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Make it personal!
Plan your outfits, your locations your props around who you are as a couple. You might want to discuss it ahead. Are you into sports? Let’s go to the stadium! Pet lovers? Bring your dog to the shoot. Like to dress up and go out? Grab a tux and a gown and ask your photographer which location would be appropriate for that outfit. (Some ideas: a theatre, a luxury hotel lobby, certain picturesque locations in the city.) In my opinion, the most important thing the final images have to reflect your personalities and who you are: hikers, pet lovers, artsy, sports fans, nature lovers, the list is endless.
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Choose your location wisely. It can have sentimental value: the place of the proposal, where you met, or the neighborhood where you live/met/proposed. Just think how precious these pictures will be years down the road. Perhaps you would prefer an urban scene or a park, near water or in the mountains. Dress comfortably. Choose clothing that you’re both comfortable in. For my couples, I recommend choosing 2-3 outfits, at least one formal and one casual. High heels are great, but if you’re afraid of ruining them while walking on the grass or trying to climb rocks, take a pair of more comfortable shoes as a backup. Most of the pictures will not show your shoes, but the pain from wearing them will be reflected in your facial expression.
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Natural light is the best light for photography. Schedule your session for outside shooting at a time of day when you will have the best light for your photos. Depending on the season, this would be the first hour after sunrise and the final hour before the sunset.
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You can use this photoshoot as a trial for your makeup. However, if you plan to have an updo for your wedding hairstyle, do not use it for your engagement photos. Make it more natural. Let your hair fly and contribute to the relaxed style of the engagement session.
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I do not recommend to try to recreate exact poses you have seen on Pinterest; it can be a great source of inspiration by ideas we see there, but if you are so focused on repeating what you have seen online, it will take away from the fun you are having together. It’s your chemistry that makes the photos pop. Be in the moment! Don’t let any thoughts take that away from you.
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Avoid discussing serious matters before the engagement session. It is important for the session to be relaxed and present in the moment.
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Communicate to your photographer in advance about what kind of poses you prefer: candid or posed. For me personally, I tend to pose the couple and keep them busy with small assignments to distract them from the camera. Once they are preoccupied, I snap the photos. These are the moments you want to catch. Go over what you like in photographer's portfolio and also show examples of what you do not like for your engagement session.
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Unless you are a super-pro, the session will inevitably start with some degree of anxiety and awkwardness, which is totally normal during the warming-up stage. It takes some time to get used to the fact that you are being photographed. Do not stress it out we are all the same, including me. It will get better, I promise. The warm up usually lasts about first 15- 30 minutes, then it gets only better.
