Start Planning Soon

You can schedule your photo shoot anytime during your engagement, but it’s a good idea to try to get those shots within the year prior to your wedding. This ensures up-to-date photos of you and your soon-to-be spouse. Plus, if you plan to use the engagement photos in an engagement announcement, save-the-date cards, or wedding invitations, the earlier in your engagement that you schedule a photo shoot, the better.

How to Find a Photographer

This is perhaps the most important part of the process. You want to ensure you’re comfortable with your photographer. You are, after all, going to be spending quite a bit of time with this person. He or she may even encourage you and your love to be slightly affectionate with one another when you begi

n taking the actual pictures. You’ll have to establish some trust first. So how should you go about searching for a photographer?

• Look within. You’d be surprised at how many cre ative folks to whom you have access between your two families. Simply ask around. Maybe your future brother-in-law or cousin-in-law has a kna ck for photography. It doesn’t hurt to dedicate a Fac ebook update to asking for a little help.
• Consult local students. There are bound to be at least a handful of photography students at a nearby university or art academy. Photography students often have all the technical knowledge professionals have (in addition to the very expensive, highly sophisticated cameras) and yet often charge a mere fraction of the cost because they haven’t yet established their own businesses. Posting an ad at your local college or online at Craiglist are two good places to start. 
• Hire a pro. If you have enough room for it in your budget, you may want to consider going with a professional. The greater number of years he or she has, the more likely you are to receive flawless photos. Web sites like Yelp can be a good starting point when beginning the search process. Likewise, asking people you trust for a recommendation is usually prudent. Who knows? If you like the person you hired for the engagement photos enough, you may also want to retain him or her for the wedding day itself. On that note, while researching professional photographers for the wedding, notice if any offer engagement photos with the wedding package. Many professional photographers will include an engagement photo session and prints from the session in their wedding photography pricing.

Budgeting

There are a lot of expenditures during the wedding planning process. Like most engaged couples, you probably don’t have much money to spare for an engagement photo shoot. Simply consider what it is you want from your engagement photographs and how much you have to spend. Decide, first, if you want something formal. If you do, then you may want to set aside a few more dollars for a tuxedo and nice gown. If formality appeals to you, then think about renting, as opposed to buying, each. The money you save doing that alone is money you can put toward the Big Day or any number of other things. 

If you’re thinking of something informal, on the other hand, then consider taking advantage of more casual, yet flattering, clothing you likely already have; that way you won’t have to spend another dime. What’s also helpful is checking out scenic and free places that would make for a good background. Think about settings like the bay, the ocean, your favorite hiking trail, a local garden, or any other place that may have some significance to you as a couple.

When to Schedule the Shoot

Think about the feeling you want the pictures to portray. Consider factors such as lighting; for example, you may want to capture the sun as it sets. Ultimately, you want to do what fits you best as a couple. If late evening walks along the beach characterized your initial courtship and you’re deeply connected to the ocean at that time of night, then don’t be afraid to ask for a shoot then and there. Worry less about what’s typical and more about what will make you smile as you look back years from now; you’ll be glad you did.  

Preparation

Like the old adage says, a little goes a long way. If you want to know what kind of smile tends to look best on you (open or closed mouth, for example), then look at pictures from years past and see which you like better. Likewise, check to see whether lighter or darker colors flatter your complexion more. And don’t forget the technical stuff. E-mail your photographer and anyone else involved in your photo shoot (like family—if you have children, you may want to include them in the photos) confirming the date, time, place, and any other relevant information. Remember, you can plan for these engagement photos ahead of time to make the actual event a little less anxiety-filled.

Show off Your Photos

After you take your engagement photos and the dust settles, you may wonder what you should do with them. The answer is a whole lot. Save them digitally and/or on a disc (or two, or three) in a safe place. It’s better to be safe than sorry. After that, frame a few of your favorites and even consider giving one to your beloved as a gift before the wedding.

Also think about using the photos in your engagement announcement in the newspaper, in save-the-date cards, wedding invitations, and other wedding day items such as the program. Uploading them onto your preferred photo sharing site is always a good idea, too, especially if you want an easy, and free, way to share them with all of your loved ones. 

Finally, enjoy yourselves! Smile! Relish the occasion! Laugh with one another! You only get to take engagement pictures once so make the joy associated with it last as long as possible. 

Useful Links:

• Samples of Fun Engagement Photos