We’re digging into some tips I share with my clients on how to prepare for their upcoming engagement portrait sessions. I send over a list of these tips to all of my clients through email just before we meet so they have something they’re able to go over with their fiancé. Most of my clients have a tough time thinking about where they’d like to go for their portraits or what they should choose to wear. Hopefully, these tips will help to ease your minds about making those decisions and maybe even get you thinking about things you never would have thought of to begin with.
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1. Wear outfits you feel beautiful wearing. If you feel beautiful when you put on your outfits and look in the mirror, it will definitely show in your photographs. Don’t try to force yourself into something uncomfortable that you wouldn’t normally wear (this goes for girls AND guys). Just be you. If you’d like some inspiration for choosing outfits, just let me know! I’m more than happy to help!
2. Don’t be afraid of color. Fun, colorful outfits add an extra pop to your pictures. These pictures will be a reflection of the amazing person you are, so go ahead and have fun with your style and show everyone who you are! Mixing prints and textures is also a great way to showcase your personal style.
3. Bring props! Hats, jackets, sports equipment, a kite, your motorcycle, your dog, fresh flowers, gardening equipment, books, your Mac laptop, or anything you can possibly think of that tells the story of you. This isn’t required, but it sure is a ton of fun! Also, your choice of location can be thought of as a prop. Coffee shops, libraries, quaint bookstores, a local farmer’s market, a movie theater – these are all wonderful locations we could use to our advantage!
4. Girls, pay attention to your eyes. Eyeliner and good mascara are a must! Take extra care on your mascara and really separate your lashes. Your eyes will be the most important factor in many of your images, so spend extra time making them look beautiful!
5. Apply the rest of your makeup like you normally would, but just a tad heavier. You might also pack the basics and bring them with you on the shoot in case you need a quick touch-up.
6. You can lock your purse, cell phone, and wallet in the car trunk of your car. I can carry around small items for you like car keys and lip gloss in my bag. I want your hands and pockets to be free of stuff during the session.
7. Have fun! I’ll take care of making you both look fantastic so don’t worry about a thing. I’ll realize most people are not used to being in front of a camera, so I will be there giving you plenty of direction. Sometimes I might actually have you pose a certain way. Other times I might ask you to do something. Remember that you don’t always have to pose like a stone statue or smile into the camera lens all the time. Do whatever feels most natural to you.
There are many more tips I send over to my brides and grooms because I know personally how stressful planning for an engagement session can be! Especially if you’ve never had professional portraits done together before this. However, whether you’ve got a session coming up soon with another photographer or if you’re booked with me (we’re in the thick of engagement portrait season, folks!) for a session I hope you find this helpful. As your photographer, my main goal is to make sure you’re prepared for your portraits, you feel beautiful while you’re with me, and you both learn how I work with my couples so you can begin to relax and have fun with each other. By the end of your portrait session, you’ll know exactly what to expect on the day of your wedding and your romantic portrait time on your wedding day will feel relaxed as you both lean into each other to soak up the love you’re celebrating.
HAPPY PLANNING!
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