First, YAY! You're engaged! All the congratulations to you and your partner!

When you’re prepping for your engagement session, there are a few things to keep in mind. Mostly that this is supposed to be fun! This is the shoot with no pressure. On the wedding day, there's a little more of a time crunch, your dress won’t be able to get dirty and there isn't as much time to chat and get to know one another. Your engagement session is your chance to get to know your photographer, get comfortable with how they work and have such a wonderful time in front of the camera. Now don’t get me wrong, your wedding day will absolutely be a blast! But it’s so helpful to have a great engagement session before the big day so that you know what to expect! Our couples that have an engagement session are PROS by the wedding day and it shows! Plus, then they get to use their images for save-the-dates, wedding invites, and decor on the big day.

Here are some steps to take to make sure that you’re 100% prepared for your engagement session!

Before The Session.

The Questionnaire: Before your engagement session, most photographers, ourselves included, like to send out an engagement session questionnaire. We send ours out via email after we have gone over all the other deets, such as the photo agreement and invoice. The questionnaire we send out is mostly basic, get-to-know-you questions. It's a great way for us to get to know what you like, what you like to do, your love language, the music you like to groove to, you know, the good stuff! This helps us get a feel for what vibe you're wanting, locations options and it helps us to make sure that we are doing all we can to make your engagement session as comfortable and fun as possible. One of our main goals is to have the photos reflect your relationship, love, and true emotions, to be real.

Prep your Partner: You know your partner better than anyone else and only you can help prepare them for this shoot. If your partner is completely unaware of this style of photography, they are going to think it’s really strange when I tell you two to “Nuzzle”, get “Nose to nose” or even to have one of you spin the other around. They're expecting a few pictures smiling at the camera, showing off the ring and that’s it! It’s your job to explain to them why you love this style of photography and help them know what to expect! Something I encourage is sitting down together and showing them some of your favorite engagement sessions that I’ve shot to give them an idea of what they're about to experience! Maybe cuddle up with snacks while you do it! Who doesn't love cuddles and snacks? :)

Season, Time + Location.

Season: After you book with your photographer, whether it’s GLP or someone else, you’ll want to start thinking about when you want your engagement session to be done. Some couples prefer to have their portraits done in the season opposite of the season of their wedding. If you’re having a spring wedding, it may be nice to have a fall engagement session. Now, you'll want to take your photographer’s availability into consideration. We book sessions typically about 1-2 months in advance. Though this will vary with every photographer and every season.

Time: The best time to shoot any portraits is normally 2 hours after sunrise or 2 hours before sunset. This rule of thumb can be applied to any time of the year. Whenever possible we try to schedule sessions around these times, soft light is more flattering and creates beautiful colors and tones in the images. Typically we start with picking a date that works best for your schedule, then we let you know when those times are for that date.

Location: We get asked by couples frequently where should they have their engagement session. In the infamous questionnaire, we ask about what kind of settings you tend to like to be in together to help you think of locations that you two really like, to help us think of locations to have for your engagement session. We have lots of places we can suggest, but truth be told, our favorite places to shoot engagement sessions are places that are meaningful to the couple. We have had couples choose to do their first date spot, family properties, favorite hiking trails, or date night places like coffee shops, breweries, etc... It can always be a good idea to think of your comfort levels. If you're not the couple that likes much PDA (public displays of affection), then maybe we think of locations that are usually a little less populated.

Outfits, Hair, Make-up + Ring Deets.

Outfits: Most couples have two outfits, one casual and one that is dressier. We ask about what you're thinking about your outfits in our questionnaire also. But, the best advice I can give about outfit selection would be to try to coordinate instead of matching. Try to stay away from really tiny patterns, they don't always show up in your images. Also, adding accessories that bring our your personality are always a good idea! Something like a cool hat, scarf, jacket, etc...

Make sure you look like YOU and feel comfortable! It's always fun to wear something you'd like to wear on a dressy date night, then maybe afterward you can take advantage of getting dolled up and actually go out!

A lot of our sessions include some form of movement so comfortable shoes are a must. If you were thinking of wearing your favorite heels, go for it! I'm always pro-pretty shoes! But maybe bring them along in a tote bag, it can easily be set aside for when we are taking pictures, or even if you want to wear them to the destination but switch for the way back.

I always do my best to be aware of this but it's always good to be mindful of any bulky items like keys and phones in your pockets. That tote bag could be helpful for stowing away those too when needed!

Hair + Makeup: Some opt to have their makeup trial done right before their engagement session so that they can see what their makeup will look like in pictures before the wedding day! I highly recommend this! It’s always fun to get your hair and makeup done for your shoot.

Ring Cleaner: If your ring could use a little cleaning, that would make it really shine! That beauty will most definitely be getting some camera time.

*Couple of bonus tips*

Trying out new hair cuts or colors close to the session may not be the best time. Same with spray tanning. If you've never tried these things before, we are not saying don't do it, just to give yourself some time in between in case you don't love the way they look.

Engagement Session Day!

Be on Time: This is really important. What most couples don’t realize is that natural light photographers are 100% dependent on the sun and if their couples show up late, they will lose that amount of time during their session due to the lack of light. We realize that things happen beyond our control like massive amounts of traffic and accidents. If at all possible, try to be on time so that you don’t lose any of your shooting time and pretty glowy sunlight!

Relax & Trust Your Photographer: As you’re preparing for your engagement session, remember that your photographer doesn’t expect you to be a pro at this. We work with normal, everyday couples ALL the time. We hardly ever work with models! I can’t speak for all photographers but we tell our couples that it takes a good 20 minutes to warm up at the beginning of their shoot. Relax, enjoy yourself, and don’t be nervous! You’re going to be great at this! Trust your photographer, allow them to be creative and you’ll have an amazing session!

Right After Your Session.

Don't forget if you can, plan a lunch, dinner, movie, some kind of date! Take advantage of the time together, especially since you're already going to be all dressed up. The wedding planning process has a lot involved, so take some time after the session just for the two of you to relax, enjoy each other's company and have fun! You both deserve it!

Yayy Photo Time!

Our engagement sessions are delivered within 2-3 weeks in an online gallery with high-resolution digital downloads, access to our professional photo lab, and print release.

With your downloaded photos, you can order save-the-dates, invitations and post your photos on social media! You can even share the link with friends and family if you'd like for them to gush over, download, or purchase prints from.

This is something that will also vary with every photographer, so make sure to peep at their FAQ on their website, or re-read your agreements, I'm sure all the answers will be there. :)