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There are numerous good reasons why you should take engagement photos with your newly betrothed. First, it’s super fun to be a model for a day. If you wish to be included in your local newspaper’s wedding announcements, a professional engagement photo is almost always a requirement.
On a personal note, engagement photos also make wonderful mementos that you can give to members of your family and keep for yourself for years to come. You can even integrate wedding photos with the decor at your wedding reception, using them on the wedding program or on your save-the-dates. It’s also a great practice run for getting those poses just right for your wedding photos and learning how to get the best shots of you as a couple.
Read on to learn how to look your best in these special pictures and ensure your photoshoot runs smoothly.
Finding the right photographer
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Ask your recently married friends who they used for their engagement or wedding photographer, or search the web for photographers in your area. We recommend checking out their deals and packages and selecting a photographer who includes an engagement photoshoot as part of the overall package for your whole wedding process. The engagement photoshoot is a time you can get to know your photographer one on one and see how they work. You can even think of the engagement photoshoot as an audition for the photographer.
If you plan to submit a snap to your newspaper, check the paper’s website for their photo guidelines, which may dictate everything from picture quality to size to passable poses. Inform the photographer of these rules before the shoot so he or she brings the right camera and steers the shoot in the right direction. Think about how you want the photos to look. Do you want to be candid and casual, or formal and posed? Make sure you, your fiancé, and the photographer are all in agreement and on the same page. Don’t forget to plan ahead: you should submit your photos to the newspaper at least three months before the date of the wedding.
Choosing the location
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You can take your engagement photos almost anywhere, from a photography studio to your living room to outdoors, or even in your own backyard. If you wish to shoot on location, let your photographer know. He or she will probably have some ideas for beautiful places to take your photos. If you and your fiancé have someplace that holds a special memory for you as a couple, you may suggest that as a location. Otherwise, look for a park, a botanical garden, or a landmark in your town or city that holds meaning for you and is aesthetically pleasing. Again, choose the location in advance. You may have to contact the management of the location to get the go-ahead for the shoot.
What to wear
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You can choose your outfit based on the vibe you’re going for. If you’re doing a casual photoshoot in your home, you can even wear dark colored jeans and a sweater as long as they’re well fitted, classy, and not frumpy. It’s your shoot, so wear what makes you feel comfortable. You can never go wrong with a cute sundress, but we recommend avoiding loud patterns and prints. You and your fiancé don’t have to be matching, but you should coordinate enough that your outfits are complementary, not clashing. Simple jewelry is the best way to go with accessories: you don’t want anything distracting from your gorgeous face!
Beauty Prep
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You want your smile to shine bright and white in your engagement photos, and this goes for both of you, so of course teeth whitening is a must. This step can require a bit of planning in advance if you need to book an appointment with your dentist. However, you can also choose a home teeth whitening system. You’ll want to maintain your pearly smile in the months leading up to your wedding, so it’s much more budget friendly and efficient to invest in a home system rather than making repeated trips to the dentist. Opt for classic whitening strips, or try an at home LED whitening system. Make sure to start the whitening process at least two weeks in advance of the shoot to get the best results.
As any good bride-to-be worth her wedding cake knows hair and makeup trial appointments in advance of the wedding are essential to the beauty prep process, so knock out two birds with one stone and book your trial appointments on the morning of your engagement photo shoot. Professionally done hair and makeup will help you look and feel super confident and polished while on the shoot. Beware you make sure to leave extra time in between the salon and the shoot, just in case your look ends up taking longer than expected, or if you have to make unexpected changes to your hair or face. You may be able to get a special deal on your engagement and wedding makeup if you are using the same makeup artist, with the added bonus of knowing you like the way the artist works.
The most of important thing to remember is why you are doing the photoshoot in the first place - to celebrate your engagement to the person of your dreams who you want to spend the rest of your life with. So enjoy your engagement shoot and get ready to cherish the photos of you as a couple forever after!
Ready to start planning the wedding and have a budget to stick to? Have a look at DIY Bridal Tips For the Budget Savvy Bride where we’ve put together a heap of hints and tricks to plan an amazing day on a budget.