Every wedding booked includes a complimentary engagement session! This is one of our favorite things (aside from your big day of course) about working with our clients. Here are a couple of reasons we love them and a few engagement session tips to consider:

Reason #1 There’s a good chance we’ve already met you at your booking meeting (or possibly on Skype), but we want to hang out with you outside of a meeting setting! What better way to get to know each other than to spend an hour together exploring new places? We try to make each and every engagement session unique and fun. Do you love to snuggle at home watching movies pigging out on delicious snacks? We’ll come to your house and create a styled session which features you two hanging out in the comfort of your own home! Are you a couple who loves riding horses? We’d be happy to come to the farm with you! Some unique locations we’ve shot at include an air force base & the inside of an airplane,  a popular Philly bar and a few pop up gardens and festivals, to name a few! We can’t  wait to add more exciting sessions to this list!

 

Reason #2. Most of us aren’t professional models (Unless you are, then could you give us some tips for taking our OWN pictures?!) so being in front of a camera for the first time during your wedding day can be pretty intimidating. Having a session before hand can take a little bit of pressure off of you and us! You will learn how to have fun and be cuddly in front of the camera without feeling too awkward!

We want your session to go smoothly (and most importantly we want to have fun!) so here are some tips to help you prepare for your session.

1. Please be on time! We are natural-light photographers so the sun dictates how long we can photograph you. Please make proper considerations for traffic, hair delays, and fashion emergencies! 😉 An average shoot lasts 1-1.5 hours…if you show up 30 minutes late, the session is not extended, but, rather, ends at the regularly scheduled time. Please don’t think ill of us…we just want to be honest in advance and let you know we want the BEST photography experience for you. And being on time achieves exactly this!
2. Some girls will have their practice run regarding hair and makeup for the engagement shoot. This helps you feel a little more ‘done-up’ for the shoot and boosts their confidence. We are not saying you have do this AT ALL!! However, what we can say is that in our experience shooting engagement sessions, girls want to feel pretty and confident…and sometimes spending a little extra time getting ready achieves just that. If you’d like recommendations, we’d be happy to pass a few along who will take amazing care of you.
3. When preparing what to wear, be true to yourself, but work it a little more! What we mean by this is wear something you are comfortable in. Your engagement session is not the time to try out a whole new fashion style that you have never tried before, but rather, a chance to dress up your favorite style. On the other hand, don’t be afraid of venturing out a little bit!
           GIRLS: If you would normally wear a skirt and top, try a tulle skirt! If you would normally wear jeans and a cardigan, try some jeans and a sequined sweater! Don’t be afraid to accessorize.
   GUYS: If you normally wear jeans and a t-shirt, try jeans, dress shoes and dressing up that t-shirt with a blazer. A casual suit is nice, or even nice jeans, a button up shirt.
   When choosing your outfits, wear something that is somewhat coordinating but not matching. If you don’t dress like each other every day of the week, we don’t recommend dressing the same for your session! Accessorize with jewelry, layers, or hats and scarves. If there is a place to change, bringing along another outfit is okay too, but not mandatory! Some couples wear a dressier outfit and change into something a little more casual! But feel free to nail it with one outfit!
4. Feel free to bring along any props that you feel may make the session a little more unique. We always suggest bringing along a cute blanket to sit on or wrap up in! Props are not essential for an amazing engagement session but can add a little fun. Be sure not to “over do it”. One or two props are fun, more than that will distract from the two of you! No props is okay too! If you have any questions or if you want help discussing ideas, do not hesitate to ask!

We hope these tips have made you feel more at ease about your engagement session with us. We promise you that we’re super excited about it and you should be too!!