Virginia Senior Photographer and Second Shooter
  • Blog
  • Website
  • Meet Hillary
  • Investment
  • Contact

What Every Bride-to-Be Should Know About Engagement Sessions:

3/6/2015

0 Comments

 
engagement session tips, radford engagement photographer, roanoke wedding photographer, virginia, engaged, blacksburg va wedding photographer
Why do I give a complimentary engagement session to all my wedding couples? Because 
IT. IS. IMPORTANT. 

For me, I don’t want to just be another vendor that shows up on the wedding and just be introduced to my couples. It’s important to me to get to know my clients as an individual and as a couple. 

The engagement session is also the point in time that you get to really get to interact with your  photographer, without the stress of it being your wedding day. I know I’m in my element when I’m behind the lens and I want my couples to feel comfortable with me. I love getting to watch my couples unfold and become confident in front of the camera. This time is like no other, you’re engaged, planning your wedding, and hopefully enjoying all that life has to offer. 
A few tips on preparing your engagement session:
1)     OUTFITS:  I suggest two outfits. A professional/dressy look and one causal outfit. This gives you variety in your photos. But with this tip, BE COMFORTABLE in what you wear. Not comfortable in 4 inch stilettoes? Then don’t them. In most cases we are going to be walking around quite a bit to find different shooting locations. When choosing your outfits, don't think "matching outfits...we should be twins"...NO! You don't want this to be your awkward family portrait from the 90's. Coordinate your outfits and find color schemes that work well together. For one outfit at least, think about the color scheme of your wedding. These images can be used for Save-the-Dates, guest sign in books or to display at the wedding itself. Therefore think about coordinate your engagement picture outfits with your wedding theme or colors so that it has a cohesive feel.
Radford engagement photographer christiansburg blacksburg roanoke new river valley wedding photographer
Engagement poses, what to wear to engagement session, Radford Virginia engagement photographer
More Outfit tips:
  • Wear layers. This way if you get hot, you can take off your sweater or if there is a chill in the air you can slip something on. 
  • Accessorize! A cute scarf or piece of statement jewelry look great in images and can give it a nice pop. Especially if you use this as your "pop" of color. 
What to wear to engagement photos, Virginia Engagement Photographer, Radford VA engagement photographer, Blacksburg va photographer, radford va, mountain lake lodge photographer
 2)    LOCATION:  Choose a location that means something to you. Pick a place that is significant to you as a couple. Where did you first meet or have your first date? Do you always find yourselves walking through the woods together exploring? If you don't have a "special place" in mind, that's okay too. But when looking at locations think about the "feel" that you want your images to portray. Do you want a country scene or are you interested in a more "urban" look? 


(This couple loved watching movies, plus they had their first "date" as kids in a theater. What better way to celebrate their engagement than the Radford Theater. )
Radford Theater engagement portraits, radford theater, radford engagement photographer, locations tips for engagement portraits
(Justin and Sara would go to a park in Radford together to sit and talk or explore, so we decided that Wildwood Park would be the perfect place since they used to spend time here as a couple)
radford virginia engagement portraits, choosing a location for engagement portraits, what to wear to engagement portraits, blacksburg engagement photographer
3)      HAVE FUN: This is an supposed to be a fun time for you and your future husband. A time to relax and hang out. If you have a fur-baby, bring them along! Also, if you want something different for your engagement session, think about have a stylized shoot. What's that? Well, instead of having the just the two of you, bring along some fun props. Make you engagement session into a scene. Have a picnic and bring a blanket, some wine and cheese and some fun throw pillows to complete the look. 
blacksburg engagement photographer, blacksburg va wedding photographer, engagement portrait tips, radford virginia photographer
Engagement portraits with dog, engagement portrait tips, blacksburg virginia photograhper, blacksburg VA wedding photographer
Other tips and tricks to an awesome engagement session:
-Get that new bling cleaned! When I am photographing your engagement ring, we want to be nice a sparkly so think about taking it to a jeweler for a good cleaning the day before your session. 
Tips for engagement session, engagement ring photo, Radford virginia engagement photographer, radford va wedding photographer, blacksburg va photographer, new river valley
-Pamper yourself. Go out with the girls and get your nails done. In most cases I shoot couples up close at some point to show off the ring a little. 

-Hair and Makeup: This goes into "pamper yourself" but I thought it deserved its own bullet point. Let someone else take the reins while you sit back and relax. Have a professional do your hair and makeup. They know how to "work the camera"!


I hope this post was helpful! If you have any other tips that really helped you or have questions, be sure to comment below. 
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Welcome!
    Hillary Gaskins : Virginia Portrait and Wedding Photography
    I'm a wedding second shooter and senior photographer who also happens to love all things DIY.
    Follow along on Instgram: HIllary Gaskins Photography
    @hillarygaskins

    Picture

    All
    Bridal
    Couples
    Engaged
    Family
    For Brides
    Home/DIY
    Maternity
    Personal
    Seniors
    Weddings


    Radford Virginia Wedding Photographer, Blacksburg VA wedding Photographer, Roanoke VA wedding photographer
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.