Your engagement session is almost here!
You might have 100 questions running through your mind when it comes to your engagement session. When, where, what, how…. and maybe even why! Take a breath, I’m here to help you navigate ALL the questions you have!
When + Where
The date and location are probably the easiest to figure out. If you haven’t already done so, send me an e-mail with 5 dates that work best for you both. I’ll check my calendar and see what matches up. Time-wise, I generally shoot for planning the session within 3 hours before sunset. I can look that up once we start planning the date, or you can check that out on sunrisesunset.com as well :)
For the “where”, I have around 100 favorite locations all over Wisconsin, from tall pines, waterfalls, open fields, beaches, urban scenes and more. You just have to pick your vibe and a general location. I’ll go just about anywhere to capture some epic photos, so let me know what kind of scene you’d like in the background, and how far you’re willing to travel, then I’ll send some suggestions over!
Extra fun ideas to make your engagement session stand out from the crowd
Get in the water [fully dressed!]
Mud fight anyone?
Color powder or paint battle
Do you have a cool job or hobby? Let’s go there or find a way to incorporate it
A session at a county or state fair would be amazing!
Have a thing for the Renaissance Faire? Huzzah!
Think of a different theme and go with it. Rockstars, BarbieCore, 80’s
The sky is the limit, so let’s have fun!
What
The most common what is, “what should we wear?” I highly recommend 3 outfits to get a good variety with your gallery.
1 - Casual.
Pick something that you would wear most days. This outfit should represent who you are in your everyday life.
2 - Semi-formal.
Pick something that’s nice, but not over the top. Dress pants and a button up, maybe a casual sundress or nice pants with a nice top - think of yourself as getting dressed to go to your friend’s rustic-themed, laid-back wedding.
3 - Dramatic.
I don’t usually encourage people to be dramatic, but when it comes to getting some seriously epic pictures, I’ll definitely encourage putting some drama in your outfit. Think of yourself as getting ready to go to the Oscars because you’re about to receive an award!
4 - Trendy.
Trends come and go, but if you want to add a little bit of modern edge to your gallery, definitely bring something along that would put you two on the cover of a magazine.
Wardrobe No-Nos
No wild patterns that hurt your eyes to look at, stay away from crazy bright neon colors, and don’t wear clothes that are very obviously dirty or damaged [yes, people have shown up to sessions like that!]
Also…..don’t pick your nose during your session lol
How
The biggest how I hear is, “How do we pose?! We’re not professional models!”. I approach engagement sessions with “stages”, all of which aim to not only let you have fun, but to make your experience stress free and enjoyable [yes, even for the people who typically HATE having their photos taken!]
Phase 1
Those slightly boring traditional photos your grandma will love.
Phase 2
Fun, playful, loosely posed, and documentary.
Phase 3
More posed, with a focus on connection and romance.
Phase 4
Editorial and artistic. You might feel like you’re posing for Vogue.
Why
“Why should we do an engagement session?”
On the fence about using your complimentary engagement session? I highly recommend doing one, even if you already had a session with a different photographer. The time we spend together doing your engagement session will give us a great opportunity to get to know one another, and so you can know what to expect on your wedding day from me as well. I can tell you all day about how professional I am, how I’m fun to work with, but the only way you’ll really know is if we put a little time aside to work together before the big day. Building trust in any relationship is important, which is why I always recommend doing an engagement session.
Have more questions?
If you have more questions, please feel free to reach out! As always, I’ll be happy to help :)
