Engagement Guide

ENGAGEMENT SESSION TIPS, TIMELINE GUIDANCE,
VENDOR RECOMMENDATIONS & MORE!

A Note About THis Guide

The engagement session will make a huge impact on your wedding day. It will give you some time to get comfortable in front of the camera and a chance to know me better. You will not only be spending a large part of your wedding day with me, but also will be showing some very raw, unfiltered emotions in front of the camera. Having this time together will make it feel like I am an old friend joining your wedding day rather than a stranger.

 You may feel a bit nervous at the beginning of the session, but that will disappear! The truth is, this is the only chance you will get to be in front of the camera with out the wedding day pressures. You will get to work out any discomforts you may have in any of the poses without having to worry if you spent too much time and now won’t have the sunset photo in front of the mountain you
were dreaming of.

The result: on the wedding day, you will feel comfortable in front of the camera because you know what to expect and you will rock your photos. And because you are so comfortable and know what to expect, you will be able to get lost in the moment and truly enjoy your wedding.

The result: on the wedding day, you will feel comfortable in front of the camera because you know what to expect and you will rock your photos. And because you are so comfortable and know what to expect, you will be able to get lost in the moment and truly enjoy your wedding.

Let's Get Started!

+ Make it a date night
+ How to use your images
+ Preparing for your session
+ including pets
+ Session Tips
+ Choosing Your Outfits
+ Adventure Sessions
+ Choosing A Location
+ A Few Quick Notes

Table of Contents

A few quick nOtes

Session timing: I photograph most sessions within an hour of sunrise or sunset. These times give us the best lighting and the most creative freedom with our location. Think creamy, romantic light and chance of epic sunset.

Multiple outfits/locations: If you would like to do your engagement at two locations or include multiple outfits, I suggest upgrading to a 90 minute session. This will ensure we have enough time to capture everything without feeling stressed. Upgrade cost: $150

Locations outside of Phoenix: I love traveling outside of the valley for sessions. Upgrade to an Adventure Session and we can spend up to two hours exploring anywhere in Arizona. Upgrade cost: $300

For your session

Choosing a Location

The first step to planning your engagement session is picking the location. I am down to photograph just about anywhere there is good light! Throw your idea at me and I will let you know if we can make it work. Seriously, any idea. Want me to get on your boat to get to your fav spot on a lake? Sure! Want to do your session inside a comic book store? I got you covered!

Take a look at the tips below to get some fun ideas and to help you choose the perfect location for your engagement session. If you still need some more ideas, I got you. I've included a list of my most popular engagement session locations.
P.S. You do not have to over think this. If you just think the desert is pretty, I have plenty of desert locations for you to choose from!

COHESIVE OR CONTRASTING

Do you want your engagement session to go with the theme of your wedding or to contrast your wedding? These pictures will be on your social media, framed in your house, and possibly used for your save the dates and guest book.

So, do you want them to match your wedding or be totally different?  Here are some examples of each:

Cohesive – You are having a winter themed wedding in December and you have your engagement session in the snowy mountains.

Contrasting – You are getting married outdoors in the pine-trees and your have your engagement session in the desert with the cacti.

SENTIMENTAL LOCATIONS

I love to photograph engagement sessions in locations that are sentimental for you. Can you think of anywhere that is special to your as a couple?

Here are some examples from my past clients: 
-  The mountain range they hike together at. 
-  Their family property in the wilderness.
-  The garden they have an annual pass to because they love it so much.
-  Their favorite comic book store.

Some other ideas may be where you got engaged, a local coffee shop where you had your first date, or your home that you renovated together.

CURRENT FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

Are there any annual festivals or events taking place during
the time you will be doing your engagement session? These could add for some fun variety that embraces annual traditions for you.

If it is a large festival or something similar that will attract a large crowd, consider doing a sunrise or early morning engagement session so that we don't have to worry as much about dealing with crowds during our session.

Here are some fun examples:

Pumpkin Patches in the Fall
Apple Orchards During Bloom or Harvest
Renaissance Festivals/Fairs
Hot Air Balloon or Lantern Festival

Still stumped or unsure of a location? Shoot me an email! I will be able to help you choose the best location for your session. Just let me know what you are looking for and I will work my magic to find an amazing location! 

