So, you’re engaged and you’ve been looking on Pinterest and Instagram at all these gorgeous engagement photos wondering: “how can I look as natural as they are?” “how can I get cute photos like that?”

Well, first of all, a BIG congratulations on your recent engagement!! Being engaged ourselves, we know exactly how exciting this time is! We can also relate to how stressful planning a wedding can get. This is why we always put our couples first and why we wanted to put together a guide on how you can get absolutely beautiful engagement photos!

So, without further ado, here are tips to beautiful engagement photos!

1. Pick the time of your session wisely

The day you choose doesn’t matter in most cases (sometimes it can be good to choose a day where there will be less people if your session will be in a popular location), but the time you choose is super important. You’ve probably heard of something called golden hour. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, golden hour is that short period of time right before sunset. The light becomes softer, which in turn makes skin tones and the photo in general just look incredible.  Just look at this photo of Allie and Dan’s engagement session during golden hour!

Now, you could do your engagement session a little earlier. The light will still be okay, but stay away from the times of the day where the sun is very bright and harsh; think midday. This will create unwanted shadows and really bring out any non-optimum features.

2. Coordinate your outfits

So, by this I don’t mean to match your outfits exactly. But, if you decide to wear something more formal such as a gown, your fiancé should wear a suit (it would look really weird if he wore a t-shirt and shorts!) Coordinating your outfits will make your photos look put together and cohesive. We always recommend our couples to look through Pinterest for outfit ideas, and we even make a board for each couple if they’re having difficulty getting inspired! We let our couples bring two different outfits to their engagement session, so many of them decide to bring a formal outfit and then a more casual outfit, like a sundress and nice shirt and pants for the guys. Maham and Norman did a really great job of choosing their outfits – check out the photos below!

3. Prep your soon-to-be hubby

Most guys aren’t super jazzed about doing the engagement photos. Not because they don’t want to take photos with you, but because they aren’t sure how to pose, think it’ll be awkward and mushy, and they don’t quite understand how important it is for you to get them done. But, their mindset completely changes once you sit down with your fiancé and let him know why taking engagement photos is important to you and what he can expect. As photographers, it’s our job to make our couples feel comfortable in front of the camera so their love can really show, and you can tell him that! You can also mention that it’ll be a great way for the two of you to get to know your photographer and feel more comfortable with them on the day of the wedding. Many couples decide to use the engagement photos on their wedding website and for their save the date cards.

4. Pamper yourself!

Woohoo! This is the super fun part. We highly recommend getting your hair and makeup done professionally for two reasons.

1. Who doesn’t love to look their best? When you feel amazing, you look amazing, and that’ll show in your photos!

And 2. it’s a great opportunity to have your hair and makeup trial with your hair and makeup artist to see if they’d be a good fit for your wedding. So, schedule your appointment and treat yourself! We have a list of vendors we trust and know will take good care of our couples, so don’t forget to ask us about that if you’re not sure who to go with! Pampering isn’t just for the girls, your fiancé should treat himself too! Getting a fresh haircut and a manicure (we will be taking photos of your hands, so you’ll want to make sure they look good!) will make him feel good and look good alongside you.

5. Trust your photographer

Having trust in your photographer is key. You chose them based off the work you saw on their Instagram or portfolio, and they have an eye for taking beautiful photos. They may ask you to go in a specific location, or pose a certain way, or shoot from a particular angle. They’re doing all of that because they are using their best judgement to capture you and your fiancé in the best possible way. So, trust their instincts and skills.

6. Use your connections for a unique location

Location is another important element to beautiful engagement photos. We always have a list of gorgeous locations, from urban to beach to parks – we’ve got it nailed down so that no matter where you choose from our list, you’ll have a fantastic backdrop for your photos. One thing we do like to suggest to our couples is to think about who you know who has a special location you can use. It could be a yacht, farm land, a gorgeous estate/house, etc. Or it may be that you know someone who works at a great location who can give you special access. These types of locations make your engagement photos unique and stand out.

7. Have fun!

Last, but not least, have FUN! This is a time you and your fiancé get to love on each other and simply just be with one another. Plus, when you have fun, it shows in the photos and will make them that much better.

We hope these tips can help prepare you for your engagement photos. We absolutely love engagement sessions because we get to know our couples better and create a strong relationship so that when it comes time for their wedding day, they feel comfortable with us. If you have any questions at all, please reach out to us – we’d be happy to help!