I get these questions a lot, what do I wear? Should we dress up? Do I invest in Hair and Make? Should I have an engagement session? So I thought I would write a blog to help all my future Brides!! There are a few things you need to keep in mind when preparing for your engagement session. First and foremost, this is meant to be FUN! This session is no pressure. On your wedding day, you will be pressed for time, your dress won't be able to get dirty and we won't have a chance to chat and get to know each other to work out what really works best for you and your groom. Your engagement session is your chance to get to know me, get comfortable and have fun in front of the camera - it's not every day you have someone with a camera in your face the whole time, it can be a little daunting. Don't get me wrong, we are going to have so much fun on your wedding day! But it is helpful to have an engagement session before your big day so you know what to expect and you'll be a PRO by the wedding day and your photos will show that!!

After you book with your photographer, whether that's me or someone else, you will need to start thinking about when you want your engagement session done. You also have to take into consideration the photographer's availability. I book up to 2 months in advance. This will vary with every photographer and every season. 



1. What to wear

Most couples have two outfits, one casual and one that is dressier. This is optional, some of my couples just have one outfit. I would advise you to try to COORDINATE instead of matching. Try to stay away from really tiny patterns, they won’t show up in your images, logos and branded tops will take the focus off you and your partner. Also, bold jewelry, scarves, and colored shoes photograph really well! Make sure you look like you and feel comfortable!

2. Preparing your Groom: 

Brides this is very important! You know your fiance better than anyone else and so only you can help prepare them for this shoot. If your fiance’ is completely unaware of my style of photography, they are going to think it’s really strange when I tell you two to get “Nose to nose”. If they are expecting a few pictures smiling at the camera, showing off the ring and that’s it! We might be in a little trouble when the session is longer and we ask them to do some romantic poses! So it’s your job to explain to them why you love this style of photography and prepare them to know what to expect! Sit them down show your favorite engagement sessions that I’ve shot to give them an idea of what to expect about to experience! 

3. Relax & Trust 

As you’re preparing for your engagement session, remember that your photographer doesn’t expect you to be pros at modeling. I work with everyday couples, just like you, all the time. I very rarely ever work with models. I always tell my couples that it takes a good 20 minutes to warm up at the beginning of the shoot. So relax, try not to be nervous, and let's have some fun! You’re going to completely ROCK this! Trust your photographer, allow them to be creative and you’ll have an amazing shoot!

4. Be on Time: 

This is really important. Natural light photographers are 100% dependent on the sun for lighting and if you show up late, you will lose that amount of time during your session due to the lack of light. Sometimes things happen beyond our control like traffic and accidents. If at all possible, try to be on time so that you don’t lose any of your session time and we get lots of stunning Gold Coast sunlight!

5. Location and Time: 

The best time to shoot any portrait sessions is normally 2 hours after sunrise or 2 hours before sunset. This rule of thumb can be applied to any time of the year. When it comes to picking the location, pick a location that means something to you! I understand that this isn’t always feasible but you never know! 

6. Hair, Makeup & Ring: 

Some brides get their makeup trial done for their engagement session so that they can see what their makeup will look like in pictures before the wedding day! I love this idea! It’s always fun when one of my future brides gets her hair and makeup done for her session! If you want to do your own makeup, make sure you apply your eye makeup a little heavier than normal for your pictures. Last but not least, I will be taking a couple of ring shots! So if your diamond could use a little cleaning, to make it really SHINE in your pictures that would be AMAZING!


I hope those tips were helpful!



Nat

Mrs Smiths Photography