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We’re Josh and Amber, wedding and engagement photographers for the madly in love. 

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The best part of our job is getting to talk with and to know our clients. Having deep conversations with people leads to an understanding and trust that would otherwise be non-existent. The ability to share information online with other people who need it is such an underrated privilege and we want to finally take advantage of it. We not only wanted but needed an outlet where we could build trust with others in the community and share our ideas and knowledge with those who could use them. We have over 6 years of experience in photography and have created this blog to share with you what we know and love about photography, weddings, Arizona and so much more that we are passionate about and desperate to share with you. Our goal with this blog is to provide helpful, fun, and interesting content for you at least twice a month or more.

Thank you again for stopping by, and we hope to see you here again soon!

10 Steps on How to Prepare for Your Engagement Session

First off, congratulations on your engagement! This is an exciting new time for you and you may be nervous or simply want to know what it takes to have a successful engagement session. Whether you are here because you have already booked your photographer or you aren’t convinced about whether or not to have a session at all, we’ll walk you through what you should know and some helpful tips on what you should do.
Have you seen photos on Instagram or Pinterest of those dreamy couples who just look so fully in love and their style and location pair so perfectly that it seems like a scene out of a romance movie? Well… that could be you and your partner too. Whether you’re feeling anxious, unsure, or just not fully confident about your upcoming photo shoot, we know that with a little preparation and encouragement, your session can be the one you desire.
An engagement session is a great way to get comfortable in front of the camera and get a feel for what to expect before your wedding day. Having some information, support, and guidance before your session will allow you more freedom to enjoy the experience. A positive outcome will lead to a more relaxing wedding day session where you will be able to appreciate that special and private time together with your partner. We understand that photo sessions can seem intimidating, but we have confidence that after reading the 10 steps below, you’ll feel ready and more excited than ever for your engagement session.

Step One

Set the date, time, and location a few months in advance. Choose a location with your photographer and pick a place that represents you and your partner’s relationship or where you feel comfortable together. Be sure to call ahead of time in public spaces or have the right permits for state & national parks! We offer all our clients a location guide for our area, so your photographer may have one too. If not they will most likely have many ideas for you, don’t be afraid to ask! Our favorite time of day for sessions is sunrise, due to the lighting and usually the privacy that comes with the early morning. However, if you are not a morning person, an hour or two before sunset will be just as breathtaking and perfect for your photos.

Step Two

Find a style or aesthetic of photography that captivates you and your partner, that best expresses your relationship and that is compatible with your photographer’s work. There are many engaging ways you and your partner can do this together and enjoy the process.

We have found that Pinterest is the easiest platform to use that has the quickest access to session inspiration. You could also refer to Instagram, magazines, or any of your friends’ previous photo shoots. Share and discuss your ideas with your photographer or choose a photographer whose work represents your ideal aesthetic, and don’t be afraid to let them know what you’re looking for. When deciding what you like, let your emotions lead you to what feels right, and get creative with putting together your inspirations. You can create a Pinterest board, an online photo mood board, or clip magazine photos together!

Step Three

It’s important to feel your best and self-confident on the day of your session. How you feel will reflect in your photos, and you’ll want to admire your photos years down the road and recall the positive emotions connected with your experience. How you want to look for your session is 100% up to you, and no professional photographer will ever judge you. How you and your partner are feeling is what’s paramount.

That being said, if you enjoy some pampering in order to gain confidence, you’ll want to ensure that any appointments you need are booked 1-3 months in advance. We also like to advise that you schedule the appointments a few days to a week before the session. This way, if any problem occurs with your appointment, you’ll be able to hopefully reschedule or have the issue resolved beforehand. Many clients who plan to get their hair and makeup professionally done on the day of the session find it helpful to book a trial several months ahead of time to establish good communication with their cosmetologist on how they’d like to look the day of. If you’d like to get your hair dyed or cut and your nails done, just be sure to consider how quickly your hair grows when booking your appointments. We would recommend scheduling those appointments 5-7 days before your session. If any appointment fell through, we promise no one will notice and the love between you and your partner will be the shining star of your session.

Step Four

Plan your outfits ahead and choose ones honest to you that you feel your best in, and try to pick the outfit based on the session location. Iron or steam the outfits and lay them out the night before. Choose comfortable shoes and clothing. You want to not only look your best but feel your best also. An engagement session can last up to 3 hours, so you want to make sure you’re still able to walk by the end of the session. If you insist on bringing your incredibly fancy heels, bring a change of shoes and get a few key photos taken in the heels. Coordinate patterns and colors with your partner, but don’t perfectly match or contrast their outfit. Bright colors and most patterns don’t appear well on camera, so stick with neutral colors and pieces with either no pattern or very simple and medium-sized patterns. But you don’t need to listen to us… just make sure YOU love what you’re wearing!

