Tips For Planning Your Engagement Photo Shoot

I have just received the photo album I made of our engagement photos. To tell you the truth, Mr. M and I had THREE engagement shoot sessions. Yes, THREE. I loved all the photo shoots, but I’m especially fond of how our third session turned out, and I wanted to share with you some lessons I learned in planning a successful photo shoot.

Here is a background of the three photo shoots:

First

I hadn’t planned on taking any engagement photos because we simply didn’t have money in our budget for them. Then I found a deal for a free engagement shoot with Jense & Lee Photography in Seattle. I emailed them to see if it was legit and they emailed back to confirm it! So, why not take advantage of it? It was a completely free shoot, but we did pay a few bucks to get a few photos. This was taken in the summer in Seattle.

Second

After the first shoot, I decided Mr. M and I needed a bit more practice in front of the camera (so we didn’t look completely stupid for our wedding photos). When I saw a group buy deal with My City Photos for $49, I had to buy it. Laura-Lee’s portfolio was beautiful, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought the voucher, good deal or not. This was taken in the fall in Vancouver.

Third

Technically, this shoot was a post-wedding shoot. Inge, my photographer, threw in this for free. Because we were in France at the time, we had to shoot in France. Oh poor us! This was taken in the summer in Provence.

1. Start with a concept.

What is a concept? It is an idea. In other words, decide what the main idea behind your photo shoot will be. There are a couple directions you can take your concept.

• The first is to choose an idea that best reflects your personalities. What do you want your photos to say about you and your significant other? Are you two a goofy couple? An eat dinner in front of the TV kind of couple? A glamorous couple? You could create your concept around your favorite activities or interests or your personalities.
• The second is to choose an idea that reflects the theme of your wedding. In order to do this, you must first know what your theme will be. I had a friend who designed their engagement shoot around their nautical-themed wedding because she wanted to display some of the photos at the reception.

For our first photo shoot, I didn’t plan anything. It’s so embarrassing to admit that, but I think it’s necessary because not everyone is crazy enough (or have the money or the luck to find such awesome deals) to go through three engagement sessions with tons of mistakes before getting it right. The second shoot was inspired by the beautiful change of seasons into autumn, which was when I bought the voucher. By the time of the third shoot, I felt I had learned a few things about taking a good photo. I wanted to do a high fashion photo spread of sorts, something really kick ass, sexy, and visual.

2. Determine the location.

The reason why choosing the concept is the first step is because it is THE most difficult thing to do. Everything else will be smooth sailing after that. It also establishes the foundation of the what the photo shoot will be. So, next, decide where you want the photo shoot to be. Many photographers will go to the place of your choice, whether it be in your own home or outdoors. Do make sure to double check with them first and be aware travel charges may apply. You can choose the location for its beauty or sentimental value (the place where he proposed?).

My photographers suggested Gasworks Park as the location for this shoot in Seattle. I didn’t object because it’s one of my favorite spots in Seattle and there’s a lot of opportunity for creative shots.

For our second shoot, I wanted a fall shoot to contrast the summer shoot in Seattle. I asked for an area with a lot of trees, preferably with fallen, colorful leaves. Mr. M suggested this small park just in the shadows of the PNE in Vancouver.

All of Provence makes a beautiful background for any camera. My photographer and I thought it was only natural to take the photo shoot to the small village where our rental house was located. We also did half the shoot in a sunflower field, which are well known throughout the region.

3. Assemble coordinating outfits.

I found this to be the funnest and most aggravating part. Choosing what I wanted to wear was easy-breezy! But Mr. M was hard to dress because his day to day outfits consist of jeans and an athletic T-shirt. I recommend making this an opportunity to really break out of your comfort zone and do something zazzy. I don’t think I got it right in this department until Photo Shoot #3.

I didn’t have a plan for our outfits in this first shoot. I wore something I always considered flattering on me and well-suited to the season. Mr. M chose to wear the outfit he wore on our first date. I would’ve done the same except my outfit was a wool dress, which was not so suited to the warm summer season. In hindsight, I think the shoes clash against the pattern of the dress. With another simpler dress, they might’ve been really stunning. I also don’t think Mr. M and I coordinated very well.

For the second shoot in Vancouver, our outfits coordinated slightly better, although the colors were a bit somber. Scratch that. REALLY somber. We blended in too well into the surroundings at times. Again, I didn’t do any prior planning, except for the fact that I wanted to wear the boots. Unfortunately, we never shot the back of the boots, which is where the real beauty is. In this photo, the boots really highlight how dumpy my legs look… perhaps if I had worn boots with heels?

