Getting married can be the most important day in someone’s life. But being engaged is just the beginning; why not begin your wedding photo album with an engagement photoshoot?
An engagement shoot can also be a great way to announce save the dates for your guests!
With years of experience in the industry, we’ve put together a guide for photographers and engaged couples to help you get the most out of your engagement shoot.
An engagement photoshoot is also a great way to get to know your wedding photographer before the wedding, and you will likely get photos that better reflect you as a couple.
Planning ahead
Engagement photoshoots are very open to interpretation. There are no right or wrong ways to theme or approach the shoot. However, creative freedom can be quite daunting when you don’t know exactly what you want.
This is why we would suggest setting up a Pinterest account and creating some digital mood boards surrounding existing shoots you like the look of.
Pinterest can inspire a multitude of different options for your photoshoot including poses, props and potential locations. This can be a great source of inspiration for photographers, too as it will help you direct your clients on how to position themselves to get natural poses.
Choosing a Location
Your location is entirely up to you as a couple. It could be somewhere sentimental like:
- Where you had your first date
- The location of the actual proposal
- The spot you first met
- A favourite place you both like to visit
Or you could find a location you both find beautiful, like a local botanical garden, a national park or a museum.
When planning your location it is important to consider the weather and season too as this can impact the visuals for a photoshoot and how easy it is to conduct it. You’ll also want to consider how populated that location is with people too, because this can make it difficult to find quiet places to photograph.
What should you wear for your engagement photoshoot?
Always bring spare outfits for your shoot because thing’s don’t always go to plan. Also, having different options allows you to change up your shots and create some alternatives.
Comfort is essential when deciding what to wear, as your discomfort is likely to reflect in your images. Wear something you feel good in and your confidence will reflect in your pictures, this is key for any shoot.
Make sure your outfits are cohesive with your partners and appropriate for your chosen location to create more consistent images.
Another aspect you should consider is your accessories and hair, and makeup. You may want to show off your engagement rings for this shoot, so it may be a good idea to ensure that they fit and are wearable for close-ups.
In terms of makeup and hair, you could attempt to match up your trials for the big day with your engagement shoot. Alternatively you could do the makeup yourselves; just be sure to use products you are familiar with to avoid imperfections.
Posing for pictures
Your posing should look comfortable and natural and not forced. To ensure this, practice your posing in a mirror before the shoot to familiarise yourself with how you will look. Research different options online and on social media for inspiration and ideas.
Speak with your photographer about what poses you’d like to incorporate and they can help guide you and improve your ideas.
Capturing memories in photographs is a great way to preserve those precious moments for the future. Having an engagement shoot can really help reflect that special moment and create a great introduction to a stunning wedding photo album.
