Feel relaxed, at ease, and looking amazing with our simple tips for your engagement photo session.

 

As experienced engagement photographers in Chicago, we know just how nerve-wracking your engagement photos can be, especially if the last time you were in front of the camera was senior prom! Well, today we thought we’d share a few tips that will hopefully calm that anxiety, allay those fears, and help you nail your engagement photoshoot!

But why do you need engagement photos anyway? Well, if you’re reading this, you’ve probably already booked your session, but if you’re still unsure, here’s why we think you should have one. There are many reasons, but for us, the main one is fostering a relationship between you and your photographer. During the engagement shoot your photographer will be able to assess just how you are as a couple, are you quiet and intimate or energetic and confident, for example. They can then quickly figure out how best to capture that in your engagement photos, and most importantly they’ll know how to do it on your wedding day. The same is also true for you as a couple, once you’ve had a photo session you’ll know just how your photographer works and what you need to do in order to look your best. Think of your engagement photos as your practice runs before the big day!

How to Look Amazing in Your Engagement Photos

What is the Location of Your Shoot?

What kind of couple are you? Do you love Sundays at home in front of the fire with a good book, or are you more adventurous and daring with your weekends? Whatever you think defines you as a couple, weave that into your engagement photos. As engagement photographers in Chicago most of our clients choose to shoot out in the wilds or at the beach, but if that just isn’t you, then find a scenario that is. Maybe you want to shoot at home or in your parents’ garden? If that is your happy place, then why not celebrate it in your photo session.

How Do You Want Your Photos to Look?

 Once you’ve decided on the location, it’s important to think about the overall style that you want your engagement photos to have. Obviously, our first suggestion would be to take a look at our past couples and see if they inspire you! But we also suggest you look at Pinterest too, but with one caveat – don’t get lost in a Pinterest wormhole! If you’re using the platform to source ideas for your wedding planning, try and be strategic and only look for things that you logged in to do, and keep a track of time. When it comes to engagement photos, a good idea while putting together a board is to save images you like, along with a few words about why you picked each one. This way you get a better idea of what you like, and we as photographers know exactly why you picked that shot – important when there could be so many elements going on in one photo. Make sure to share your board with your engagement photographer way ahead of the shoot, in order to give you time to discuss it.

Get Your Hair & Makeup Done by a Professional

A lot of hairstylists and beauty professionals will offer a trial day, to make sure you’re happy with the overall look and also, so they know just what’s required of them for the big day. If you want to go full glam in your engagement photos, take advantage of these offers, while also getting to know your wedding beauty team! Although, if you want more of a natural and relaxed look on your session, then put together your own look. The key is to look and feel like the gorgeous couple you really are and be truly comfortable on your shoot.

Wear Something that You Feel Amazing In

Sounds obvious, but it’s really important to wear something that makes you feel good. Be it that cozy old sweater you’ve loved for years, or that sequin evening dress you’ve been dying to wear since college! Whatever outfit puts pep in your step, wear it, because your confidence on the day will be so much stronger. If your current wardrobe isn’t inspiring you and you want to wear something special, then ask your photographer about their client’s closet. Ours is full of gorgeous dresses from Flutter Dress, and they are perfect for engagement photos as they are fully adjustable in size, and have lots of different looks available. Plus you’ll be wearing a dress that costs between $300-$500 each, so you’re going to look fabulous!

The Weather…

Nobody can predict the weather, not even us! So if you’re planning a shoot outside, always prepare for the worst or embrace it like a pro! When it rains during an engagement photo session you can either be the couple who brought an umbrella and thought of an indoor Plan B location, or you can be the two who go full Notebook and look like you planned the whole thing around the rain! Besides rain showers, keep in mind the season you’re shooting in because that will affect the light. Normally, mornings are the best time to shoot, as the light is at its most magical, specifically the ‘Golden Hour’. A beautiful time of day shortly after sunrise (or before sunset) when the light appears warmer and softer, it’s like nature’s photoshop and will give your photos that glow you’ve been insta-dreaming of!

Have a Blast!

If you’re actually having fun on camera, it makes for the best engagement photos! Photographers in Chicago are famous for their sense of humour, and on an engagement shoot, this is so useful when trying to make a couple relax on film. A well-timed joke that makes you both laugh, is usually the best shot of the day and can also improve every other shot after it!

We hope we have prepared you for your engagement photos and given you the guidance you need to look your best! It would be wonderful to become a part of your wedding journey and take your engagement photos for you! It’s one of our favorite jobs to do (in fact it doesn’t feel like one!), as we get to meet couples at one of the most exciting points of their love-story together. If you would like us to be your engagement photographers in Chicago, please feel free to message us via our contact page.