My clients often ask me advice on things like what to wear for their engagement pictures, what locations should they consider, etc. Simply put, here are some tips to make your engagement session the best it possibly can!

1. What should we wear?

Wear clothing that represents you! If you’re preppy, wear preppy! If you’re downtown chic, wear downtown chic! The key is to feel as comfortable as possible (in your own skin) I mean. Now is not the time to try a new style because what most likely will happen is you’ll feel self conscious and think “Do I look okay in this? “Does it look like I’m trying too hard?”. I’ve been asked these questions a few times in the past and realized that it was because they were wearing something “foreign” to them. Not that that’s a bad thing…I love taking chances with fashion! However, I shouldn’t have waited till the day of the party to try on my new outfit and wondered if I looked okay just as we were leaving for the party…make sense? Key point here is: “Do you!”

2. Where should we do our engagement pictures?

Reflect who THEY were as a couple. Practicing the art of “doing you”. I urge each and every one of my couples to not only choose clothing that represents them but also location(s) that represent them. The key is to choose two locations close together (10-30 minute drive) from each other that have two different vibes. A more natural/earthy location for the first “scene” and then an urban/city location for the second “scene”. The outfit changes along with the change in location will give a good variety for different types of images.

3. Should we bring props?

Yes! I think props are a great way to personalize your engagement pictures even more! The key is to not overdo it. You don’t want your engagement session to look like a staged production; you want it to look like an intimate portrayal of who you actually are as a couple.

4. Practice smiling…not only with your mouth but with your eyes!

Most of the time the clients I work with have no trouble smiling naturally. In my eyes a good smile is when someone genuinely looks happy doing it. With a genuine smile, not only is a person’s mouth smiling, so are their eyes. There was actually a study done on the most genuine smiles and they concluded it was the “Duchenne” smile because it engaged the eyes.

5. Get close!

I provide my clients a fair amount of direction during the shoot because I don’t want them stressing themselves out thinking “okay, now what do we do?!” However, there is one area of direction my couples always have little bit of difficulty in. When I say “get close”, they are never close enough. I usually have to repeat myself a couple of times before I get the “correct” amount of closeness. I can see why they have trouble with this though. So I recommend practicing “getting close” before your session so you can get use to how close you will be actually looking at each other. You’ll see, it feels uncomfortable at first but it will be well worth it later for the photos!

6. Trust me!

This is KEY to getting the best photos from your engagement session! Nothing stifles creativity as much as an unwilling participant.

7. Most importantly…HAVE FUN!

This is a very special time in your life! You’re about to embark on a long & beautiful partnership…what better way to celebrate than during your engagement session! Let loose and have fun! You’re going to look back on these pictures years from now and I want you guys to remember how happy and in love you were…not how nervous and stiff you looked! So while I understand that it’s normal to be nervous, just remember that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Live it up and let loose! You’ll be glad you did…I promise!