Engagement Shoot tips
People often ask me questions about my top engagement shoot tips, to help you get the best out of your engagement shoot. I’ve written a little post with my top engagement shoot tips which I hope you’ll find helpful!
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Relax
The first of my engagement shoot tips is to relax, and to not take yourself too seriously! Having an engagement shoot can be a little daunting, especially if it’s the first time you’ve been in front of a camera before! I try to make engagement sessions lots of fun and as un-awkward as possible, but it’s inevitable that you might feel a little self conscious to start with. The best advice is just to relax and go with it – lots of couples tell me that they enjoyed their shoot a lot more than they expected to!
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Location
There’s no right or wrong location for an engagement shoot. This is entirely up to you, and I really love it when couples have a good idea of where they’d like to have their shoot – especially if it’s somewhere meaningful to you. Some people choose a location where they like to go for walks together. Some choose their local village or area surrounding their home. And some pick somewhere that has cool backdrops because they want a particular style of shoot – perhaps somewhere urban with lots of cool graffiti.
Having said that, if you’re really not sure where to choose, I’m always happy to chat with you to find a location that works and suits what you’re after! Some people also really like to have their engagement shoot at their wedding venue. If we can make this work, then I’m always happy to do that, as it means we can chat more specifically about your plans for the wedding day too.
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Timing
One of my top engagement shoot tips is to arrange to have their pre-wedding photos taken between and year and six months in advance of their big day. Doing this will mean you get some variety in your images. If you’re planning a summer wedding, an autumnal or wintery shoot might be a nice option and give you something different in your photos.
Try to arrange your shoot with plenty of time before your wedding day also allows plenty of time for your photos to be ready in advance of the wedding, should you want to print them.
If the weather is bad on the day we’ve booked your shoot for, sometimes I suggest rescheduling. Your shoot is all about helping you relax and enjoy your time in front of the camera, and although I’m fine taking photos in the rain, if we’ve arranged a nice walk through the woods, it’s likely you’ll be less relaxed and enjoy the whole thing less if you’re worried about getting wet!
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What should I wear?
There aren’t any hard and fast rules about what you should or shouldn’t wear for your engagement shoot, and you can be as dressy as you like! I would always recommend that you choose clothes that are appropriate for the location and season though. You don’t want to be picking your way through muddy woods in heels!
The only other two engagement shoot tips I have for what to wear on your engagement shoot is to avoid anything with big logos as this can distract from the two of you. Also, try not to wear exactly the same colour as each other as you can blend into a two-headed blob from a distance!
Wearing layers is a good idea if it’s cold. It’s a good idea to chop and change things a little, so that your shots aren’t all the same. We can do some with your coat and a few without, some with hat on, some with it off, which just adds a bit of variety.
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Hair and Make up
Some people like to have their hair and make up done in advance of their engagement shoot, but this is by no means a requirement! I’d much rather you felt comfortable and like yourself, than getting overly dolled up and it all feeling a bit unnatural.
If you would like to have your make up and hair done for your shoot, why not consider scheduling your hair and make up trial in advance of your shoot? This can be a great way of making the most of the day if you’ve booked it off work especially for the shoot.
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Leave extra things at home
Another of my engagement shoot tips is to try not to bring too much stuff with you. If possible, don’t even bring a handbag as we inevitably have to leave it to one side. Having extra paraphernalia can be distracting in the photos, so it’s best to travel light when it comes to your engagement shoot, and consider leaving bits and pieces in the car. Likewise, if you usually keep your phone in the front pocket of your jeans, either move it to the back pocket or leave it in the car, so that it can’t be seen in photos. Bulging pockets aren’t a great look!
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Bring your pooch
Obviously this isn’t a requirement but if you have a dog, why not bring them along? I always love it when couples bring along their four-legged friends to their engagement shoot. It’s always great fun having them run around and so nice for you to have some photos together with them when they’re such a big part of your life!
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Get cosy
Public displays of affection aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and I’m not going to make you stand and be all lovey-dovey and smooch with each other if it’s not your thing. It’s important for you to feel comfortable in front of the camera, so you can do exactly as much smooching as you’d like to! I won’t ask you to stare lovingly into each others eyes or anything, or be overly romantic or cringey! I might suggest you have a little kiss here and there though, but mainly it’s just about cuddles, fun and laughter on your engagement shoot.
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Print your photos
Much like your wedding photos, it’s a good idea to think about how you want to enjoy your engagement shoot photos once you have them.
Some couples like to use them on the wedding day itself. I’ve seen couples print their photos and put them in frames around the venue, to decorate the table plan or to frame and use as table centres.
Another way you can display your photos on the day is to have them made up into a signing book or signing board to help you preserve even more memories of your big day – which is a one of my top engagement shoot tips. Take a look here for some examples.
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Enjoy and have fun!
This tip is much the same as the tip to relax, but it’s so important I’m adding it in again! Your engagement shoot is all about you having fun together. So just relax and enjoy the experience!
I hope you’ve found this article on tips for your engagement shoot useful! You can check out more of my Engagement Shoot portfolio here, and even more hints and tips to help you plan your wedding here. If you’d like to chat to me about booking an engagement shoot or an anniversary shoot, pop over to my contact page to leave me a message.