You booked your wedding photographer and your package came with engagement photos (Woohoo! All of mine do!). Now your photographer asks what type of photos you are looking to create. What type? Huh? Oh, let me tell you…in this day of photography the sky is the limit. You’ve already looked through Instagram and Pinterest and you have saved a few things…or created 57 albums of ideas already…haha…but maybe you don’t know how to verbalize what you are looking for. Or maybe, you really don’t have a preference yet. I like to think of it this way…do you want something “epic” or you looking more along the lines of “this is us”. I would consider “epic” to be something unusual for you…not your everyday location or outfit. Basically, a chance for you to go all out. I would consider “this is us” to be just that…you…wearing something along the lines of your usual outfits and doing something you love to do. After you think about that, follow these questions below and see if it helps you come up with a better idea to create your perfect engagement photos.
Ask yourselves this question first before you decide on anything else because this can set the tone. What can you incorporate, you ask? Do you have particular things you like to do together, such as going to baseball games, fishing, or major fans of something such as video games or football? How and where was the proposal? Is there something you would like to incorporate from that particular moment? Does anyone serve in the military? Do you have dogs or children you would like to include in your photos? Special keepsakes from dating?
If you decided you want to incorporate something special from the question above, think of a relevant place to do that. If you love baseball, see if your local stadium will let you on the grounds for your engagement session. I promise you, a unique and super cute session can totally happen from that. If you do not want to incorporate anything into your photos besides yourselves and that super sparkly ring, just think more along the lines of your “background”. Within an hour of Lynchburg, VA we have a ton of options to create amazing photos from vast fields with mountain backdrops, hiking up to mountain tops, hanging out by Smith Mountain Lake, or just heading to downtown Lynchburg. Some locations may require an extra fee to use their grounds and that can be worth the investment if it’s what you want. Make them special!
This is one of the BIG questions. Using the example of the baseball stadium above, I personally think it would make the most sense to wear your cute, casual clothes…baseball tee, ripped jeans, and your converse would be perfect. I don’t think it would work to wear a sequined dress to the stadium, but to each their own! Rock it if you want! If you are looking to create more dramatic photos, maybe something out of the ordinary for you but something you’ve been dreaming about, think about getting all dressed up and head downtown, to the top of a mountain, or the middle of the woods. Think suit or suspenders for your man, and a super flowy dress or skirt for yourself. Have you heard of Rent the Runway? It’s a great way to wear something gorgeous and expensive without a huge cost. Side note: your engagement photos can also be a great time to do your practice run with your makeup artist and/or hair stylist. Go ahead and go all out!
I, usually, do not provide props because I leave it up to my couples to have something unique. Anything you want to incorporate into your session you would need to bring: jerseys, balloons, signs, etc…and you should always let your photographer know what you are bringing to make sure there’s enough time to get everything in your session. If you are changing outfits, make sure you have everything packed up the night before your session. This includes different jewelry, shoes, and keepsakes. One last thing, make sure you have plenty of time to get ready if have a few things planned. This is still supposed to be fun, so enjoy it!
That’s it! That should get you thinking! I include engagement sessions in my packages so I can get to know my couples a little bit better before their wedding day. It really does help them to get more comfortable with posing as well. Let me know if you have any questions about your perfect engagement photos below in the comments.
Clark Street Photography is a wedding and portrait photographer in the Lynchburg, Va area.
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