Wondering how to prepare for your engagement photos? You’ve come to the perfect place to find answers.
Your engagement photos are all about capturing where you are in your relationship right now and getting ready for the next exciting chapter in your lives! When it comes to engagement photos, there’s nothing to be nervous or worried about – this is meant to be an experience you and your partner are going to look back fondly on for years and years to come. Of course, you’ll also have stunning photos to look at too.
As a Phoenix wedding photographer, I’ve heard all the questions I’m sure you currently have on your mind about your session, like what do we wear? Where do we take pictures? What is our session going to look like? That’s why I’ve created this guide to help you!
Read on to learn everything you need to know about how to prepare for your engagement photos!
How to Prepare for Your Engagement Photos
Here are my top tips on how you can prepare for your engagement photos:
Choose Your Vibe
Your engagement photos get to look however you want! Whether that’s recreating a favorite cinematic scene from a movie, having a more “artsy” vibe to your photos, or having a fun and free-spirited session, you get to do whatever speaks to you.
For inspiration I always recommend using Pinterest to create a vision board that you can share with me before your session. This way I can get a better idea of what you’re looking for, give you tips and help you with planning.
Pick Your Location
When we work together, I love to help you find the best locations throughout Phoenix, Arizona and beyond. Your location will set the scene for your entire session, so it’s not something you should choose on a whim.
You’ll want to choose a location that matches your overall vision and vibe and also speaks to you and your partner. Picking the “perfect” location can be a struggle for the couples I work with, so if that’s you right now, that’s totally okay.
To help you here are some questions you and your partner can ask yourselves to narrow down your list of options:
- Do you have a favorite place that you both love? A coffee shop? Where your partner proposed? A scenic spot you enjoy going to?
If you answered “yes” to the question above, I want you to figure out if you and your partner can take photos at that place. Your favorite place might just be the perfect spot to take photos!
If that’s not what you’re wanting, other questions you can ask yourselves are:
- How would you and your partner describe yourselves? Do you both love traveling? Exploring city streets? Spending time outdoors? Is there a location you can think of that aligns with your personalities?
- Do you prefer a natural landscape, or an urban setting?
- Do you want your engagement session and your wedding portraits to have a consistent look and feel to them? If yes, you should consider having your engagement session at your wedding venue!
Choose Your Outfits
Outfits are a KEY part of making your engagement session feel authentic and comfortable for both you and your partner. You don’t need to choose to both wear something that is itchy, constricting, uncomfortable, or just doesn’t feel like you for the sake of your engagement session.
When it comes to choosing the “right” outfit, it’s best to pick outfits that you both feel confident in and that align with your vision. Your outfits don’t have to fit a certain criteria – they can be whatever you and your partner like.
I suggest picking outfits that coordinate with each other—just make sure that they don’t clash with the location where you’re having your session.
For instance, if you were taking your engagement photos in the desert, I wouldn’t recommend wearing bright neon colors or distracting patterns. Instead, I would suggest wearing something that complements the desert landscape, such as earthy tones or neutral colors.
In general though, here is my overall rule of thumb for what to wear: I don’t recommend wearing bright neon colors or big distracting patterns. Why? They take the focus off of you and put the focus on your clothing instead.
Also, I don’t typically recommend reds (think corvette red), oranges, etc as they tend to reflect back into your skin and make you look more red overall. I recommend that your outfits coordinate, that you feel confident in them, and that they are neutral with the setting you are in.
Decide on the time of day you want your photos
My advice? Plan your session at golden hour, or just within an hour of sunset if you’re going to be taking your engagement photos outdoors. This is the best time of day you can take your photos without having to worry about harsh lighting or shielding your eyes from a glaring sun.
The time of day you ultimately choose will also depend on the location you choose. If you pick a location that is typically crowded at sunset, then it is probably better to opt for a sunrise session – think places like Yosemite, Moab, beaches, etc.
You can also always consult me on the best time of day to take your photos, and I can help you decide!
Drink lots of water before your session
If you’re in Phoenix, you know how hot it can get in the summer, and truly any other time of the year, which is why it’s super important to hydrate. However, this advice applies to you wherever you live!
Hydration is crucial to keeping your skin hydrated and glowing. It also helps keep your energy and mood levels elevated so don’t skip out on drinking lots of water before your session!
Additional Tips to Make Your Engagement Session Even Better
I wanted to share a few more expert tips to help you prepare for your engagement session. Here are some other ways to make your session the best it can possibly be:
- Pay for a hair and makeup artist
- Have your rings cleaned prior
- Eat something before your session – or bring it with you! Pizza parties are always fun!
- Bring a touch up kit with makeup, hair essentials, and something to wipe/dab away sweat
- Bring an extra pair of comfortable shoes and a change of clothes, if we have multiple locations
- Try on your outfits a week before your session to make sure you are happy with them
What Your Engagement Session in Phoenix With Me Looks Like
Your engagement session is all about your connection and love and making sure that’s documented. I always love to say that an engagement session with me is more like a date – it’s meant to be fun and lighthearted.
During your session, I will follow you and your partner around and make sure that I document all the special moments you share. Remember, this moment is all about the two of you—not my camera.
Before your session, we will pick locations and activities that align with what you and your partner love. This will ensure both of you feel comfortable and at ease. I always want you to do what feels normal for both of you.
This is the most authentic, and best way, to capture your personalities and your relationship. That means that if you two are silly and fun, let’s get silly and fun – or if you’re stoic and serious, let’s lean into that with an art museum, a library or something similar so you can have the best experience possible!
To book your engagement session with me, all you have to do is head over to my contact page, which you can find here, enter in all your details, and hit send. After that, we’ll set up a time to video chat to get to know one another and make sure we all vibe!
Psst…want to look at my recommended engagement session locations in Arizona? Check out the blog I wrote for you here!
Now You Know How to Prepare for Your Engagement Photos
I hope you found this guide helpful! Your engagement photos are the perfect way to showcase your love story and spend meaningful time connecting with your partner!
And if you’re looking for the perfect photographer to capture your engagement session in Phoenix, you can learn more about my services here or get in touch with me here. I’m here to capture images for you that will forever evoke emotion, portray the intimacy between you and your partner, and that will always have the warm, honest vibes that you both already share.
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