5 Tips for Couples: How to Get Engagement Photos You’ll Love

Engagement sessions give me a chance to get to know the couple and for the couple to warm up to the idea of being in front of the camera. We spend almost the entire wedding day together and I’ll be there to photograph some of the most meaningful moments of their lives, so it’s important that we feel comfortable working together. Working through those first on-camera jitters will make your wedding day photography go much smoother!

You’ll also likely display these photos at your wedding and send them out to family and friends. Get excited about your first official photos together and make sure you finish the session eager to see your new portraits!

1. Give Yourself Enough Time to Get Comfortable on Camera

For many couples, their engagement session is the first professional photo shoot they’ve had with their significant other. If you’re not already comfortable in front of the camera, it can take a little time in the beginning to warm up. I always tell my clients that it’s totally natural to feel a bit awkward at the beginning of their session, but once you start to relax and enjoy yourself, that’s really when the magic happens!

After working with so many different couples throughout the years, we’ve learned how to encourage couples to enjoy themselves during their engagement session for natural posing and genuine emotions.

2. Brainstorm Meaningful Locations With Your Photographer

I have my favorite locations for engagements in Northern Virginia and can attest to the gorgeous light and scenery, but we would also love to hear about places that are meaningful to our clients. Maybe we plan your session where you first got engaged, your favorite park that you both love to spend your Saturdays, at the local university you both attended when you started dating, or even at your place! An in-home photo shoot add a personal touch to your photos and make for beautiful documentary style images.

3. Add a Little Variety With Both Formal and Casual Outfits

One of the best ways to get plenty of variety out of your engagement photos is to change up your style mid session! You can start with a floor-length gown and a dapper suit for formal portraits and then change into something more casual with a little extra style for fun, laidback photos of you and your betrothed.

4. Make a Date of it! Plan a Fun Activity or Your Favorite Date

Not only is it a great idea to use your hair and makeup trial for your engagement photos so you can take advantage of getting dolled up, you can also make your session personal to you! While a sunset engagement shoot on a gorgeous vineyard will easily make your family and friends swoon, some of our couples would rather plan a fun activity or a romantic date for their photo shoot. Think outside of the box and consider your favorite places to go or things to do as a couple. If you love to spend Saturday morning having fancy coffee drinks, you can plan a charming, low-key shoot at your local coffee shop. Or collaborate with your photographer to come up with an interesting theme like this sexy camping themed engagement shoot that ended up being so much fun for everyone!

If you share a passion for adventure like one of our favorite rock climbing couples, your engagement photos are a great opportunity to document that unique interest! These two met at a rock-climbing gym and could think of no better theme for their engagement session than climbing together.

5. Bring Along Your Fur Babies!

Seriously! We always encourage getting your furbaby/ies involved in any of your photos! Honestly, they just make everything more fun. Anyone that knows us or follows us on social media knows we consider our dogs family and love when families and couples want to include their own fur family in portrait sessions.

I want my couples to enjoy themselves during our photo shoot. Your engagement session is just one part of the wedding experience, so take the time to plan out what you’re going to wear, collaborate with your photographer to find the best location, and don’t forget to include a fun date at the end to celebrate all your hard modeling work!