Why should we book an engagement session?

Shooting engagement sessions is one of our favorite things about working with wedding clients.  The engagement session gives us a chance to get to know you as a couple away from the business of your wedding day.  We often tell our clients that shooting an engagement session with us is kind of like a double date :-)  It’s a time when we can talk to you one on one (well, it’s actually more like two on two) and hear all about how you met, what you love about each other and all the other things that make up your love story.  In addition to getting to know you personally, it also gives us a chance to find out what you’re like in front of the camera so we can make the very most of our portrait session with you on your actual wedding day.  When we show up on your big day, it will feel like we’re old friends – not a couple of crazy paparazzi chasing you around with cameras all day – and we’ll already know how to make your photo experience the very best that it can be.  Not to mention the fact that you’ll have a lot of fun snuggling with your honey and you’ll get a ton of beautiful photos out of it!

How do we choose a location?

The location is entirely up to you!  The most important thing to keep in mind is that we want YOU to be a big part of the process!  We want you and your spouse-to-be to have a great experience and end up with photos that reflect who you are and tell your story.  When we start to brainstorm ideas for a location we will ask you things like, “what do you do together for fun?”, “are there any places that are significant to your relationship?”, “what type of settings have you seen in other photos that appealed to you?”, “what do you consider your personal style, individually and as a couple?”  We can make lots of suggestions based on areas where we like to shoot, but our ultimate goal is to come up with a place that fits YOU!

How long does it take?

We tell our clients to allow two to three hours for an engagement session.  We typically shoot at more than one location and/or spend time walking around together to get a variety of shots with different back grounds.  Overall, we like to be able to take our time and have fun together - you’ll have plenty of time to relax in front of the camera and we’ll have plenty of time to get to know you.

What should we wear?

Wear something that reflects YOUR personality and style!  Since couples have the option to change clothes at some point during the session, many couples choose to do one more formal outfit (such as a dress or skirt for gals and a button down shirt for the guys) and one more casual outfit (like jeans and a more casual top).  We don’t encourage wearing matching clothing unless it has a particular significance for you – or unless you really do wear matching clothes in your every day lives :-), and we do recomend that you avoid tops that have a really strong pattern that would draw a lot of attention aware from your face.  Your clothing choice is entirely up to you, but we recommend that no matter what you choose it should to be something you’d be ok sitting on the ground in for a short period of time.

Can we include our pet?

Yes!  We are open to including pets during an engagement session, but as they are a bit unpredictable we ask that a family member or friend come along to help look after them.  We suggest that we include the pet during the first half an hour of the session and then the family member or friend can take them back home so we can spend the rest of the time focused on you without any distractions.

When will I get to see my photos?

Three to five days after your engagement session, we’ll post a preview of your photos along with a slideshow set to music on the blog.  We encourage you to forward the link to family and friends and share your images with others.  There’s even a comment section under each post where people can leave you messages.  The rest of the photos will be edited within three to four weeks and put into an online gallery where you can purchase prints and other items.  Within a week of your gallery launch, you’ll recieve a customized disk of low resolution images in the mail which you can use as you wish.  Full resolution images can be purchased separately or by individual image from the proof gallery website.

What is a Guest Book Album?

A great way to showcase your engagement images is with a guest book album.  These are modern, coffee table style albums designed with blank space left for your wedding guests to leave you special messages on your big day.  These albums are used in place of a tradition guestbook where guests only have room to sign their names.  After your wedding, the album will serve as a wonderful momento of your engagement session and contain all the love and well wishes from your family and friends.  You won’t want to just throw this guest book in a box with your other wedding keepsakes, it will remain out to look at and share for years to come!