I’m really filling up my calendar over here with engagement sessions and I am not mad about it AT ALL. I was in Columbus the other week for this gorgeous photoshoot with such a sweet couple. Jordyn and Micah wanted some outdoor photos along with a few photos where they had their first date. I love when couples incorporate something special into their engagement photos and it really allows me to get creative. You’ll want to scroll down to see where their first date was, because this location was a first for me.
Amber & Mike Columbus Park of Roses Engagement Session
It feels so great to finally be back photographing engagement sessions. I am so happy my calendar is filled with these this summer and I can’t wait until all of my fall and 2021 weddings. It sure has been an interesting spring but I have witnessed some beautiful love stories.
Amber and Mike have been wedding planning for years now and I was so excited to finally meet them and capture their engagement photos. We had an absolutely beautiful evening in Columbus and had so much fun strolling through the Columbus Park of Roses. This is one of my favorite engagement session locations because it never disappoints! Check out a few of my favorites below from their engagement session.
Santa Monica Beach Shoot
If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you probably knew I was photographing a wedding in California this past weekend. Since I knew I would have some down time the day before the wedding, I decided to do a model call and set up a quick couples shoot on the beach. This is something I have been wanting to do for awhile, but setting up a shoot out of state when your traveling can sometimes be pretty challenging to organize. I figured out a gorgeous location and found a perfect couple for the shoot. I swear they had to be lying to me when they said they are not models, I mean, how cute they are?! I had so much fun running around Santa Monica Beach with them and I will be definitely planning more beach sessions in the future.
Emilee & Cole Engagement Session at Caesar Creek State Park
After a week of some extreme heat and a few rescheduling dates because of the rain, we had an absolutely perfect evening for an engagement session. We met halfway at Caesar Creek Park and since Emilee & Cole were unable to plan a beach destination wedding, we had some beach engagement photos right here in Ohio! This session was so fun because it was different and of course I was thrilled their pup came along too! Here are some of my favorites from the session!
Summer Strawberry Field Session
Summer is quickly approaching and I’ve been wanting to do a couples picnic session for quite some time now. Blooms and Berries Farm, just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio is currently ready for Strawberry picking season. As soon as I heard of this, I knew it would make an adorable photo session. Kaitlin & Tim were up for the adventure and after a toasty day of picking strawberries, we cooled off in the shade with some champagne and a cute little picnic. As you will see below, we had so much fun during this shoot and I fell in LOVE with this idea and plan on using it for future sessions!
How to prepare for your engagement session
So you’ve never had professional photos done before and you’re kind of freaking out for your engagement session. If you’re worried about being embarrassed in public, how your fiancé will react, or just flat out afraid of being awkward in front of the camera, I’m sharing a few tips on how to prepare for your photoshoot.
Finding a location
Some things I like to suggest when choosing a location for your engagement photos is to brainstorm several places that have a significance in your relationship. Is there a favorite park you guys always go to? A brewery? Where did you first meet? Where was your first date? Do you have a cute home together? Do you both love ice cream, hiking, and your dog? I love the challenge of making strange places look beautiful, so even if you feel it’s odd, I definitely want to hear your ideas so I can help tell your story.
Finding a time
The time of your session will most likely depend on what season you are looking to have your engagement photos. I like to suggest at least booking 3-6 months before your wedding day. If you are planning on using these photos for save the dates then I would encourage these photos to be done even before then. I tend to shoot sunrise or sunset golden hour engagement sessions because the light works really well with my style of photography. Consider when the sun rises and sets for your time of the year. Please also keep in mind that many photographers are busy during the weekends, well, because they are photographing weddings of course!
Figuring out an outfit
Try not to be too matchy when it comes to your outfit choice. Find outfits that compliment each other rather than look exactly the same. Solid neutral colors tend to photograph the best in my opinion and try to be cautious with choosing something with a lot of patterns. Consider the weather when choosing your outfit and please make sure you are comfortable!
Day of preparation
Show up on time so we can make sure we get as much use of the sunlight as possible. Schedule a lot of getting ready time too so there is no stress as you’re walking out that door. You can even plan a little date night after to make the most of getting all dressed up together!
Sometimes I will suggest for you two to have a drink together beforehand to loosen up. I love capturing those silly candid photos where your TRUE selves come out, and it definitely helps after you have some liquid courage/giggles in you. I have several other techniques to help with this to make sure you both are comfortable so we can get those cute effortless moments. You do not need to be a pro at this so you can relax and let me work my magic!
