I’ve come a long way in my thinking about engagement sessions. Starting out, I assumed most engagement sessions were a nice photo session in a pretty setting–a park, a cute neighborhood, that sort of thing. After all, that’s what I had done for my engagement session.
And there’s certainly nothing wrong with that sort of session–you can get some really cute and creative photos of the two of you. But I’ve come to believe that your engagement session can be even more meaningful than some nice photos in a park. It can be a window into your relationship as it is, right now, and a reflection of this unique time in your life. Everything changes so quickly, and we can easily forget what life was like before we were married…before we had kids, etc.
So with that in mind, I’ve been encouraging my couples to get creative with their engagement sessions–thinking of it more as a fun date than just a photography shoot. The possibilities are endless, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know my couples even better through their personalized sessions. Here are five of the best engagement session ideas I’ve photographed in the past year or so. I hope they inspire you in planning your session.
1. Stay home. Seriously, home is where we’re relaxed, where we have everyday conversations. Where we laugh and cry and do mundane things like make breakfast and dinner. One of my favorite places to photograph engagement sessions is in my clients’ homes. Take a look at Lauren and Ian’s Brooklyn home engagement session and Jenn and Ryan’s breakfast-making engagement session.
2. Plan an afternoon or evening date. What do you enjoy doing for dates? Do you visit a favorite restaurant, peruse a local museum, grab a yummy cupcake at a local shop? If you’re going somewhere and doing something you enjoy, your photos are bound to reflect that. Check out Ashley and Matt’s fun visit to an art museum, Erin and Joe’s stop at a favorite restaurant and cupcake shop, and Katie and Brent’s afternoon date where they hit up their favorite locales in Philly.
3. Explore the great outdoors. Maybe you and your fiance have a favorite outside activity. Go explore it together for your session. Check out Katie and Brian’s downhill skiing adventure, Emilie and Max’s pumpkin patch fun, and Kelly and DJ’s amusement park date.
4. Share your passion. Perhaps you met your fiance through a shared interest or passion. See how Caroline and Darius keep a friendly hockey rivalry alive, and see how the theater brought Lindsey and Kyle together.
5. Walk the dog. Many of my couples have dogs, and guess what–when you have a dog, you take them for a walk. Plus, dogs just make everything cuter! Take a look at all these lovely pooches: Natalie and Steve’s handsome boxer, Katie and Allan’s adorable puppy, Abby and Matthew’s sweet basset, Katie and Max’s faithful mutt (I love mutts!), and Elizabeth and Matt’s playful labradoodle.
As you can see, the possibilities for your engagement session are practically endless. So get creative–and be sure to ask me for more tips if you get stuck planning your session.
by mary
photovideoart - Cool image. Any series on it?
Fernando Colaço - 6-Do it if the photographer never been there. You do this very well. Congratulations.
Kathy Conklin - GREAT IDEAS!!!!!