Congratulations, you’re engaged! Now comes the time for all the wedding planning, one of the steps in booking your photographer and scheduling your engagement session.
Some photographers include engagement sessions with their packages, and some charge separately, so make sure you get that clarified with whomever you choose. This is also the perfect chance to see how you and your photographer work together. You’ll be together with your photographer for the majority of your wedding day, so an engagement session is a perfect way to gauge if you can be completely relaxed and enjoy your day.
Location
One of the biggest choices, is where you’d like to have your engagement session. It could be a special place to like the spot you met, where you love to hang out together, or just chosen for the backdrop.
If you don’t have a location in mind, I can help you out. We can talk about what your dream engagement session looks like and find the perfect spot for you.
What to Wear
If you know me, I am NOT the one to ask about fashion. I am a jeans, tee-shirt, and converse kind of gal. But this tells you the answer to this question.
Instagram influencers may say one thing, but I say, wear what’s comfortable. Wear what is you.
The only advice that I give my clients on clothing is to avoid busy patterns or super bright clothing. Those can distract from what the image is about, which is you.
If we’re in a natural setting and you want a calm vibe, wear other natural colors. Want to stand out? Bring in complimentary but bold colors that are not there.
Try to keep things simple, and that makes you who you are.
But We’re So Akward!
Good! So am I.
You’re probably worried about posing and how you’ll come across on camera. That’s why I am here and do what I do.
After years of anxiety and research, I have found the perfect way to get images of you laughing, having fun, and relaxing. And that’s by doing those exact things.
You see all those images online with the perfect pose and pin it in hopes that you’ll get that exact image during your session. Well, you won’t. You can spend an hour trying to get the perfect pose, but it won’t be the same image. With photography, ten different photographers can photograph you simultaneously, and all get different results. So, with that in mind, kick back and have fun!
How I work is that I get you in a relaxed, natural pose and try to tell you the WORST jokes possible. Not only does this help you relax, but it also gets authentic reactions, and that’s what you see in those images you love so much.
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Timing
Not only for the engagement session itself but also datewise, so you get them in time if you are using them for Save the Dates.
Let’s talk about timing for the day. First, are you a morning person or an evening person? Second, are you wanting the sunrise/sunset in the images?
Both of those are very valid as even though I use artificial lighting, it’s just like posing. Sure, we can fake it, but why not get the real thing if we can.
Now I know, living in the Pacific Northwest, it can be hard to guess if we’ll see any sun at all, but that is also why I am flexible on booking and can usually change dates and times around to get you the feeling that you want to your session.
I suppose you’ve heard the phrase “golden hour,” it’s true.
About an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset give that gorgeous golden light that we all love. But depending on where your session is, the light will start later or disappear earlier. Places surrounded by hills, like Columbia Gorge and Cathedral Park, you’ll want to start about an hour before you would find at other locations as the sun rises/falls behind the hills. The best advice for all of this is to keep open communication with me to make sure you get exactly what you want.
Now for date wise. I believe the current recommendation for Save-the-Dates is to send them about six months before your wedding date. You’ll need some time to design them, and of course, images to use on them.
My turnaround time for you to receive your engagement photos is two weeks from the date of the session. You’ll receive a link a day or so after your session with a quick sneak peek of a few images from the day. That link will host the rest of your pictures. If you also booked your wedding with me, your wedding images will go here as well, just separated into folders.
From your gallery, you will be able to download your images and then use them to create your Save-the-Dates!
If you booked just the engagement session, you’d need to check to see which package you chose and how many digital images you get to download. You’ll also get an email explaining how to use your print credit.
If you booked your wedding with me, you would receive a complimentary engagement session as well as all edited images from that session. Your print credit is included with your wedding package and is used as a total between the engagement session and the wedding.
Really, It’s That Easy.
The main goal of your engagement session is to celebrate the love between you and your partner. It also helps you to get acquainted with your wedding photographer to make sure you’re comfortable on one of the milestone days of your life.
Are you ready to schedule your session? You can see more here!
