Getting engaged is a whirlwind of emotions. An immense amount of planning and excitement of all the things that come along with the diamond ring. And one of the most exciting ones is planning out your engagement photoshoot! I’m dropping all of the tips to help you prepare for your engagement session.

Keep in mind, these are more fluid guidelines than rigid rules. Your engagement photos will never look better than when you are true to yourselves. If you feel uncomfortable, it will come across in your photos and that’s the last thing we want!

So, what are my top engagement photoshoot tips?

Let’s start with attire. What should you wear?

Wear those neutral colors! Earth tones will compliment your surroundings and each other best, as well as photograph timelessly as opposed to trendy.

There are things you’ll want to stay away from, such as bright neon colors! They can cast that same shade of neon onto your face and make it difficult to get rid of, even with hours of editing.

Another benefit of wearing neutral colors is that they’re easy to coordinate so it's easier to avoid coming across as too “matchy-matchy”. Keep t-shirts basic and avoid long-sleeved patterned button down shirts that appear too formal for an outdoor setting.

But my biggest tips for engagement photoshoots are:

Iron your clothes beforehand. You can use a steamer, a regular iron, or get your clothes dry cleaned to be sure you have all the creases and wrinkles out. Not only will you feel more polished and put together, but it will photograph beautifully and will cut down on necessary editing magic (after all there’s only so much that editing can do and removing wrinkles is hard).

And don’t forget to get your ring cleaned and consider a manicure. A simple or classic manicure is always a good bet.

My last clothing-related engagement photoshoot tips are…

I recommend you wear 1 to 2 outfits.

If you go with 2, have one be more casual/laid back while the other is more of a statement piece, such as a beautiful dress. A great option is renting a dress for the occasion! A favorite is Rent The Runway.
Or purchase a dress you’ll re-wear from VICI Collection or ASOS!

And as always, make sure to try your outfits on before hand! That way, you're certain you feel comfortable in them and like how they hug or hang off all the parts of you. If you are self-conscious about your upper arms for example, wear a dress that has longer puffy sleeves. If you have a wider mid-section, avoid tight dresses around your mid-section that will accentuate that part of your body. If you aren’t a fan of your ankles, wear a long maxi dress that covers them!

Confidence is key, and I want to be sure you feel your best while taking your engagement photos.

Consider getting your hair and makeup done for your engagement session. If you already have your make up artist and hair stylist booked, take advantage of your make up and hair trial.

And if you opt for doing it yourself, go a little more dramatic than you normally do.

Now let’s move on from attire to more engagement photoshoot tips!

It’s important that you come with very little expectations and ready to have fun together. Don’t worry about posing - I will give you lots of prompts to get you moving and laughing. It happens to be one of my favorite parts of my job!

But remember this: It’s not about doing the prompt perfectly, it’s about catching the candid shots when you’re laughing at yourself. Sure, I’ll put you in some poses, but will only have you looking and smiling into the camera about 5-10% of the time.

Let loose and don’t be self conscious. The magic happens when you focus on the two of you and your love and not what you look like. Remember, if you’re stiff and self conscious it will show!

Focus on having fun together and relaxing. I’ll worry about getting the shot.

Now, when it comes to getting the perfect shot, there are outside factors we have to consider. A big one is to schedule your time around the sun. A good rule of thumb is to plan your session 60 to 90 minutes before sunset. Or, you can plan a sunrise session as the sun is coming up!

We hear the term “golden hour” a lot, but it may surprise you to know that golden hour is twice a day. Meaning you can choose whichever one works best for you! For example, summer photoshoot couples that want to avoid the heat should go for sunrise! Or if you love nothing more than a good sunset, stick to the evening sessions. Either way you want to avoid the dreaded mid day hours! That way you'll avoid the harsh light, hot spots, and shadows from the sun being straight overhead.

Another outside factor to consider for engagement photos is
the season

Choose a time of year that resonates with you and your love. Maybe you love fall and the romance of all the changing colors. Or maybe you envision a wintry wonderland session amongst a tree farm making snow angels. Most couples choose summer because of the greenery and later sunset. But don’t let that limit you! Choose whichever season speaks to you.

To make the most out of the magical moments, incorporate something meaningful to you in the shoot.

Do you have an important and meaningful location to you? Maybe where you had your first date? Or your favorite state park?

Consider including a shared favorite drink.

Some couples like to include their beloved sports car or motorcycle in the shoot, or incorporate a shared hobby, like skateboarding.

And don’t be afraid to include your fur babies! Dogs, cats, rabbits….whatever beloved pet you want!

I’ll leave you with one last (out of the box) tip:

Consider traveling to somewhere epic and taking your photographer with you!

It will be an amazing chance to unwind together before the stress of the big day. And you’ll also be creating life long memories, plus you'll come out of it with epic photos!

I have a suggestion or two, like the tropical paradise of Costa Rica? Or somewhere in the Pacific Northwest?

Either way, I'm ready when you are!