on a couple’s stoop and sofa because that was their ideal space, just a really warm and intimate place for them. Take time on this and think about how you want to show your friends and family what your relationship means to you.

What Should You Wear?

The next most often asked question asked is what to wear for your engagement session. This answer is a bit easier. Always wear what fits the situation and what you are most comfortable in. This isn’t the time to do a new hair trial and show up not being the real you. This is the time to be truly comfortable and be the loving, warm, intimate or whatever type of couple you are. The real you is what brought you as a couple to this point — Let it shine!

What Do You Bring to Your Engagement Session?

So what do you bring to your engagement session? Nothing but your bad ass self! By the end of our session, my hope is that you leave with trust in me. That trust is why I like doing engagement sessions and what will show when I appear on your wedding day. I want to hear “Yay, Misti is here! Who wants a glass of champagne?” not the bland “Our photographer is here”. This relationship is one that I hope lasts until your kids graduate college. Although, I do hope by then to be retired!

Good luck with your engagement session planning and remember, be comfortable and be yourself!

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To inquire about an engagement session, you can contact me here on my website or call (415) 225-1128.

For Tips on choosing a wedding photographer, be sure to read “How Do I Choose A Wedding Photographer: Notes From Your Planner” by Kay Raymond.