Engagement Photo Shoot - Part 1

      Wow, time passes by quickly! We have been engaged for a few months now and haven’t even thought of an engagement photo shoot or booked the photographer. Read below for questions about engagement photo shoots. 

      Why should we get engagement pictures taken?

• To put on your save-the-date cards.
• To have at your wedding reception, framed, in a collage by your guest book/entrance.
• For practice having professional photos taken before the big day.
• To test out your wedding photographer and see if they work well with you.
• To have some pictures of you as a couple. Other than pictures taken by your cell phone, do you have photos of you two as a couple? Do you have any pictures of you two on your walls at home? This is a great opportunity to get some taken and for them to be used in your wedding too!

When should we have the photo shoot done?

• 8-9 months in advance if you want to use one of the pictures for your save-the-date cards.
• 4-6 months in advance if you want to use the pictures at the wedding (for your guest book table or at the entry of your reception). 
• ‘Tis the season. You may need to go outside those above timelines if you want the pictures taken outdoors in a particular season. Discuss with your photographer – they are the experts!

·       Remember, photographers in the wedding business generally book up quickly. As soon as you start thinking about engagement photos contact the photographer and ask what dates they have available. You may have to work around them if you need the photos by a certain date.

How do we pick the location?

• Ask the professional. If you choose a photographer who does engagement shoots often, they should know the best places to go in your area, no matter which season it is. 
•  Is there someplace special to you and your fiancé? For example: the setting of your first date; the place you were proposed to; your favourite park; the place where you first met; etc. 
•  What type of photos do you want? Romantic? Silly? Intimate? Relaxed? Go to a place where both you and your fiancé feel this way. For example: a park, carnival, coffee shop, the house you grew up in, a waterfall, or a historic area of town.

Your photographer may let you pick more than one location to get different styles of pictures (they may charge extra for this). Also, you and your loved one should bring a change of clothes for the second location.
 

What do we wear?

• Clothes you are comfortable in. For example, dark jeans and white shirts, or both in formal attire. Try to match a little bit in terms of the style of your outfits. Your photographer will be able to help you with this. You can also go online and view other couples’ engagement photos to get ideas from what they wore.

·       In ours, my fiancé wore dark jeans and a dark grey long sleeved sweater with a white, collared dress shirt underneath. I wore slightly lighter dark jeans and a light grey long sleeved v-neck sweater with a lacy white tank top underneath. We both wore black dress shoes.

      As for what actually happens during the photoshoot, stay tuned for Part 2 where I will tell you of our experience. If you have had an engagement photo shoot and have some tips relating to this post, please comment below.

To have and to hold,

Elizabeth Honey