I are so excited for your engagement session! To help you make the most of your session, here are some tips that I’ve picked up along the way. These come from a LOT of experience so keep them in mind during your planning!
You can bring up to 2 outfits. I recommend doing something casual + something dressy. Just keep in mind that our shooting location may not have a place to change, so you may have to be changing in a car (or behind a tree.. we’ve seen it all!)
I put together a guide on WHAT TO WEAR FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT SESSION that has a lot of suggestions on it, as well as an explanation on what makes these pieces work.
You don’t HAVE to show up to your session in a dress, but… I think you should. Flowy fabric makes for the BEST photos, so if you opt out of wearing a dress just keep in mind that we are always looking for texture and movement.
If you’re awkward in front of the camera, make sure you give yourself the option of a flowy dress! If you show up in jeans and a t-shirt because that’s most comfy, of course I won’t judge you! but flowy materials give you a built-in thing to focus on so you don’t have to worry so much about things like what you’re supposed to be doing with your hands.
You are officially given permission to be extra. Get your hair and makeup done if that’s fun for you, or go the extra mile so you’re feeling 100% confident.
You can use this opportunity to hold a run-through with your makeup artist. This is the perfect opportunity to get to know your artist for the wedding day and hold a mini practice session. They will know exactly how to prep your skin and eyes for natural light photography. If you need recommendations for makeup artists in your area, let us know and we’ll help you out!
DO NOT GET A SPRAY TAN OR FAKE TAN OF ANY KIND. Spray tans and fake tans use an unnatural orange/bronze base that may look great to the eye, but immediately shows up as a funky yellow/orange in the post-processing of your images. Natural skin looks the absolute best in photographs (yes, even on legs) because it interacts with natural light perfectly. If you have naturally tan, dark, or bronze skin, it will look fabulous as well because it’s your natural skin tone. Besides, who wants to risk a patchy spray tan for your photos? So keep it natural! You’ll thank me 🙂
Leave your purse in the car. I can carry around small items like car keys, phones, and lip gloss in my bag. I want your hands to be free during the session.
Go to the restroom right before you leave. Many places that we shoot do not have accessible restrooms nearby, and I want to be sure to maximize the shooting time we have together.
Have fun! We’ll take care of making you look fantastic, so don’t worry about a thing. I’ll give you plenty of direction, so the only thing you need to do for us is be madly in love!