Portland and Seattle Luxury, High-End Wedding Photography

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Engagement Session Tips Every Bride Should Know

Engagement Session on the cliffs of Manzanita, Oregon


First of all congratulations on getting engaged! That is so exciting!

And, second, doing an engagement session is a great idea! As a wedding photographer doing an engagement session is a must in my eyes because it allows you to get comfortable with being in front of the camera and also you get to know your photographer too! Getting through the nerves of being in front of the camera at your engagement session is smart so you don’t have to push through that during your wedding day when you have even more stuff going on.

Going into your first photography session can be a little daunting with questions whirling through your mind.

“What should I wear?”

“Will I be able to change outfits?”

“Should I wear flats or heels?”

“Should we go more casual or formal?”

Ok, look, you don’t have to worry any longer because I have got your back! Here is a list of tips that will help you prep for your engagement session so you can get your mind back onto what is important to you!!

Ten Tips for your Engagement Session

- Don't Try to MATCH... try to pick outfits and accessories that coordinate instead.  If everyone wore the same exact color at their engagement shoot, how boring would those images be?

- Try to AVOID wearing clothes with large logos, pictures or words. It takes the attention off you guys and puts it on your clothes. Let’s focus on you and your love for each other.

- Don't be afraid to be BOLD!  Accessorize and make your outfits your own!  Scarves, bold necklaces and fun shoes are always welcomed!

- Choose shoes which WORK for the location you pick. If you love something which may have paths or little hikes I wouldn’t recommend heels but if your loving the vibe of a city or urban shoot then heels would work!

 - MOST PATTERNS are actually okay... however, graphics are not favorable for portraits.  If you're wearing a pattern, make sure it's not overwhelming and distracting.

 - Empty your POCKETS!  Literally. You don't want to have key chains or phones showing through your pockets.  (This is for the guys especially!)

 - Clean the RING.  I love to shoot a few ring shots while you change outfits, the cleaner the better!

- Bring TWO outfits.  Most often, couples like to have one casual, everyday outfit and then one outfit that is dressier! This will give your shoot two totally different "looks."  I recommend beginning with the casual outfit first!

 - Make sure you are COMFORTABLE in what you're wearing.  Ladies, if the top is super low cut, that will limit the amount of angles I can shoot from.

 - Be ON TIME.  The sun is only out for so long!  The later you arrive, the less time we have to shoot.

RELAX!  You don't have to be a pro at this!  I'm going to help you along the way and it's going to be a blast!  Enjoy this time together, and make a date out of it!  Plan dinner afterwards and celebrate!

If you are booked and doing a session with me soon I am super excited!

If not and you are searching for a photographer for your engagement photography reach out to me today, let me know your engagement photography goals and, yes, I love to hear how you guys met too!

Click here to contact me if you are interested.

I hope these tips come in handy and help you overcome any engagement photography prep stress!