I include engagement sessions in The Fisher Visuals Wedding Experience because I genuinely believe that they are a VITAL part of the entire process. During your engagement session, you’ll have the chance to get to know your photographer and experience how they shoot and how they handle posing and lighting. This session will have a HUGE impact on how the wedding day flows. Your photographer will arrive on your wedding day already knowing how you and your partner interact, what your best poses are, and how to photograph you in a genuine way! What your photographer will learn about you during your engagement session is invaluable! You will feel like such a pro on your big day because of the great practice you had during your engagement session!
Your engagement session should be scheduled anytime before your wedding day. I normally suggest booking it at least three-six months in advance to avoid stress. Because most photographers’ weekends are filled with weddings, I tend to shoot engagement sessions on weekend evenings, normally from 5-7 pm, depending on the lighting conditions and the time of the year. In the winter, 3-5 pm is a normal time frame for an engagement shoot! Remember, most photographers do have limited weekend dates available.
As you start to plan for your engagement shoot, you will need to start brainstorming about location ideas. I LOVE it when couples pick a location that is special or sentimental to them in some way! If you can’t think of anywhere specific that you would like to shoot, your photographer can help you decide on a location. As long as the light is ideal, we can make ANY location look awesome! I love to shoot at farms, campuses, downtown alleys, and even laundromats! Do not shy away from unique ideas. The more creative, the better! It’s always a little intimidating to have your picture taken, even if it’s just a photo on an iPhone that is handled by a friend; we still want to look nice, make sure nothing is in our teeth, and that our hair behaves! I realize that preparing for your engagement session can be a little overwhelming. Over the following few pages, I’ll be providing tips for outfits, handling nerves, and recommendations that will make your shoot the best it can possibly be!
The basics + what to bring
POCKETS | Empty your pockets! You don’t want to have key chains or phones showing through your pockets. This is easy to overlook but very hard to edit out.
TIMING | The sun sets quickly, especially if your shoot is not in the summer months. The later you arrive, the less time we have to shoot! Once the sun is set, the shoot will be over.
RING CLEANING | If possible, it is ideal to clean your ring before your shoot. I love to shoot a few macro shots of your diamond while you change outfits! The cleaner the better.
CHANGING CLOTHES | As much as I would like to say that we always have restrooms for outfit changes, more often than not, our clients do quick outfit changes in their cars if there are no other options.
DEEP BREATHS | I’m going to help you along the way, and it’s going to be a blast! I will instruct you on everything you need to know. Enjoy this time together, and make a date out of it! Plan dinner afterward and celebrate!!
PARKING FEE | This may not apply to your shoot, but you always want to plan in advance for a cash-only parking fee that we may encounter or any tolls. We’ve had instances where this has caused some stress, and stress is what we want to avoid.
CLOTHING | I’ll explain this more in-depth in the next few pages, but generally, our couples like to bring one casual outfit and one dressy outfit. If you’re unsure about a few pieces, feel free to bring all options, and I can help you decide or we can email about it beforehand!
LIP COLOR & HAIRSPRAY | You may need to apply more lip color after one outfit change and a few kisses. (If you have a bold lip color, try to have a matte finish so it won’t transfer to your groom as intensely!). Hairspray and a brush will be helpful if your hair struggles in the humidity!
FLIP FLOPS | If you’re wearing shoes that are difficult to walk in but look awesome, bring some comfy shoes to change into while we walk to each shooting location!
Be sure to check out my next blog to find out more about outfit ideas and inspiration!
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