Making the most of your engagement session | Austin Engagement Photographers

So you’ve started ticking off boxes on your wedding to-do list and are excited to get those amazing Save the Dates out!

Love these designs from Paperless Post!

Here’s some advice on making the most of your engagement session!

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Location

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I personally recommend thinking “outside the park” (thanks to Taco Bell for helping me with that tagline)!

It’s great to choose a place that is symbolic to your relationship or involves doing things you like to do together.

Does the location make sense to your relationship?

As gorgeous as vintage furniture in a sunlit field looks, is it really you?

Many people default to shooting in parks or gardens but many locations can work better and have more importance.

What’s going on in your life right now besides planning a wedding? Where did you two meet?

Also consider your wedding location. If you’re having a rustic, farmhouse style wedding, would you like the variety of having a downtown engagement session?

If you would like to shoot at a cafe or restaurant, please call and ask permission! It’s classy and helpful!

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This guy started the restaurant behind him in this photo!

The couple above met at this building on the University of Texas campus.

This couple met at the local honkey tonk, the White Horse.

These two are building their first home together. Another huge, monumental life step.

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Timing & Planning

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When should you do this thing? Plan accordingly and budget time for it!

Keep in mind it’ll take a bit to receive the edited session, so I recommend 6 to 8 months before your wedding.

Weather here in Austin is scorchingly hot and humid for much of the year so I usually encourage people to plan their engagement session between October thru April.

Also keep in mind the day of the week! Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the days when many people are out and it can be chaotic.

Planning your engagement session on a weekday is ideal since the crowds are lower, parking is easier and you won’t have a ton of photo bombers.

Pretty much every engagement session that makes it to my blog was shot on a Monday or Tuesday.

I personally start shooting engagement sessions about an hour before the sun goes down. I also budget time to shoot at night for a more dramatic feel!

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What to wear?

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The question I get asked the most!

Doll up. Like, really doll up. Get your hair and makeup done, yo!

It’s a good time to test out your wedding makeup trial anyways!

I have a huge email of what to wear to an engagement session but here’s a few thoughts.

Couples look like the go together but don’t match. Please, please, please don’t wear matching outfits.

You’re getting married but you’re still individuals! There’s no reason to dress like a Duggar.

The clothes flatter your figure. Wear clothes that show off your waistline, ladies.

As Stacy from ‘What Not to Wear’ says “Don’t waste a waist”.

Dudes, please don’t wear a gigantic Oxford shirt that fits you poorly.

You know, the one your linebacker buddy Scott loaned to you senior year when the club wouldn’t let you in without a collar shirt.

If you are wearing shoes you aren’t use to walking in, pack flip flops to get around easier in.

Nicely painted nails and statement jewelry looks great!

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The Why?

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Why do a professional engagement session? What’s the point? We have plenty of iphone photos of us together.

There’s a lot of reasons to do an engagement session.

Being engaged is a very finite time in your life and deserves to be recorded in a beautiful and creative way.

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