I am so excited to be working with you and I can’t wait for our time together during your engagement session! It’s normal to be a little nervous about your session. I still get nervous before having my own photos taken - and I do this for a living!
I'm so honored to help you create memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime. I've created this guide to help you get the most out of your photos, and by the time you’ve read through all these tips, you'll have all your questions answered and feel more than ready and prepared for your session. Then, I’ll take care of the rest! Your only job is to be yourself, laugh a lot and let me create photos you’ll love forever. I can’t wait to get you in front of my camera!
A NOTE ABOUT THIS GUIDE
I'm a big fan of the engagement sessions for a few reasons. First, they allow you to get comfortable in front of the camera. It takes time for most couples to warm up to being photographed and understand how I'll pose you! Timelines can be pretty tight on weddings days and 30 minutes may be all we have for portraits - which is why I’ve found that wedding day portraits turn out so much better when couples do engagement sessions ahead of time!
Second, you can showcase your personalities in a more casual setting that is signficant to the two of you (and even include pets!). While they’re great for save-the-dates, we’ve taken engagement photos anywhere from 18 months in advance to a few days before the wedding.
i can't wait for your session!
Oh, do I love natural light! I believe that natural light from the sun and its reflections creates photographs that feel fresh and timeless! Engagement session typically last about an hour to an hour and a half. I begin all outdoor portrait sessions two hours before the scheduled sunset during "golden hour" when the light is the dreamiest and we can avoid harsh shadows and bright sun patches.
Since we'll schedule our session during the best light of the day, it's super important to be on time! We’re only able to shoot when natural light is still in the sky, so we’ll want to take advantage of every minute we have together before the sun goes down.
SELECTING YOUR SESSION TIME & DATE
If your wedding is local, save the dates should be sent between 6 and 8 months before the wedding. For a destination wedding, you’ll want to send them out 8 to 10 months before the wedding.
If you’re hoping to use your engagement photos for your save the dates, I recommend scheduling your session at least two months before you plan to send out your save-the-dates. Between inclement weather, editing, designing your save-the-dates and printing, two months is generally a safe amount of time to make sure your images and cards are ready.
Save-the-dates
The location of your engagement session is up to you! Like you see throughout my portfolio, many of my couples choose a natural location, an urban spot, or a studio space! For most of my sessions, outdoor, open-air environments are a good fit. I love shooting in wide-open natural spaces because the light is divine, especially during golden hour. Studio spaces give us the option of shooting during any time of year and in any weather, and they always give a timeless feel!
I also LOVE it when couples pick a location that is special or sentimental to them in some way! If you can’t think of anywhere specific that you would like to shoot, I can help you decide on a location! You can find all of my favorites in the link below.
SELECTING THE RIGHT LOCATION
Couples usually like to have one casual everyday outfit and then one outfit that is dressier! This will give your shoot two totally different “looks”.
When choosing your outfits, I recommend keeping in mind the word “complement” rather than “match.” I recommend selecting softer, lighter tones and avoiding ultra-bright, bold colors. The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown and white. Feel free to vary the shades of the colors, too. That softer color palette fits beautifully into a natural environment, and can easily be paired in so many different ways.
Make sure you feel comfortable in what you’re wearing. Also, empty your pockets! You don’t want to have keys or phones showing through your pockets - this is for the guys especially!
OUTFITS
You can bring one outfit set or two! Most of my clients who choose two outfits will bring one “wow” dress, and then another slightly more casual dress that has a “date night” feel. But if you want to bring two “wow” dresses and forgo the more casual dress altogether, give yourself permission to do it! The camera loves runway-esque apparel and so do I!
Remember, though, you don’t have to bring two looks if it’s too stressful to coordinate or if you’d rather just stick to one fabulous look. One outfit that you love will be so much better than one outfit you love and another you’re not very excited about. And if you stick with one outfit set, you won’t have to spend any of your time changing half way through, so we’ll be able to sneak in a few more photos! So, one or two? It’s really up to you!
If you’re hoping for a classic, timeless feel to your engagement portraits, you can actually make outfit choices that will lend your images to turn out brighter, softer and extra photogenic! Here are some ingredients that go into creating a romantic styled shoot. It’s important to note that you do not need to choose all of these ingredients in order to have a classic, true-to-life images, but the more ingredients you include, the more romantic it will be:
Neutral Colors: Blushes, tans, light pinks, faint blues and light minty teals, creams, grays and whites will always result in more of a light and airy look in your images. These colors photograph softer and more romantically!
Long, Flowy Skirts/Dresses: Dresses and skirts with feminine ruffles, multiple layers of fabric and the ability to blow and move in the wind will always photograph beautifully! You would be amazed at how impactful moving fabric softens an image.
Khakis vs. Jeans: If you really want your images to be as bright as possible, consider having your groom wear lighter pants instead of dark dress pants or dark jeans.
Only one wears a pattern: I recommend avoiding patterns, but if you want to wear one, keep the pattern is on the larger side (larger than a quarter). If one of you has a bold pattern, it’s very important that the other doesn’t. The more bold the pattern, the more important this rule is!
timeless style
I love and trust each of these vendors—and I know you will too!