Some Fav Locations

Adventure

Parks

Urban

Desert

Bell Rock (Sedona)**
Cathedral Rock (Sedona)**
Buffalo Park (Flagstaff)
Mogollon Rim (Payson)

Anthem Park
Sahuaro Ranch Park
Desert Botanical Gardens**
Scottsdale Civic Center

Roosevelt Row
Mesa Arts District
Downtown Gilbert

White Tank Mountains
Papago Park
Superstition Mountains**
Salt River**

**These location require a permit or entry fee.  If you are interested in these locations, please email me and I will confirm the fee amount for our chosen date.

If you want to have your engagement session in one of the amazing spots outside of Phoenix, the Adventure Session is where it's at!  We will have up to two hours to explore any scenic location you choose! 

The most popular locations are Sedona, Flagstaff, and Payson.  We can either explore a new area together (maybe your fav hiking trail), or I can suggest some amazing locations!

These sessions take place two hours before sunset and include an outfit change if you choose!  It is $200 to upgrade to an Adventure Session.

Adventure Sessions

Choosing Your Outfits

Colors

You could wear just about any color under the sun that you choose. If you plan on using your images for a save the date or engagement guest book, you could wear pops of your main wedding color! Another great idea, is to just wear the same colors you naturally do. If you are still not sure, stick to a more neutral color pallet: navies, whites, blacks, greys. Another thing to think about is contrasting the location you have chosen for your session. If you are going to the desert, avoid wearing tans as they will blend into the background. If you are headed to a red rock location like Papago Park or Sedona, avoid light pinks. You get the idea. Try to wear lighter colors for a dark backdrop and darker colors for a light backdrop.

HOW FORMAL OR CASUAL 

For a formal outfit I suggest you take it one - two steps above your everyday wear. If you are a band t-shirt and jeans kind of person everyday, then maybe something like a cute summer dress or blouse and a button up shirt with dressy jeans would be nice. You can also think of it as how you would dress up for a Christmas dinner! For a casual outfit, I would keep it closer to your everyday wear. Make sure you are wearing the nicer of your casual clothes. Try to wear some of your newer pieces of clothing so they are not faded or have any holes in them you didn’t notice until you arrived for your session. Think of how you would dress for a friends casual birthday dinner!

Patterns

 I love patterns! The best patterns are simple and limited to two-three colors. The more colors and the more involved the pattern, the more distracting they will be in the pictures. Try to stick to stripes, polka dots, and simple florals. You also want to think of the location of your session when deciding on a pattern. Outdoor locations are generally more appealing for patterns. But if you are going downtown to an art-district to take photos in front of busy murals,
it is best to stick to solid colors.

COORDINATE
BE YOURSELF

Focus on coordination not matching. You want to coordinate the formality of your outfits as well as the colors of your outfits. If
you are wearing a sundress your partner should wear a button-up shirt (not a tux) or another sundress (not a gala dress). For example, your partner could wear a blue button-up shirt, you can wear a white blouse/ dress and accessories with the same color blue.  Or your partner could wear a black button up with maroon pants and grey suspenders and you can wear black pants and a grey shirt and black suspenders. 

Don’t feel obligated to wear heals or a tie just because you saw it on Pinterest. Be true to your own style and your partners’ style! If you guys have different styles, I suggest one of two things. 1. Find outfits in each of your styles that coordinate. 2. Compromise and do something in the middle!

If you are anything like me, your outfits seem to be top on priorities and stress level.  But, they don't have to be!  You do not need to go out and buy a whole new outfit or two just for your engagement session.  I suggest shopping your closet first and then buying a new piece or two if you want!

Below are my tried and true tips on choosing your engagement session outfits.  If you are not sure about anything, take a picture of your outfits and send me an email!  I am more than happy to weigh in on how I think the outfit will photograph!

Phoenix Arizona Family Photographer

Outfit  Inspiration

By the end of the session you will forget about the camera. The goal is to get to know each other, get more comfortable with the camera, and above all have fun! 

RELAX AND HAVE FUN!

Plan to get to the location 15 minutes early. That way if you run into some unexpected traffic or are running a few minutes late (because the dog didn’t want to listen) you won’t be stressed. If you get there early, awesome! Take the time to hang out together. If you get there on time, awesome!  You will be as cool as a cucumber and ready to go.

LEAVE EARLY

Eat a snack and drink some water before the session (I will be as well). We will be walking quite a bit during the session and the Arizona sun can be more draining than we expect. 

Be sure to have a healthy snack and some water before the session so you are feeling your best throughout the entire session! 

