Getting engaged means tons of photos! Photos galore! Having a background in photography and being a style blogger meant Dave would deal with me putting a camera in his face for several months... and boy, is he a keeper! I could tell him to hang upside down and if that’s the shot I wanted he’d be more than willing to make me happy.
So what makes or breaks an engagement photo shoot session?
Let’s start with the positives. Knowing your timeline and what the photos are specifically for. We had beautiful proposal photos thanks to our amazing photographer friend, Sara Feign. Dave was the true mastermind behind those. We used one of the candid photos from that special day as our Save the Date image. Next up, a wedding website needed to be created. So instead of throwing on a bunch of photos that our friends and families have seen a million times through texting, email, and social media, I wanted to switch it up! Yes, that’s right! We took cute photos specifically for our wedding website (still in progress) and we had a wonderful session with another talented photographer, Riany Haffey. If you’re thinking "Jessy, will you also have photos done for your invitations?” The answer is "YOU BET!”
So now that we have a new batch of photos for our loved ones to see let’s talk more about the shoot! Dave and I live in New England and if you’re familiar with these states than you’ll understand when I say "the weather isn’t always on your side". One minute it’s a blizzard and below freezing and the next its 65 degrees in the winter. So, like any crazy bride-to-be who is about to take photos, I stalked the weather forecast. I waited for a day that was partly cloudy or sunny (lighting is key!!) and then I watched the temps go up into the 50s and BAM, I picked my day!
For the shoot, we decided on a cute back bay location in Boston and we wanted to keep the photos real, candid, and casual. These photos are just for our website so we didn’t need to be all fancy. We wanted people to head over to our site and be like, “yup, that’s Dave and Jessy. In love and being goofballs.” If you're able to bring outfits to the shoot, that’s even better!
I switched up my jacket and sweater and so did Dave. Our photographer gave us amazing direction which was HUGE! Make sure you hire someone that shoots engagement sessions and knows how to pose couples. We were able to run around the city laughing and being ourselves and she’d just snap away. Be sure to check on the weather! If it’s freezing, the chances are you’ll be turning blue, your nose will drip, and your makeup will turn into the Joker from Batman. It’s not a cute look, so don’t put yourself through that! It’s okay to reschedule for a better day.
Keep it casual! These are photos are supposed to show everyone the love you have for one another. I’m not a fan of the overdramatic, staged, senior portrait-esque engagement photos. Be yourself! Laugh, be silly, and overall have fun with one another.
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