How to Prepare for Your Engagement Shoot: A Photographer's Insider Guide
I've been photographing couples for over 16 years, and here's the thing about engagement shoots: they're not about creating perfect, stiff portraits. They're about telling your story.
Location, Location, Location
Make it stand out.
Choose a spot that means something to you. I've shot engagement sessions everywhere from grungy urban streets to serene beaches, quiet parks to meaningful personal locations. The best locations? The ones that make you feel completely comfortable.
Pro tip: Think about your relationship. Are you coffee shop people? Hiking enthusiasts? Your location should scream "US" - not just look good on Instagram.
What to Wear: Your Personal Style is Your Best Outfit
Looking good in a photograph isn't about having the perfect body or the most expensive outfit. It's about confidence, connection, and being authentically you. When you're comfortable in your own skin, when you're genuinely happy, that's when the magic happens. That's when the camera captures your true beauty - not the beauty society tells you to have, but the beauty that is uniquely, wonderfully yours.
Forget cookie-cutter matching outfits. I want to see YOU.
Bring at least two outfits:
One that's more formal (think date night)
One that's completely casual (think lazy Sunday)
Some quick wardrobe wisdom:
Avoid super busy patterns that distract from your faces
Coordinate colors, don't match exactly
Wear something that makes you feel like a million bucks
Bring comfortable shoes - we might do some walking
The Emotional Journey: Preparing Mentally
An engagement shoot is about capturing your authentic connection.
My advice?
An engagement shoot isn't about looking perfect. It's about feeling perfectly in love.
Don't overthink the poses
Forget I'm even there
Talk to each other
Make each other laugh
Be silly
Be in love
The Technical Stuff Nobody Tells You
Get a good night's sleep
Stay hydrated
Eat something before the shoot
Bring a touch-up kit (powder, lipstick, whatever)
Bring water
Bring a sense of adventure
What I'm Looking For: The Unscripted Moments
I'm hunting for those unexpected moments:
The way you look at each other when you think nobody's watching
The spontaneous laugh
The gentle touch
The inside joke
Pro Photographer Insider Secret
Feel.
Want to know the real magic of an engagement shoot? It's not about creating perfect images. It's about creating a memory. It's about capturing your love in its most raw, unfiltered form.
A Final Note
Relax. Breathe. Be yourselves.
The best photographs aren't posed. They're lived.