Maitee Miles
www.maiteemiles.com
Tease to Please Hair & Makeup
www.teasetoplease.net
Starr Beauty
www.meaganstarr.com
Stephanie Nelson
www.stephanienelsonmakeup.com
Here are some general “rules of thumb” when it comes to styling during an engagement session. Once you read through these, you may have a better understanding of what you prefer and you can start planning your outfits. These “rules of thumbs” are based off of my experience and aren’t concrete rules that can’t be broken. However, if you have questions about one of them in regards to what you want to wear, just email me and we can talk about what would be best!
things to avoid
1. Colors to avoid: Bright reds, neons, bright oranges (they reflect color onto skin and can be difficult to edit!)
2. Avoid patterns smaller than a quarter: Tiny patterns cause something called “Chromatic Abberation” in digital images. Men’s checkered shirts are fine if the “checks” are on the larger side.
3. Alternate Heaviness: If one of you is wearing very dark jeans, the other may want to wear lighter pants. If one of you is wearing a navy top, the other shouldn’t wear a dark/heavy colored top. To a certain degree, alternating the “heaviness” of your outfits can make your images look more balanced.
4. Avoid one of you being casual while the other is more dressy: This can look a bit awkward in photos. If one of you is dressed up and the other is casual, it can look a little odd in your images.
5. Other things to avoid: Tennis shoes, graphic tees, bold logos on shirts, sunglasses & baseball hats.
Dresses and skirts look most stunning because they really flatter every female body, especially on camera — which is probably why the red carpet is always full of so many dresses and not very many pantsuits! I recommend avoiding pants and shorts for your session, and saying yes to a dress instead! Long, full-length, flowy dresses and skirts look amazing on camera because they bring extra movement to the photos. Cute, shorter- length dresses photograph beautifully as well. Remember: There is no such thing as “too dressed up” when it comes to your portrait session, so don’t be afraid to have some fun!
In my experience, almost every woman (regardless of her shape), has an area of her body that she feels self-conscious about... so recognizing what area that is in advance is key. Choosing flattering silhouettes and colors that complement your natural features is the best way to ensure you’ll love the way you look in your photos.
Three-quarter length sleeves create an awesome slimming effect on all arms, so be on the lookout for an option with a longer length sleeve. Skinny straps or strapless dresses have the opposite effect on arms on camera, so I recommend avoiding those whenever possible if your goal is a set of slimmer-looking arms.
wardrobe tips
You can’t go wrong with a suit! Long, fitted pants and closed-toed shoes are the most sophisticated and masculine looks for men. They draw attention away from his legs and feet and place it where you want it: on his handsome face. So, for your session, it’s best to leave the shorts, sandals and jeans at home, too, as well as any pants that are loose or baggy. Fitted dress pants or fitted colored pants work best on camera. Solid shades of gray or navy are a strong complement to most women’s outfits, whereas pinstripes or plaid patterns tend to distract the eye. I also recommend staying away from graphics and logos.
wardrobe
I always try to take a photo of your ring during your engagement session - so it’s a good idea to have it cleaned or clean it yourself before your shoot! To clean at home, soak your ring in warm water with dishwashing soap for 20 to 40 minutes. Then gently brush the stone with a soft toothbrush, rinse and repeat if needed. Or, use your Bling Brush!!
Ring Cleaning
We’ll check in the week of your engagement session to confirm the time & location we’re meeting and the weather. We know it takes a lot of time to get ready for engagement session and it’s the worst to get dressed up and drive out to your session only to have it rain.
If it does end up looking like rain or storm clouds, we have a couple of options. We can reschedule your session (after all, you only take engagements once, so it's worth the wait!), or you can opt to book a studio space (like the Lumen Room). I recommend waiting until about 24 hours prior to your session to make the decision to reschedule, but if you have hair & makeup appointments with cancellation fees, we can make the call earlier than that.
WEATHER
I love when clients choose to incorporate pets into their session. Keep in mind that bringing a pet along often means that we’ll need to choose a pet friendly location!
I recommend planning for your pet to be at the first part of your session and then having a friend take them home. I won’t use the pet in every single photo so it’s also nice to have a friend available to hold him or her in between shots.
If you’re going to bring a pet, I recommend exercising your pet before the session and bringing your pet's favorite toy or treats! Depending on your pet’s fur type, it might also be a good idea to groom them before the shoot.
PETS
When it comes to posing for your engagement session, you don’t need to worry about a thing! I’ll guide you through the entire process beginning with “poses” that are super easy and natural. If I tell you to do something that feels a little funny, it’s probably because I know it’s going to make you laugh - and that’s the photo I'm actually looking for. My goal is to always capture you just the way you are - with candid giggles and authentic moments that capture your relationship with each other. So relax, and trust me - I've got you!
Throughout your session, I'll keep an eye on your hair, makeup and outfits to make sure things stay in place. I want you to feel as relaxed as possible and enjoy our time together!
POSING
Within one week, you'll have a sneak peek from our session! Your full gallery will be delivered via email within 4-6 weeks of our session date. You'll have access to fully-edited high-resolution images from our time together!
Set Date, Time, & Location with SKP
Review Guide for Style Tips
Schedule Hair & Makeup Appointments
Choose Your Outfits
Clean Your Ring
Get Your Nails Done
Second Outfit
Touch-up Makeup
Water Bottle (for warmer sessions)
Coat or Cover-Up (for colder sessions)
Flats or flip-flops for walking between photo spots
I can't wait to see you! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me anytime at hello@samikathryn.com
Lots of Love,
