Hello!
Today I’m going to be discussing engagement photos, which are a great way to get to know your photographer before the wedding, get some great updated pictures of you as a couple, and also get comfortable in front of the camera before your wedding day.
Almost every engagement shoot starts out with people worrying that they’ll be super awkward in front of the camera and not know what to do. By the end, we’ve explored and laughed and talked our way through it and all had a blast. So don’t dread your photos – it will be fun!
I usually tell people that I’m the location scout and they are the talent – yes it is totally normal to feel awkward and yes I’m happy to provide as much or as little direction as you need in terms of posing and interacting with each other. The less you worry about it the better it will be!
Read on below to learn about location scouting and what to wear.
WHERE SHOULD WE GO?
Are you looking for a rustic or urban look?
Is there a place nearby where you live that’s very significant to you? The proposal site? The neighborhood where you walk your dog? A coffee shop that you both love to go to?
Some couples choose a location that’s personal to them while others just want somewhere pretty and unique. You’d be surprised at the spots we can find just by walking around and exploring. Once we settle on a location feel free to scout around and come up with some ideas of where to go. If you’re not interested in doing that it’s no problem – we’ll explore together the day of.
If you don’t know where to do it let me know what you have in mind and I may be able to suggest some ideas.
A few examples of fun spots:
James & Katie: James grew up working at Shelburne Farms so it was a natural spot to take photos with Katie. They were also getting married there but knew they wouldn’t have the time to fully explore the property the day of.
Pete & Laura chose a farm near where they went to college – Pete lived there when they were dating and it holds many happy memories for them (and is beautiful to boot!)
Kevin & Alex are super outdoorsy and love the waterfront so we used it as the background for their engagement photos and then continued into town to finish up our time together
Missy & Amy decided to do their photos where Amy went to high school which has significance to both of them and is beautiful to boot!
Randy & Erin live near Middlebury and knew it would offer a ton of different locations for photos. After exploring the town we headed to Erin’s Parent’s house to do some with their two doggies!
Sam & Emily: Sam went to Middlebury College and met Emily when he was there (she went to UVM) so we explored campus and town
Megan and Adam traveled all the way from Australia to have their wedding so were only in town for a few days before. We met up at the house they were renting and Megan brought along this vintage suitcase she had found which acted as a good prop!
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
Wear something you will be comfortable in! I usually advise that you should dress as if you’re going out for a date night. Look like you….just kicked up a notch!
Accessories can be cute and bring visual interest to the photos.
Some people bring two outfits – something more dressy and something less dressy….that works great!
You want the photos to reflect who you both are and for you to feel comfortable in your own skins – if you’re wearing something you don’t normally wear you’ll be worried about how you look and less focused on having fun and relaxing.
In general stay away from large logos or busy patterns as they can be distracting or date the photos.
Click on the two collages to see the images bigger!
In short – relax and have fun – by doing that your relationship and the love you have for each other will shine through!