Learning from my two previous shoots, I made sure to really plan the heck out of the third shoot. This was in part due to the fact that the shoot was overseas and I needed to know exactly what to bring with me to France. Mr. M and I wore completely newly purchased outfits. I planned every detail, down to the color of my lipstick. I made sure to wear heels so that my legs wouldn’t look so dumpy. You can see that our outfits were completely coordinated. Where I wore red lipstick, I added a pop of red to my husband’s belt. I wore a yellow belt to pick up the yellow in my husband’s T-shirt. I said coordinated, people, not matching. We’re not Korean.

4. Include props.

I am a huge cheerleader for props! Props really add a special sparkle to photos. In the first two shoots, we didn’t use any props and they lacked the je ne sais quoi. Oh wait. I know what they lacked. SPARKLE! In the third shoot, Mr. M and I incorporated a black floppy hat for me and a pair of aviator sunglasses for him. We had other props in the wings, but these were the ones that shot the best. For our wedding shoot, we used a framed chalkboard and mustaches on sticks, which made for some really fun photos.

Have a ball with this! I’ve seen photo shoots where they’ve brought furniture outdoors, ones with giant balloons and pinwheels, or even a picnic scene. You can tell a ton of great stories with props.

My photographer highlighted my red lips so much that they could’ve been a prop in itself.

5. Plan out your poses.

Lastly, think about the poses you want to shoot. Do you want candid shots? Romantic poses? Staged portraiture poses? Personally, I prefer photojournalistic and fashion types of photography. This step also includes setting up a scene for which to take a photo. I also asked every one of my photographers to shoot us naturally whenever possible. I am a big fan of seeing personalities come through in photos. Mr. M and I each have very individual personalities, but together, we’re just really stupid silly. It was my hope to make that come across in our photos in a good-looking magazine editorial way.

This is an example of a good static portrait pose. Sorry, yawn. But I suppose it’s good, once in awhile, to stop and look into the camera so you remember what your faces looked like once upon a time.

I think of this as being a type of portrait pose, but our expressions enhance our personalities better, as does our stance.

This was a pose that I actually thought of ahead of time. I wanted a photo where Mr. M was sitting in the foreground looking pensive, while I goofed off in the background throwing leaves, looking completely unaware of my silliness behind his back. I liked the idea of the contrast in our actions in one image, plus I just wanted to throw leaves in the air. In my mind, I intended to be much further in the background so I’m almost unseen until a second glance, but that’s why digital cameras are awesome. We did try it my way and then we tried it the photographer’s way. We shot several images of this scene and this was one of the best.

Mr. M and I are the kind of couple who refrain from public displays of affection because we find it nauseating in other couples, so have strived to keep ours to a minimum. With that in mind, our engagement photos do not involve a lot of holding and kissing and cuddling. While that would seem the traditional thing to see in engagement photos, I just didn’t think those types of poses suited us very well. But if they suit you, then by all means, have a ball taking romantic poses! We do have a few, though. This one was captured during a period when we were getting tired from being posed like dolls and just needed a break.

The final thing to take away from this is to develop a good rapport with your photographer. Tell them your story; make them fall in love with you. You’d be surprised how much better your photographs look when the person holding the camera wants to be there to make you look your best and showcase you in the best light possible. While I have a style of photography that I definitely like and have a lot of creative ideas, I still allowed the photographer to have creative control over the situation and to shoot in their own style. Had I not done so, we wouldn’t have gotten such a silly, yet awesome shot as this one above. If inspiration strikes you in the moment, speak up! Tell your photographer what you’d like to try. It is YOUR photo shoot after all. You’ll be the ones looking at these photos for the rest of your life.

Oh, one more thing. Don’t be shy to take a few individual shots. You’ve got the photographer for an hour or two; you’ll get bored of taking couple shot after couple shot. Trust me.

Oh, did you want to see how our engagement album turned out? Well, okay then.

It’s all pretty much the same stuff really. Still, seeing the photos again make me sigh. I wish I could do it all over again, but with new clothes in a new location. Are anniversary photo shoots a thing?

Don’t miss my other posts in the Wedding series:

How It All Began
The Ceremony
Pom Poms and Fans
Tin Punched Candle Holders
No Sew “Just Married” Bunting
The Dress
DIY Hair Fascinator
The Reception
Creating The Invitations
DIY Ticket Booth
Passport Guest Book
Stenciled Burlap Table Runners
Our Wedding Cake Alternative
Traveling Trunk Prop
DIY Photo Booth Props
Out of Town Gift Boxes
Organize Your Wedding Mementos
Tips For Planning Your Engagement Photo Shoot