7 Things to Do Before Your Engagement Photo Session

Image credit: Joshua Woroniecki, Ayşegül Aytören, Ammy Singh, George Pak

Engagement photos are often the first time a couple has been professionally photographed together, and for a lot of people, that comes with a little anxiety. What do we wear? What do we do with our hands? Are we supposed to know how to pose? What if we're awkward in front of the camera?

The good news is that you aren't supposed to arrive knowing how to be professionally photographed. That's part of your photographer's job.

Your engagement session should feel less like a performance and more like spending time together while someone documents the way you naturally interact. A little preparation, however, can make the experience much more relaxed and help you walk away with photographs that actually feel like you.

Here are seven things worth doing before your engagement session.

1. Choose a Location That Means Something to You

A beautiful location is great. A meaningful location is even better.

Think about places that are connected to your relationship. Maybe it's the neighborhood where you had your first apartment, the coffee shop where you met, your favorite trail, a downtown street you wander together, your family's property, or simply somewhere that reflects how you spend your time.

Your engagement photos don't have to take place in the most photographed location in your city.

Sometimes the ordinary places become extraordinary because they're yours.

If you don't have a particular location in mind, that's completely fine too. Tell your photographer what kind of atmosphere you love, whether that's romantic, urban, natural, dramatic, historic, colorful, quiet, or something entirely different. A photographer familiar with the area should be able to help you find a location that fits.

2. Think About Your Clothes as a Pair

You don't need matching outfits. In fact, coordinating usually photographs better than matching.

Think about your clothing together rather than choosing two completely separate outfits. Colors, textures, patterns, and formality should feel like they belong in the same photograph.

If one person arrives in a formal dress and heels while the other is wearing a graphic T-shirt and running shoes, the photographs can feel disconnected even if both outfits look great individually.

You also don't have to wear neutrals simply because you're taking engagement photos. If you love color, wear color. If your closet is mostly black, you don't suddenly need to become a beige person for your engagement session.

Wear something that feels like an elevated version of yourself.

Most importantly, choose clothing you can comfortably move in. You'll probably walk, sit, lean, hug, and move around during your session. If you're constantly adjusting your clothes or worrying about how something fits, it becomes much harder to relax.

3. Schedule Around the Light, Not Just Your Calendar

The time of your session can dramatically change the way your photographs look.

Midday sunlight can be bright and harsh, while the hours closer to sunset generally produce softer, warmer light. Early morning can also be beautiful, particularly in locations that are normally crowded later in the day.

That doesn't mean every engagement session has to happen during golden hour. Moody city photographs after dark, rainy afternoon sessions, and indoor sessions can all be beautiful.

The important thing is understanding that light affects the mood of your photographs.

If your photographer recommends a particular start time, there's probably a reason for it. Moving a session by even an hour can sometimes completely change the lighting conditions.

4. Take Care of the Little Things Ahead of Time

There are certain tiny details you probably won't think about until you're looking at your photographs.

Your hands, for example, are likely going to appear quite a bit, especially when photographing your engagement ring. Make sure your nails are clean and groomed in whatever way feels natural to you. That doesn't mean you need a professional manicure unless you want one.

Check your clothing for wrinkles. Remove hair ties from your wrist. Empty bulky items from your pockets. Clean your glasses. Bring whatever you might need for quick touch-ups.

These things seem insignificant, but taking care of them beforehand means you won't have to think about them once the session begins.

5. Don't Practice Poses

Seriously.

You don't need to spend the week before your engagement session studying Pinterest poses in the mirror.

Your photographer should know how to guide you.

Good posing isn't necessarily about placing every finger and turning someone's head exactly three degrees to the left. Often, it's about creating movement and interaction, then photographing what happens between the two of you.

You might be asked to walk together, whisper something ridiculous, dance, pull each other closer, or simply stand together and breathe for a moment.

The goal isn't to make you look like professional models.

The goal is to photograph your connection.

6. Tell Your Photographer About Anything You're Worried About

If you're nervous about something, say it before the session.

Maybe you hate having your photograph taken. Maybe there's an angle you don't particularly love. Maybe one of you is significantly taller than the other. Maybe you're worried about your arms, your smile, your skin, or whether you'll know what to do.

Your photographer can't address concerns they don't know about.

This conversation isn't about creating a list of things you dislike about yourself. It's about giving your photographer information that can help them photograph you thoughtfully.

It's also completely normal for two people to have different comfort levels in front of the camera. One person may immediately relax while the other needs twenty minutes before they stop noticing the camera.

A good photographer will recognize that and adjust.

7. Plan Something Together Afterward

This might be my favorite advice.

Don't treat your engagement session like another wedding task you need to check off your list.

Make a date out of it.

Go to dinner afterward. Have drinks. Get dessert. Walk somewhere you love. Celebrate the fact that you're engaged and planning a life together.

Engagement season can quickly become consumed by venues, budgets, guest lists, contracts, timelines, and decisions. Your engagement session gives you an excuse to spend a little time focusing on the relationship underneath all that planning.

And there's another benefit: when you know you're going somewhere afterward, you're less likely to arrive at your session stressed and rushing back to another obligation.

Give yourselves some room to enjoy the day.

You Don't Have to Be "Good at Photos"

One of the most common things couples tell photographers is, "We're awkward in front of the camera."

Most people are.

Being photographed isn't something the average person does professionally, and you shouldn't be expected to know what to do.

Your engagement session is actually a wonderful opportunity to get comfortable with your photographer before the wedding. You'll learn how they communicate and direct. They'll learn how the two of you interact, what makes you laugh, how you naturally stand together, and when you need more or less direction.

By the time the wedding arrives, the camera won't feel quite so unfamiliar.

So prepare the things you can prepare. Choose clothes you love. Think about your location. Take care of the little details.

Then show up as yourselves.

That's the part worth photographing.