Step Five

Overprepare! Just in case anything at all goes amiss, we don’t want that to put any stop to your day. Bring a bag or backpack with extra outfits, shoes, makeup, mints or gum, hair brush/spray/accessories, a towel or oil blotting paper, an umbrella, Advil, water, snacks, and anything else you might want to bring into the session. If you’re going to be walking or hiking to the location, put your dress shoes or heels in the bag and wear comfortable tennis shoes or boots to the session. Try to change into your clothes close to the session time to avoid any ripping or staining earlier in the day. Bring any accessories you may want to put on partially through your session, such as sunglasses, hats, scarves, vests, or jewelry. Personal touches clients typically like to add are dry or fresh bouquets, your favorite blanket, champagne with glasses, or a save-the-date sign. Discuss a backup plan with your photographer in case of weather changes or location and transportation complications.

The simplest, but the easiest forgotten usual mistake is to charge your phone and look up directions before leaving! Some locations may not have cell service or you may get lost and have your phone die on you. Ask your photographer what kind of car they drive so you can easily find them, and if they can, give you a description of where the location is and what the parking situation will be like.

Step Six

Little details aren’t as important, but if you have time and want to be fully prepared, there are a few we like to tell our clients. Get your ring professionally cleaned for that perfect sparkle when the sunlight hits it! Prep your skin the night before and the morning of with lots of moisturizer or a moisturizing serum, and if you have the time, try a face and eye mask before moisturizing. Arizona is beautiful, but it’s lacking humidity most days out of the year, and that can cause both your hair and your skin to become dry, and your skin may peel or even crack and bleed. Not only does this not feel comfortable, but it could cause makeup application to be more difficult and more retouching time for photographers if you ask them to smooth your skin. The honey and cucumber sheet masks work wonders for plumping the skin, and hyaluronic acid with a face and eye cream after the face mask will seal that moisture in for longer. If your skin is already peeling beforehand, you can use a light exfoliant before any skincare and use a lip scrub if you have dry lips. Let your hair sit in a moisturizing hair mask the night before and rub in your favorite hair oil or leave-in conditioner the day of, and set any flyaways with a flexible hair spray or gel. Bring sunscreen, SPF chapstick, and your makeup and hair supplies just in case you need to adjust or fix anything right before or during your session.

Step Seven

It’s perfectly normal and acceptable if you are nervous or anxious. Talk with your partner and your photographer about your concerns or insecurities for assurance and support. Don’t overthink it, and don’t be hard on yourself. Consider the session to be a date, and when you feel shy, you can always kiss or hug your partner at any time oreven ask your photographer for a break. Get comfortable with dancing or posing with your partner in the mirror so you can gain confidence in what you’ll be doing. Many couples find it helpful to joke around or “talk dirty” with each other in order to naturally laugh and de-stress during a session. If your photographer is open to the idea, you can even put on your favorite music and dance or just relax to the sound with your partner while your photographer documents the peaceful moment.

Step Eight

The value of prioritizing self-care is usually overlooked. As we’ve mentioned in the steps above, it is imperative that you and your partner feel at your best and are having a great time together. Tiredness, hunger, and stress can all lead to irritability, and there’s nothing worse than feeling that way during a session. This is why it’s so beneficial to eat a hearty meal the day of, stay well hydrated, get plenty of rest, and put your mind at ease from any stressors. A few simple de-stressing activities you and your partner could try include massaging each other, cuddling while watching a movie you love, drinking warm beverages while listening to a calm podcast or audiobook, cooking dinner together, and having a romantic (or… spicy) evening together. Planning something special to look forward to after your session can definitely help boost your mood as well. While you’re all dressed up and out of the house together, find a restaurant or activity near your session location and plan a fun date for you and your partner to go on afterward.

Step Nine

Although we just gave you a lot of information and helpful tips, it’s okay if you throw that all out of the window… As long as you and your partner enjoy the moment and have fun together, that’s everything that matters.

Step Ten

Lastly, step ten. The most essential advice we can give you, no matter how cheesy it may sound, is to just be yourself!

For those of you who like to skip to the end, we got you.
The ten steps you can take to best prepare for your engagement shoot are:
Plan the logistics, find your aesthetic, and schedule pampering appointments months in
advance, decide your outfits, bring extras of everything, prep your skin, and hair, practice
getting comfortable for a session with your partner, prioritize self-care, have fun and be
yourself.
Thank you all for reading our blog, we hope you have a terrific time at your engagement session and that you found our tips helpful. If you’d like to read more, we’re planning to release more blogs every 2 weeks and look forward to having you read them!

For those who have not found a photographer for your engagement session yet, and if you live in Arizona and liked our photos, feel free to reach out to us!