Everything You Can Expect During Your Engagement Session
Engagement sessions are about so much more than showing up, smiling at the camera, and hoping for the best. From the moment a couple books with me, I help guide them through the entire process so their session feels relaxed, personal, and have fun.
Step One: Planning the Session
Before we ever meet for the session, we begin by talking about the overall vision. I want to know what feels natural to you as a couple, what kind of location you love, and what you want the photos to feel like.
Some couples want something romantic and quiet. Others want something playful and adventurous. Some love open fields, while others feel more like themselves walking through town, grabbing coffee, or spending time somewhere meaningful to their relationship.
For Megan and Chris, we chose a location in Berks County that gave us space to move, explore, and create a mix of playful and romantic images.
Step Two: Helping With Outfit Choices
Choosing outfits can easily become one of the most stressful parts of planning an engagement session, so I never expect my couples to figure it out alone.
I help with outfit colors, patterns, textures, and how both outfits will photograph together. The goal is not to match perfectly. It is to coordinate in a way that feels natural and fits the location and overall style of the session.
I usually recommend choosing pieces that feel comfortable, flatter your body, and still feel like something you would actually wear. If you are constantly adjusting your clothes or worried about how something fits, it can make it harder to relax in front of the camera.
Couples are always welcome to send me outfit photos before the session so I can help narrow down the options. I can also help decide whether a second outfit would add variety or if one strong outfit will work best.
For Megan and Chris, their outfits worked beautifully with the setting and allowed the focus to stay on their connection.
Step Three: Arriving and Easing Into the Session
When we first meet, we do not jump immediately into intense posing. I spend a few minutes talking with you, helping you settle in, and walking through what the session will look like.
Most couples tell me they feel awkward or nervous before their engagement photos. That is completely normal. You are not expected to arrive knowing how to pose or what to do with your hands.
That is my job.
We usually begin with simple movement, such as walking together, holding hands, or standing close while talking. Starting with movement helps you stop overthinking the camera and focus more on each other.
Megan and Chris eased into the session so naturally. As we walked and talked, their nerves slowly disappeared and their personalities started to come through.
Step Four: Gentle Direction Without Stiff Posing
Throughout the session, I guide couples every step of the way. I will help with where to stand, where to place your hands, and how to move, but I do not want the photos to feel overly posed or forced.
Instead of telling you to stand still and smile, I use prompts that create real reactions.
I may ask you to walk toward me while bumping shoulders, pull each other in close, whisper something ridiculous, or tell your partner one of your favorite things about them.
These prompts help create genuine laughter, natural movement, and the little in-between moments that usually become the favorites.
With Megan and Chris, we mixed quiet, romantic moments with playful prompts that had them laughing together. Their connection came through because they were not focused on performing for the camera. They were focused on each other.
Step Five: Making the Session Feel Fun
My goal is never for an engagement session to feel like a long photo appointment. It should feel more like a date night.
We walk, talk, joke around, and keep things moving. I am usually talking behind the camera, giving encouragement, fixing small details, and doing whatever I can to keep the energy relaxed.
Sometimes that means giving a silly prompt. Sometimes it means letting a couple take a quiet moment together. Every couple is different, so I adjust the session based on their personalities.
Megan and Chris had such an easy, playful energy together. Once they got comfortable, the laughter came naturally, and the session felt less like posing and more like simply spending time together.
