Congratulations on becoming engaged! The love of your life just asked for your hand in marriage and you have said yes! There are so many exciting and wonderful times ahead for you both! Planning a wedding is a lot of fun. However, it’s important to enjoy and capture the moments leading up to your wedding, including your engagement session. As a wedding photographer in Morgantown, West Virginia, I make sure my clients have a memorable engagement session as well as the wedding day. With my ultimate engagement session checklist, you can better prepare for your photo shoot!
Planning the Time and Date
I love to learn more about my couples through their engagement session! It gives me the chance to see how they interact with each other before the wedding. Make sure that you have several dates and times picked out on the calendar. Remember that your wedding photographer might not be available on the date you have in mind so it’s best to have plenty of options just in case.
Finding the Perfect Location
A location for your engagement session is important as it reflects you as a couple. There may be a spot around your city where your fiance proposed or there may be a special location where you go walking together. Wherever the location, it should be quiet enough for your photographer to shoot without a lot of people in the background. If my couples don’t have a specific spot in mind, I always have a list of ready to go options for them to choose.
Schedule Hair and Makeup
Now that you have a date set on the calendar for your engagement session, you can schedule a hair and makeup appointment for the same day. Your groom-to-be should also get his hair cut to ensure he looks his best as well. If you have a hair and makeup artist in mind for your wedding, this is the perfect time to book them for your engagement photos. That way, you know what it’s like to work with her, and you get a trial run of how things would go on your wedding day.
Choosing Your Outfits
Your photo shoot location and the theme of your session play a leading role in the outfits you choose. It’s important to select outfits that are appropriate for your location. One rule of thumb is to make sure that you stay away from distracting prints, logos, and bright neon colors. Your and your fiance’s outfits should compliment each other when it comes to colors. If you are changing outfits during the engagement session, bring another pair of shoes and accessories that will match your other outfit.
Along with bringing several complete outfits, make sure to pack a pair of flat, comfortable shoes on hand. You both will be moving around to different spots in between photos, so having this extra set will make things easier.
Get Your Nails Done
Since there will be a lot of close-up shots of your hands together and you will be wearing your engagement ring, it’s important to have your nails done if you want your portraits to look nice. Your groom-to-be should also make sure that his nails look nice as well. As far as colors, choose a neutral color such as light pink, light beige, or even just a clear top coat. One of these will be the prettiest to use and will show up best on camera.
Have Your Ring Cleaned
Your beautiful new engagement ring will be featured in a lot of photos! Take your ring to the jeweler ahead of time for a professional cleaning so it’s pretty and shiny during the engagement session. This may seem trivial to include on your session checklist, but it really does make a difference in your portraits.
Bring Water and Snacks
Since you will likely be working with your engagement photographer for at least an hour to two hours, it helps to have some light snacks and water on hand. This will keep you hydrated and energized, especially if you’ve planned your session during a warmer month. It can get hot in West Virginia in the summer, so bringing water and snacks is just as important as dressing appropriately.
Don’t Forget About Touch-ups
Circling back to staying hydrated, if your engagement session takes place in the summer, your face can get sweaty and oily. You never know when you may need to touch up your lipstick or use blotting tissues, so come prepared in terms of extra makeup and deodorant. Even if it’s not summer, bring these items anyway!
Finally, make a full day out of your engagement session! You both will be all dressed up already, so why not plan a lovely late lunch or early dinner after your photo shoot to end the day off perfectly. I love going on a nice date with my husband, so choose a nice place for your meal.
Now that you have my ultimate engagement session checklist, you can plan your photoshoot with me! Reach out via my contact page or send me an email directly at carrie@carriewhitephotography.com so we can find a date that works for you both!
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