Let us guess… you’re not a fan of having your photo taken, right? Don’t worry, we’re exactly the same! You’re probably thinking that it is counter-intuitive to spend even more time having photos taken of the two of you before the wedding. But here’s why booking an engagement session could be a good idea:
The more time you spend in front of the camera, the more comfortable and confident you’ll be! Booking an engagement shoot is a great way to get used to being in front of the lens and will help you determine ‘poses’ and angles that you like or dislike with your partner. It’s a good idea to treat the engagement shoot almost like the test run before the wedding day.
Not only will an engagement shoot improve your confidence, but it will also give you and your partner a chance to get to know your photographer better before the big day. After all, they’ll be floating close by throughout most of the day. It’s important that you enjoy their company and trust them to do an awesome job.
One of the most obvious reasons for having an engagement shoot is the photos of course! You’ll have more romantic and memorable moments captured for you and your partner to look back on for years to come! It’s also a great idea to use the photos for your ‘Save the Date’ cards.
So you’ve decided to book an engagement shoot! What happens next?
Below is a list of things that will help you and your partner make the most out of your engagement shoot.
Clothing
Deciding what outfit to wear for an engagement shoot can be a nightmare. We all want to look our best and it can be difficult to know what styles to avoid depending on the nature of the photoshoot. A good rule of thumb is to stay clear of harsh patterns and overly bright colours. After all, the focus needs to be on the emotion that you and your partner share together. Wearing neutral or pastel colours and subtle textures will help keep the focus on you and your partner. The same applies to jewellery; keeping it simple and not too flashy because again, this will distract from the two of you. But ultimately, it’s important that you feel comfortable and confident in your choice of clothing and that it show’s you in your best light.
Talking of light, this brings us onto Time of Day. This will play a massive part in how the photos will turn out. One of the most popular choices is ‘Golden Hour,’ and it’s easy to see why. Photo’s taken within an hour of sunrise or sunset will give you that beautiful warm and soft light which is extremely flattering on all faces.
It’s also a good tip to shoot early in the morning or later in the evening if you’re having your engagement session taken in a busy town or city. This way you will avoid people in the background cluttering up your photos.
If you’re a little camera shy like a lot of people, including ourselves, then it might be best to avoid busy places with lots of human traffic. It’s important to feel relaxed and not too tense as this will show in the photos. Not to mention how many pictures may end up being photobombed by random passers-by.
If you’re struggling to pick a location, try and think about a place you have visited nearby with your partner that made you both feel happy and content, perhaps one where you share great memories together. Or perhaps if your wedding is themed, you could tie this theme to your engagement shoot too. For example, if your wedding is to be held outside near nature, then it could be a good idea to find a pretty place near trees and plants to follow the theme.
If you’re confident with your hair and makeup skills you can probably do this yourself before leaving for the shoot. If you aren’t as confident you could perhaps ask a close friend to help. Or even better, make a self-care/pamper day out of it. Get your hair and makeup done, even stretch to a manicure… any excuse, eh?
Now to the part you’re probably dreading, the posing. You need not worry! It’s not as posed as you think it is. Most photographers will want you to look natural, giving you very little ‘posing’ direction, things like; go in for a little kiss, come nice and close, can you give him a cuddle from behind… that sort of thing. Admittedly some photographers do like to pose you limb by limb, but personally, we don’t like that approach as it often ends up looking a little too unnatural and stiff. So this is probably one of the easiest parts of the entire shoot and preparation combined.
So now that you know how to get the most out of your engagement session, it’s time to get out there and have some fun!
However, if you’ve yet to book an engagement shoot, or simply haven’t made up your mind on whether it’s right for you, then why not check out ‘Reasons To Book An Engagement Session’