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10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Engagement Session

It’s always intimidating to have your photos taken, whether it’s a professional shoot or a fun iPhone photo shoot. Don’t worry though, I’ve got you!! Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your engagement session! If you’re looking for outfit inspiration, check out this post and this one.

Couple standing in field

1. Empty your pockets!! This is especially for guys – if you have any keys or a phone in your pockets, they’re going to be very visible in the photos – and that’s the last thing you want to see!

2. Clean your ring! I’ll be shooting a few close ups of it, and you want to make sure that it’s sparkly clean! It’s a good time to take it to your jeweler to make sure that it’s clean and everything looks good. You can also clean it at home with a soft toothbrush and hot water!

3. Bring flip flops if you’re wearing shoes that aren’t comfortable to walk long distances in! Many times we’ll shoot at one location and then walk to another, and if your shoes aren’t easy to walk in, you’ll want to bring a change to slip into!

Oval solitaire engagement ring on blueberry bush

4. Sometimes you’re going to have to change outfits in your car – there isn’t always a public bathroom or changing room available (especially right now), and a lot of times you’ll have to utilize your backseat!

5. If your partner is feeling particularly nervous about the photos, show them a few blog posts of past engagements! It will help give them better expectations for what’s to come.

6. If you’re someone who has hair that doesn’t cooperate with humidity, feel free to bring a brush and hairspray with you, and you can do touchups!

Man kissing woman on forehead

7. Before you worry about what you want to pull together for outfits, try to figure out what you want the tone of your session to be – trendy? Classic? Bright? That will help you decide a palette to use!

8. Once you pull together your outfits, make sure that you are dressing for the environment you’ll be in! I cannot stress this enough – if you’re planning on wearing heels and we have to hike up a mountain, make sure you bring sneakers! If it’s going to be super cold, make sure you have a coat with you.

9. Make a date out of it and head to dinner afterward! If nothing else, you can bribe your possible unwilling partner with nachos and beer.

10. If you want to do professional hair and makeup (ie: your wedding day trial!), feel free!! When else are you going to get a chance to be all dolled up for the camera?

Couple on top of a mountain kissing

And one more tip for good luck:

11.  Have fun!! Your engagement shoot is just a practice run for the big day, and it’s always a fun experience for everyone!!

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HI, I'M caitlin

New Hampshire based wedding and family photographer

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