Brooke Danielle Photography is a Virginia based wedding photographer.
brooke@brookedaniellephotography.com
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Engagement sessions play such a vital role in preparing for your big day. Not only are they fun, but an engagement session also gives you the opportunity to get acquainted with your wedding photographer before your big day. Participating in an engagement session acts as a “practice run” & allows you to get out all of those nervous jitters with being in front of the camera. This way when your wedding day arrives, you will feel more confident than ever. In order to ensure that your engagement session is a success, I’ll be discussing the 5 key factors that will make your engagement session a success resulting in those stunning photos you’ve always dreamed about.
Lighting
I can’t stress to you enough how important factor of lighting. This is the most important factor to consider in order to create beautiful images. You never want to plan your engagement session at high noon, as this will create harsh lighting leaving you with very flat & unflattering images. I always suggest starting 1.5 hours before sunset, or if you are an early riser, just before sunrise. This will give you those beautiful glowy portraits, adding dimension & softness to your images. Photographers refer to this as “golden hour”, & it certainly is heavenly! The lighting is what can make or break a photo, so I always schedule my engagement sessions around this time frame!
Location
Once your engagement session is on the books we will want to pinpoint a location. Often times I will ask my couples if they have a location that is sentimental to them, or if there is a certain atmosphere or style they are looking for. The most important thing you want to consider is using a location that is free of distractions, whether it be crowds of people, or anything that could be an eyesore in the background. Some examples of this would be construction, ugly buildings, a parking lot, vehicles, etc. I normally recommend a location that is relatively private (unless going downtown) or a location that has a relatively clean background. I also recommend using a location that will give you enough variety when it comes to the grounds & scenery, especially if you plan on doing an outfit change! Be sure to select a location that best suits you.
Outfit Selection
Selecting an outfit for your engagement session doesn’t have to be complicated! I normally suggest wearing one casual outfit with your other one being more formal. While you & your fiance don’t need to be matchy matchy, you do want to make sure you wear colors that compliment each other nicely. If you are going for a more light & romantic look for your photos, I suggest wearing lighter colors or pastels (pinks, baby blues, white, neutrals). Otherwise wearing more bold colors is perfectly fine! Be sure to wear clothing that you feel comfortable & confident in. Never wear anything that acuate’s a certain part of your figure that you are self conscious about.
Stay away from small patterns & logos! I always recommend that the guys never wear a stripe or checkered pattern as it can cause a distorted look in your images. If you do plan to have your fiance wear a checkered or striped pattern just make sure it is a larger pattern. Usually solid colored shirts work best & you can never go wrong with khaki or dress pants!
For the ladies I always recommend wearing accessories or incorporating layers with their outfit. Normally layers can only be applied during the fall & winter seasons such as cardigans, cute jackets, scarves, or even a cute hat (if you aren’t worried about your hair!). Accessories could be jewelry (earrings, necklace, watch, bracelet, etc), or again, even a cute hat. Even if you don’t plan on wearing the hat, sometimes it makes for a cute “prop” to hold in your photos. If you plan on going the more dressy route (which I always love), wear a long flowy dress for some killer twirling shots! There is so much elegance you can capture in a long, flowing dress but it all depends on your style. You be you!
Hair & Makeup
Having your hair & makeup professionally done is always recommended! Not only does it leave you feeling beautiful & confident in front of the camera, but it ensures that your makeup coverage will last during the entire duration of your engagement session. This is also a great time to have your trial done for your hair and makeup as you can then take advantage of it. This will make you look radiant in your images & who doesn’t want to look their absolute best during portrait time?
Manicure Up & Shine Up that Bling!
This may fall into the category of “accessories”, but make sure your manicured up before your engagement session! There will be times where there will be close up images where your hands will be in plain view, so make sure your nails are looking stellar. All of those tiny details go a long way when it comes to your images. At the same time, make sure your engagement ring is shined up. There will be close up images taken of that shiny new rock of yours, & even times where the engagement ring is photographed solo. Besides, this is a great time to show off that bling of yours!
Thank you so much for stopping by! If you are engaged & would like to learn more about my Wedding Experience you can contact me, here!
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I’d love to hear about your love and story and celebrate with you on your big day as your biggest cheerleader!