SNACKS & WATER

This is a great chance to do a trial run for your wedding day! Especially if you are planning on going DIY style or having a friend do your make-up. Yes, your hair and makeup may be a bit different (read: more dramatic) for the wedding, but this will allow you to see how the artist’s style photographs. It will give you an opportunity to discuss any style changes you would like with them prior to the wedding day.

HAIR & MAKEUP

The last thing that you want is to get your engagement pictures back and realize you can see a phone bulge in
someone's pockets or their keys were hanging off their belt loop. I suggest that you leave everything but the essentials (car key and a phone) in the car.

I always bring a bag with me and I can hold small items like sunglasses, phones, and keys for you. You don’t want to be stressed out about where you put your house keys
in-between every location move, so just leave as much as you can in the car.

LEAVE YOUR THINGS IN THE CAR

The engagement ring(s) are an important token of the engagement, so it will be in quite a few photos. The ring(s) will get it’s moment in the spotlight, so give it a nice clean to make sure it is camera ready!

CLEAN YOUR ENGAGEMENT RING(S)

I know it can be a bit intimidating to have your picture taken.  (Every time I get in front of the camera I act like a goon and forget what to do with my hands.)  So, I want to make preparing for your engagement session as easy as possible. Here are some tips for your session that will help take off the stress and help you have an amazing engagement session.

Session Tips

Having some adorable pictures of you two and your pup from your engagement session is awesome! But, one of the main goals of an engagement session is to get some practice in front of the camera before your wedding day. So, it is a good idea to take some photos without them.

I suggest bringing a third person with you to help by holding your puppers for part of the session. A friend or family member that your dog is comfortable with works great. They may also be able to help me get you pups attention in the photos they are in! I have also had couples schedule a family member to pick up their pup in the middle of the session. Either way works.

If you have a small pup, I have been known to attach a leash to my belt loop! But, I cannot keep an eye on them while looking through my camera. So, this option really depends on how well behaved your pup is and where your session is.


Including Pets

If you’re a little nervous about your session, you’re not alone. But, I have great news for you: you both are more photogenic than you think!  It is my job to make you look good and your job to have a little fun.  At the end of the session, my most common response from my couples are, "that was fun!"  And I know I have done my job!

As you prepare for your shoot, there are a few things that you can do to help know what to expect.  I highly recommend sitting down together and looking at 2-3 of your favorite engagement sessions that I have photographed. Spend some time together scrolling through a few blog posts. This will allow you to get an idea of what to expect. 

for your session

Preparing

How to use your engagement photos

Engagement sessions and save the dates were made for each other. I mean, showing off your engagement while announcing your wedding date?! Peas and carrots.  If you would like any save the dates, let me know and I can create a custom design for you!


save the dates

Another great way to use your engagement photos is on your Thank You cards. Similar to the Save the Dates, you can incorporate these photos into your Thank You cards. You can even take a photo holding a Thank You sign if you want. The benefit of using your engagement photos versus your wedding photos is that you will have the cards before the wedding. This will allow you to quickly send Thank You cards for all the amazing gifts you get!

thank you cards

This is one of my favorites. It is an album with photos from your engagement session and blank spaces for your guests to sign. I love it because it is a nice way to display your engagement photos and remember everyone who attended the wedding!

guest book album

Another fun way to use your engagement photos is as a non-traditional guest book. There are many options for this like a blank frame for your guests to sign that surround your engagement photo. Or a canvas printed of a photograph with plenty of negative (white) space for the guests to sign. There are also a lot of shops on Etsy that will do a custom design using your wedding date and photos from your engagement session on a canvas.

guest book alternative

This is a great way to personalize your wedding! You can use them on your wedding programs or incorporate them into your centerpieces/table number. You can also create a photo wall and include them with other pictures from your relationship.

display them at your wedding

This seems pretty straight forward, but it is something that a lot of people don’t think of! Of course you are going to hang your wedding photos too. But it is nice to have photos of you around in more every day clothing versus the formal wedding attire.

prints for your house

Make a night of your session! After the engagement session, celebrate yourself with a date! It will give you something fun to look forward to and you will already be dressed up for a date night! Go out to dinner or just grab some dessert! Spend some time together just the two of you. After all, you are the reason for the season (the wedding that is)!

First, we'll make snow angles for two hours.  And then we'll go ice skating.  And then we'll eat a whole roll of Toll House cookie dough as fast as we can.  And then, to finish, we'll snuggle.

you deserve it

Make it a Date Night

If you have any questions, any at all, shoot me a quick e-mail.  Otherwise, I will see your for your engagement session soon!

For your engagement session

I'm so excited