Hi friends!!
The holidays are here which means it is ENGAGEMENT SEASON and your dream proposal and time to start planning your dream engagement session– yay!! Honestly one of my favorite things about this time of year is hearing all the proposal stories. When Will and I were dating, I gave him a rather long list of expectations for our proposal: I wanted photos, and to be surprised, and needed to have hair and makeup done, and he needed to plan the proposal in a certain time frame for us to have time to plan… somehow he managed to do ALL of those things!! Then we went to Wilmington, North Carolina for a destination engagement session. I remember feeling so overwhelmed; I packed like 25 outfits and had no idea what to expect. As a full-time destination wedding photographer, I photograph a lot of engagement sessions, so I put together some tips for you so hopefully you feel a little less overwhelmed than I did!
Choose your dream photographer.
Don’t just get your friend, or the cheapest you can find. Your engagement session should be a practice for your wedding. A time to make sure you feel comfortable with your wedding photographer and learn their style of posing. After an engagement session with KWP, the guys leave relaxed and even tell us they had fun!! So when the wedding day comes they trust us and know exactly what to expect. If you need time to save for your dream photographer but need save-the-dates quickly, then get a friend to grab that photo for you and then use your real engagement session photos to make a luxury guest book– we love making these!!
Dress to impress.
Okay that sounds cheesy… but seriously this is your chance to have fun getting all dressed up with your future spouse! The dressier you are, the better your photos will be! Think long dresses, suit and tie, heels… have fun feeling fancy! Do you need more guidance when choosing outfits? Look here: Engagement Session Style Guide.
Plan a date.
Plan to go to a nice dinner after while you are all dressed up! Your engagement session should be a fun way to celebrate your relationship, and making a whole evening just to enjoy each other is the best. Our favorite nice local date night is The Vault Downtown.
Choose a meaningful location.
We love when couples choose locations that are meaningful to them. Maybe take them at the college where you met, or in your favorite vacation spot, or a city you love to explore together, or if you love the outdoors, pick a beautiful mountaintop. One of our couples chose the diner where they had their first date, which was perfect!! You can see it here: Harrisonburg Engagement Session.
Think about the details.
Treat yourself and get your hair, and makeup, and nails done. Have your ring cleaned. These things make SUCH a difference in how you feel in your photos!! Don’t be afraid to bring fun props, or real florals!
Enjoy it!
Most importantly, enjoy the experience!! Your engagement session should be a fun memory you make together– so don’t stress about it and just trust your photographer!!
I hope this is helpful and you ENJOY this engagement season!
With love,
Katelyn Workman
Find engagement session inspo here:
Harrisonburg Engagement Session
