Tips for Taking great Engagement Pictures, from a Denver Wedding Photographer

These are my Tips for Taking great Engagement Pictures, from a Denver Wedding Photographer. I love helping the photo process become easier whenever possible, so with these tips I hoping planning your engagement session might be made easier.

BE YOURSELF – We want the photographs to be as unique to you and your fiancé’s personalities as possible. This is expressed in where we take the photographs, i.e. urban areas, parks, and greenery, using the mountains, or even a relaxing shoot in your home. When we plan the pictures think about your hobbies, the things you love to do together. Your favorite coffee shop, first date, or outdoor activity you love to do, all of these can make for a photoshoot that is individual to you. Having your pictures taken can be nerve-wracking, and so having a spot that is familiar to you really goes a long way in helping you feel comfortable and at home.

IT’S SEASONAL – Choosing a season for your engagement session that is opposite to the one you will get married in, is a fun option. Getting married in summer? Then winter will give you such a different feel for your engagement pictures. Spring and Fall are great times to add variety as well with the colorful blooms or leaves, they really make a statement in your pictures.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING – We always try to photograph about an hour and a half before sunset (or if you are bold, and morning people, the hour and a half around sunrise). This is when the light is soft and pretty and gives a wonderful glow to your photographs. So be sure to keep this in mind when planning a location we just want to make sure to have adequate time to get to our desired spot. Also keeping in mind that because we are aiming for the best natural light we need to be on time as much as possible, so we don’t lose the light as the sunsets. However, we are never worried about it being cloudy, a touch snowy, or even a little rainy. Colorado is very up and down with its weather, so we are always sure to watch this for you before the engagement pictures and rearrange things if need be.

KEEP IT SIMPLE – If there is a prop or something that is very important to you then we want to incorporate that into the pictures. But we also want the pictures to be about the two of you and your love. We shy away from sessions that have too much going on as far as props. Your story is important to us, and we want to tell it without too much distraction happening. This is also true of the location you pick, we want it to be a low-key and relaxed as possible, so if we are picking a location where lots of people might be around we may want to plan a time where we know it will be less crowded.

WHAT TO WEAR – We suggest that you go all out for your engagement pictures. We want you to feel comfortable, and yourself – so keep this in mind when picking outfits. If you are a suit and tie; a cocktail dress couple please by all means go for it! We encourage you to wear what you would usually wear on a really nice date. After all, you only take engagement pictures once, so it’s so wonderful to celebrate your engagement in style! We recommend one killer outfit for each of you that you love. If you’d prefer to have another more casual outfit to add variety, that’s totally fine. We just say keep your outfits at two, max. But most often just choosing one great outfit for the two of you is the least stressful, easy to plan, and also looks great and consistent in all your photos.

If you are insecure about certain aspects of yourself, and usually hate pictures of yourself wearing certain things, then be sure not to wear those things for your engagement shoot. You want to feel your absolute best! Here is an inspiration board on Pinterest we’ve created to get the ball rolling if you need some ideas. For the ladies flowy and soft outfits always photograph really well! There are also some different varieties of engagement pictures below, so you can get some ideas from some other wonderful Amy Caroline Photography couples.

COLOR CODED – Plan outfits that compliment each other, but don’t overly match. Neutrals often look best in photos, we suggest staying away from super bold colors and prints as they can distract in photos. Staying with solid colors is most often best. A color palette is a good way to plan colors that compliment. Here are some ideas of color palettes and inspirations for you on Pinterest. Shy away from tiny prints and lined shirts as they tend to distort in pictures, so if you are wearing prints rather choose larger patterns, like a floral print for a dress. For his shirt, we just suggest a solid color. But even more than all this, don’t let the outfits stress you out too much. There is a very rare time when your outfit choices will clash, so just be yourselves and it will all fall into place!

ACCESSORIZE–  Layering and accessorizing goes a long way in pictures. You can always add a scarf, necklace, a fun hat to any outfit – these are easy ways to change up an outfit, without having to completely change everything you are wearing.

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA – Take a little more time and put extra effort into your hair and makeup; you will be happy with the results. Some brides love to have their wedding makeup trial done on the day of their engagement pictures. This way you can see how it photographs and make the tweaks you need for your wedding pictures later.  It doesn’t have to be professional, but a little more makeup than you are used to looks great in pictures. If you have a moment for some “you time” grab a quick mani or at least a coat of nail polish. Your hands will be the focus with your beautiful engagement ring sparkling away. You may also want to get that ring cleaned so it looks it’s best for the pictures as well.

STYLING – If you would like more detailed help with outfits and styling I am more than happy to help. We can shop a little online together, and I can send you ideas that I think look really great in photos. We can also take things further by adding in a bouquet of flowers to really spruce up your session. Feel free to ask about this, and I can get you additional pricing.

DATE TIME – Treat this like a special date. If you can, take some time before in the day to have a cup of coffee, reminisce together, have dinner and a glass of wine and just enjoy each other. We want you to take a break from the wedding planning and just celebrate your love together, chat about your proposal and remember why you asked, and why you said yes. Even if you don’t have time for an official date, just really look at this photo-shoot as a time to connect and be together! The two of you are in this together; if you can both embrace the picture-taking process, and lean on one another, you can really have a fantastic time.

JUST GO WITH IT – On that note, we encourage you to just go with it. Don’t take yourself too seriously. If something silly happens and it makes you giggle, we love that! It allows for your real smile to come through and creates a special and authentic moment for the two of you. Yes, we might encourage you to slow dance in an open space, and this might feel quite awkward. But don’t worry about anyone else around you, just focus on each other. It might be a little breezy, or rainy, maybe snowy, or super hot. Don’t let outside elements bug you, they really add to the atmosphere and help tell a story that is unique to the two of you!

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LOVE – We want you to express your love to each other. Of course, we will direct you and help you look amazing together. Not everyone is comfortable with PDA and that’s ok, we just want you to focus on each other and that makes for great pictures. Those loving looks, that sweet touch, a big hug, light kisses, or secrets whispered are the things that make your pictures romantic and beautiful.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TWO OF YOU – Today is about you and your fiancé. You get to dress up, spend time together, and be treated like stars. Take it all in, you won’t get to celebrate your engagement time for much longer. We will choose angles and poses that make you look your best, so don’t stress too much. You are already coming looking fabulous, let us do the rest. Relax, breathe deep, and simply put, have fun with each other and your pictures will be magical.