I know that there can be a lot of anxiety and anticipation when it comes to preparing for your engagement session.  After all, it’s most likely the first time you’ve ever had your photos taken professionally and that can be overwhelming.  You’re worried about what to wear, how to style your hair + makeup, and whether or not your fiance will be cooperative or not.  It’s a lot to process.  So I wanted to write a blog post to give you a better idea of what to expect from your engagement session with me – to hopefully give you some peace of mind.  You’ve got this!

1. Our session will be pretty fast-paced.  I shoot quickly and efficiently – and once I’ve coached you through all of my standard poses, the session will move along extremely quickly.  Especially if it’s really hot, really cold, or really buggy outside!

2. I will give you continuous coaching + guidance throughout the session.  I never want you to feel awkward and alone in front of the camera, so I will be talking to you guys, joking with you, and giving you posing direction the entire time I’m shooting.

3. Before I start shooting in a new location, I will take a few test shots to dial in my camera settings for the location.  So if you see me shooting without giving you any direction, just know that these are test shots!  I’ll definitely let you know when I’m ready to take the “real” photos once I have my settings dialed in.

4. My goal for your engagement session is to maximize locations + I won’t need you to move around too much at all.  I will generally choose 5-6 different backdrops throughout the session and by simply changing my angle, your pose, and my focal length of the lens, I’ll be able to create a ton of variety with this game plan.

5. I will definitely ask you to laugh at nothing.  Or laugh at me.  Or laugh at each other.  Or laugh at the car parked across the street.  So be prepared to laugh + have fun with me.  The more you commit to laughing and embracing the awkwardness you may feel, the more joyful your images will be!

6. Feeling awkward = a good thing!  There is nothing “natural” about having your photos taken and often times, the best poses feel really awkward… but they look great on-camera, I promise!  With that being said, I’m never going to ask you to do something crazy for the sake of a photo.  But if you want to twirl, dip, run, or incorporate some more playful movement into your engagement session, just let me know!  I’m happy to give guidance for a more active session, but will typically never suggest these movements myself.

7. I will tell you exactly how to stand, where to put your hands, where to look – I’ve got you!  Once I get you into a pose, feel free to make it your own.  You can move your hands and head if you want to!  If I ask you to kiss eachother and it feels more natural for you to put your hand on your partner’s face, do it!  I’ll get you guys into an initial stance, but you can absolutely move around.

8. If you two have a pose that you love, or have any ideas that you want to try out during your engagement session, please let me know!  I’m always game to try new things!

9. If you want to do two outfits, please be prepared to change clothes in your car.  Most locations (at least in downtown Charleston) don’t have a public bathroom with easy access, so just be prepared!  Along the same vein, please make sure you use the bathroom before the session.  There aren’t many places to go once we’re downtown.

10. Feel free to grab a cocktail before your session, if you think it might help with your pre-session anxiety.  Sometimes a little liquid courage helps – but please don’t over do it.  Usually one cocktail is just enough to calm any nerves, while also keeping you looking alert + fresh for your photos!

11. I encourage all of my dog-loving couples to bring your pups along for some photos!  However, you’ll also want to arrange to have someone drop them off and/or pick them up since we won’t need them for the entire session.  I suggest having your pup(s) join us about half of the way through the engagement session – once you’ve become comfortable in front of the camera without the added stress of wrangling your pup!.

12. I will post a sneak peek to my Instagram stories within 24-28 hours of your session – so please be sure you’re following me!

13. You should have your final gallery of images in your mailbox within two weeks!

I hope this gives you a good idea of what to expect when it comes to your engagement session, but if you have any other questions prior to the big day, please let me know!!