Engagements are so exciting. Romance is in the air and the anticipation of a lifetime together comes to a crescendo in the rush during the weeks leading up to your wedding, causing you to wonder: Is an engagement shoot necessary? After all, your wedding pictures share the beginning of your life, right?
Shooting an engagement is important for many reasons.
- First, this time allows you to get comfortable in front of the camera with us, figuring out how we work best together before the wedding. What makes you feel cozy and where your nooks are together. This time helps us all to learn more about one another and helps you feel as though we are old friends on your wedding day.
- Showcase your personalities and your love story in a more casual setting. While creating fun captures for wall portraits, your wedding sign-in book, sign-in board and Thank You cards (shot early enough, we can also provide the images for your Save The Date cards and invitations) Best of all, you can remember this special time forever away from the throngs of loved ones and friends. This is your time together.
- Best of all, be sure to revisit a place that is meaningful to the two of you. Whether it be where you first met, your favorite restaurant, your favorite activity, or the spot of the proposal!
Location is one of the most important elements for all my couples when planning their engagement session. While there are plenty of cool spots I could choose for my couples, I encourage them to find a location that means something to them and their relationship — a place where they met, grew up, or one that has some bearing on their love story. Becca and Mac, for example, were third grade crushes who, 15 years later, had their first date at the Sly Fox Pub. Returning to that spot brought back so many memories, giving the session an added element of nostalgia that seemed to intensify their connection on camera. I always say to my couples: ” In 10 years, you should look back on these images and be reminded of why you were there and the beginning of your life together.”
Some of our favorite places to have your engagement photos
Philadelphia, Annapolis, Washington DC, Baltimore, New York City, Haddonfield, Valley Forge, New Hope, Lynchburg, Santa Barbara and beyond!
A few locations for your engagement photographs:
- At your proposal spot: Go back to where the engagement began! What better way to capture your excitement and the story than to retell the proposal!
- At your favorite restaurant: We all have our favorite spots for breaking bread. Start at your favorite restaurant or pub and begin a date, finish the date after your engagement session! It will give your mind something else to look forward to.
- At Home: Stay at home and capture your first professional photos in your first home together as a future married couple! One of my favorite places to capture a couple is in their own environment. All your favorite things surround you and even kitties are welcome!
- Your New City: Meet us in the streets of your favorite new city where you began dating and moved in together! Capture your favorite alleys, charming homes, and the ambiance in your town. These photos will be amazing to look back on in a few years to see how the area has changed!
- Doing your favorite activity: Do you both like playing games, boating, swimming, wakeboarding, or any other games?! This is one of my favorite from the last couple years, capturing couples having fun together is THE best! Games and activities helps to break the barriers and make you instantly comfortable.
- Wine Tasting: Go on an adventure together. This couple chose to go back to their favorite vineyard. They had a map they were checking off each vineyard along the Virginia Wine Trail
- Where you first met each other: Did you meet the first time online, at the ball park, coffee shop, wine bar, oyster bar, or someone else’s wedding?! Let’s go back to that spot or a similar place to commemorate how it all began.
- Images with your pet: You may have realized already that I am a dog lover. I will always welcome any four legged friend to join the engagement photographs! What better way to capture your new family than by including your entire family in your session?
- Your favorite skyline: The city you live in is beautiful at any time of the year, and the skyline shares where you live now, a beautiful location that might change with time. Capture your photos with your hometown skyline or new city behind the two of you.
- A downtown urban session: Photos in alleyways or in otherwise undiscovered locations of your area make for a more intimate view of the city.
- A beach: Most people love the beach, sand in your toes, water splashing, and light hitting the water. It is a gorgeous backdrop for engagement photos anytime of year!
- Vintage-styled, with old furniture, a barn or retro clothes: Bring out your nostalgic or avant garde side with some dramatic, edgy modern shots coupled with retro stylings. This is your chance to creatively express your selves!
- Seasonal: Choosing the opposite season of your wedding can be a great variety for your professional photos. Mix it up for your photos by choosing the leaves of Fall, blooms of Spring, beachy Summer, or snowy Winter coat session.
- Make it a date at your favorite coffee, local shop, or ice cream: Quirky and cozy, local mom and pop shops are a great way to take a quick break to refuel and to catch some local, architectural shots with you in the process, maybe even grab ice cream?!
- Vacation Spot: Nothing says fun like revisiting your favorite vacation spots. We create so many memories when our phones are away and work is turned off! We’ll meet you in St. Michaels where you love to escape or across the country where the magic began in Santa Barbara.
View more engagement photos from other locations
