Feeling nervous for your engagement session? You’re not alone – most people feel the same way!! You have no idea how many of my couples tell me something along the lines of:

• “We’re so anxious for the session”
• “What if we don’t know how to pose?”
• “We’re nervous about what to wear”
• “We’ve never had photos taken/never had a good experience with photos”

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I promise you: most of couples say these same things!! Not just one or two of them. Seriously. Getting in front of the camera can be suuuuper nervewracking. Whether it’s your first time or not! So today, I want to give you a little idea of what to expect from your engagement session with me. Because I know that it can make you even more nervous not knowing what’s going to happen/not knowing how to prepare. I’m going to briefly go through a few things to prep you for your session:

• What the logistics of the actual session will look like
• What kind of clothes to wear
• Ways to calm your nerves before + during the session

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Let’s do it!!

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The Logistics

One of the most nervewracking parts of going into your engagement session can be not knowing how the session will actually go. It often helps couples to know how long it’ll be or what’ll happen during it. That way, you can be mentally ready + excited!

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First off, my engagement sessions typically last 1-2 hours.

This totally depends on the couple and the session. The length of the session can vary based on the couple and how long it takes us to get comfortable together! It also depends on the location we’re shooting at, the weather, and how many outfits you bring.

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I don’t “pose” my couples too heavily during their engagement session.

If you know me then you probably already know I’m a big fan of the candid moments between couples! I am the professional, so I’ll be directing you + guiding you into actions/movements that feel natural to you both. And of course, I’ll watch for any hairs that are out of place, or hands that could be moved to bring more feeling to the photo. But overall, I like to interact with my couples naturally and give you prompts versus telling you exactly what to do – because that doesn’t feel super authentic to me. And don’t worry, we’ll make sure to get a few pics of you smiling at the camera for grandma who wants that photo for her fridge!

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I want to get you as comfortable as possible during our session.

I’ll make sure throughout our session that you’re interacting naturally & comfortably together, and not trying to put on a show for the camera. This is partially my responsibility, but also partially yours since only you know each other best! Make sure throughout the session that each other is staying as relaxed as possible and not tensing up or putting on a facade for my camera. Do what you need to do to fix when this does happen – you can always ask me to take a break or take a moment to yourselves!

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Engagement Session Outfit Tips

I won’t dive too heavily into outfits because I do that more with my couples once they’ve booked me, but here are my top tips to keep in mind when picking out your outfits!

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Bring multiple outfits.

Having a few different outfits throughout your session will add lots of variety to your photos! Different outfits allow you to bring out different parts of your personality + add different visual elements to your photos so that not everything looks the same. You could bring one formal outfit, one casual if you want two different looks. Or bring two different casual looks if you’re a more casual couple who doesn’t feel as comfortable in “dressy” clothes!

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Wear what you feel your best in.

We want you to be as comfortable + confident as possible in your engagement photos!! Being in front of the camera can be nervewracking enough, so make sure you wear something that’s going to make you feel like your best self. AND something that fits you really well. Something that won’t have you worrying about your hair or making sure that your dress isn’t falling down with lots of movement. Like I said, I like to have my couples moving a lot and staying comfortable, so wearing super tight clothes may not be the best option!

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Keep it simple.

Try to keep your patterns to a minimum – simple patterns can be super beautiful in photos, but if you have clashing patterns, it’ll distract from your faces + emotions in the photos. Keep your colors simple and make sure they’ll go great with the background of the location you’ll be at for your session – you can ask me about this and I’ll help you with colors!!

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Don’t be afraid of accessories!

Accessories are a great way to add some variety + spice to your engagement photos. Bring along a hat, some different jewelry, and/or a couple jackets!

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Lastly, keep your shoes comfy.

Make sure you wear shoes that will be comfortable to walk around in at your location! If we’ll be hiking up some rocks, stay away from stilettos. You want to be comfy and not worrying about how much your feet hurt or worrying about ruining your super nice new heels!

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How to Calm Your Nerves

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Before your session:

• Take the morning to enjoy time together + make a date out of the whole day. Think about the session as a date, a way for you to spend quality time together and ignore everything else going on around you in your lives. It’s a time to focus on each other and your love, so start off your day like that, too!
• Get drinks/food with me! I’m always more than happy to meet up with you for drinks and/or food before your session, especially if we haven’t met in person yet. I know it can be super helpful to meet the photographer before you actually start shooting, so you can get comfortable and get your nerves out. Let’s hit up your favorite bar or coffee shop together for a little while before we head to your location!
• Take a couple shots! If you’re feeling super nervous right before the session, take a couple shots of your fave drink! It’ll loosen ya up and kill off those nerves you’re feeling.

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During your session:

• Ask me to take a break. Being in front of the camera can be tiring, so it’s always more than okay to ask me for a break partway through! Chances are I could probably use a break too to sit down/switch out camera batteries/etc. We can sit in our cars for a few minutes to chill out + have a few minutes of alone time, or you and your partner can take a little walk.
• Bring drinks!! If you know me, you already knew I was going to suggest this! Bring along your fave drinks to loosen you up during the session and to add some fun to your photos. Whether that means bringing cans of your favorite beer, shots of tequila, or a bottle of champagne to pop, always do it!! We can start off your session with drinks to get comfy/calm down, and/or end the session with them to celebrate.

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If you’re still feeling nervous/unsure about having your engagement photos taken, I’ve got another blog post for you to read now: Why You Should Have Engagement Photos Taken. It’ll remind you of all the reasons you want these photos – and now you know how to make them awesome + get comfortable for them!! You’ll do amazing, and I’m always here to help however I can!