Handy Engagement Session Tips!

Couples are always asking us for any advice on having a great engagement session.  We have distilled our 22 years of knowledge down to this digestible list!

Can we bring our dog?

Many couples on the verge of getting married have already started their family by adopting at least one pet. We encourage them to include their furry friend in a portion of their engagement session. It’s nice to have a first “family portrait” and it’s a great way to warm up to the idea of being in front of a camera.

Side note: if you are going to try what we did for this first shot, it’s important to really know your dog and be honest about whether they can handle something like this. You could find yourself spending the first half of your engagement session chasing your dog down if you overestimate their discipline. That didn’t happen with this couple. They were spot on.

Where should we shoot?

It’s always great when a location has personal significance to a couple. Whether it’s the site of the first date, the proposal or just a place you’ve spent a lot of time together, any connection is helpful. Also, we travel! So, if you are getting married in Milwaukee but live somewhere else, that is completely an option as well!

What should we wear?

We have seen everything from very casual to very formal. It’s most important that you look like you are dressed on the same level. Not that you should be too matchy matchy, but look like you are dressed for the same date. It’s also totally acceptable to have a couple different outfits to get a couple different looks from the shoot.

When should we shoot?

This is an interesting question because there isn’t really any wrong answer. Every season can look great, so the time of year is really personal preference. If you want changing fall leaves, book early because those time slots fill up quickly. In terms of time of day, generally about an hour before sunset is the best light of the day. However, night time engagement sessions look great too!

What can we expect during our engagement session?

Learning the answer to this question might be the biggest benefit from doing the session in the first place. This is your time to get to know what it feels like to be in front of our cameras.  You can expect to laugh a lot, stroll a lot and to go from wondering what you are supposed to do to knowing exactly what to do.