What You Should Know About Taking Engagement Photos

By Eivan’s Photo & Video Editors

engaged man holding his fiancees hand

Taking engagement photos is a pivotal point in yours and your partner’s life.

It is a day that both lovers nervously and excitedly want to be perfect. We’ll make sure to go through what you should know about taking engagement photos so you won’t have any regrets about missing out on anything in your basic portraits and framed prints.

After all, engagement is just as meaningful as any wedding day.

Tips to Prepare You for Your Engagement Sessions 

This heart-racing moment is usually a once in a lifetime experience, so you definitely want to capture this event. Therefore, it’s essential to make sure that taking engagement photos makes this special day a perfect one.

How to plan the perfect proposal

Because the proposal is usually a secret, the preparations for the person proposing are a tad different. We’ll cover the preparation needs for both partners without giving away hints about the proposal.

You can both enjoy having planned everything for that day to be perfect and worry-free.

1. Plan the location as a standard date

If your partner has good intuition, they’ll usually get the feeling about your proposal plans. When you’re thinking of where to pop the question, you want first to plant the seed to your partner that the date isn’t as extravagant as destination weddings, and it’ll be an average date. This will then increase your chance of surprising them.

A good idea would be to plan the proposal on a particular day or one that has meaning to your relationship, such as the day of your first kiss, for example.

This will act as a distraction and will also make the proposal more meaningful to them and more comfortable to remember for you in the future (be honest with yourself, if you’re very forgetful about these things, any tips to help remember those events are useful!).

2. Prepare the scene in advance

Preparing the view will make you worry less about what’s happening around you and will help you to focus more on waiting for that perfect moment to bend the knee.

An example might be calling some friends to play your partner’s favorite song in the background as you give your heart-melting speech leading up to the question.

This will also be an excellent opportunity to hire a professional photographer so they can start taking engagement photos.

One thing that you should consider when planning the scene is what your partner’s personality is like.

If they’re the shy type or the type of person that doesn’t do well in crowds, then you should pick a place more private. You definitely don’t want to remember this moment as an embarrassing one.

3. Make the proposal an event rather than just about popping the question

This tip is perhaps one that many people miss out on. Too often, you’ll get caught up on the part about asking the question that you forget about everything else, which is just as crucial. This is why planning the engagement photo session in advance will make this moment more memorable and stress-free for both partners.

Turning your engagement shoot into a full-day event will undoubtedly please your partner as they will feel more special because you’ve planned a whole day to celebrate being engaged. An example schedule for that day might be to propose in the morning, have a romantic lunch alone together, then have an engagement shoot in the afternoon.

Remember, it’s always worth the investment to hire a professional photographer as this will leave less room for mistakes, and it will prevent you from having regrets about your engagement photos in the future.

Turning your engagement into a full-day event will undoubtedly please your partner as they will feel more special because you’ve planned a whole day to celebrate being engaged. An example schedule for that day might be to propose in the morning, have a romantic lunch alone together, then have an engagement shoot in the afternoon.

Remember, it’s always worth the investment to hire a professional photographer as this will leave less room for mistakes, and it will prevent you from having regrets about your engagement photos in the future.

Preparing for your proposal

If you’re reading this, then you most likely have a feeling your partners going to ask the question.

Congratulations in advance! The moment feels like a dream come true. After all, who hasn’t envied a fairy tale ending?

Here are some tips to prepare for your proposal photo shoot.

1. Wear clothing that makes you, you!

This tip may be straightforward, but it is one that will have a profound effect in your engagement photography. Whether it’s extravagant and fancy, or subtle and casual, it’s a good idea to wear something that matches your personality.

If the date happens to be the one, then at least you’ll know you felt comfortable on that day. You can look back at your engagement photos with relief that you looked great, even perfect, as it represented who you really are.

2. Make sure you feel your best

You look your best when you feel your best, and that trend will always be in style.

Trust your intuition and let your personality shine like golden hour through for the photographer to capture from their hiding place.

Looking back at your proposal will bring a different kind of happiness, and you’ll reminisce about the feelings and emotions showcased in the engagement pictures.

3. Beware of overthinking

If you’re an over-thinker, remember what helps calm yourself down, like your soon to be fiance, and take a few deep breaths.

This will ensure your engagement day happens according to your plans, and if you want it to go smoothly, then you need to worry about the moment you’re in and forget about everything else around you.

Your focus should be on expressing how you feel about them. That way, when they are down on one knee with the engagement ring in their hand, you will feel nothing but pure love for each other.

So, if you let things happen naturally, then you’re bound to have your happily ever after.

How to have the BEST Engagement Sessions

Now that you’re aware of some essential factors for taking engagement photos, here’s some engagement photography tips that can help you make the most of your engagement day shoot.

This part of the day will be the second most memorable, so you want to do this professionally and correctly.

Hire a pro – You can never go wrong with hiring professional photography. They are not only trained for the job but taking engagement photos is also a part of their career. This means that they will be experienced and will have insights and photo ideas on what angles or perspectives would look good in your photo shoot.

Meet or communicate with your photographer – leading up to your engagement day, you must talk with the photographer you’ve chosen. That way, you can share with them your thoughts on what you imagine your engagement shoot to be like. In-turn, you will also get an idea of how the photographer works. When your engagement day arrives, thanks to your prior discussions, the photographer will have everything they’ll need for taking engagement photos.

Don’t be camera shy – The final advice so that you can prepare for taking engagement photos is not to be afraid in front of the camera. A photoshoot is not like taking a selfie or a group photo. The difference is that you might have to do some uinque poses for the photographer to get the perfect shot. If you need some confidence to get you through, remember that these captured moments will be treasured for eternity.

With tips on what you should know about taking engagement photos, you can feel assured of the perfect engagement day.

It helps to think of the engagement shoot as a practice run for wedding plans.

Therefore, as you get this day right, you’ll also most likely get your wedding day right too.