An engagement session is the first step towards documenting your wedding experience. It’s a great way to get some natural, fun-loving shots of the two of you, connect with us and feel comfortable with the camera prior to your big day. We’ve spoken on why an engagement session is important, so today we’re going to talk about how to prepare and what to expect.
Common Questions:
What do we wear?
We’ve had brides bring a portion of their entire wardrobe to the shoot, saying, “What should I wear?” We giggle because we love fashion. Don’t fear! Bringing your wardrobe is not necessary after you read this post! Most commonly, our couples bring two outfits each: one casual, comfortable, everyday outfit that they feel really good in and represents them as a couple, and one dressed up look – something stylin’ that you would wear out for a special occasion date or a friend’s wedding. Bold colors always pop on camera and add to the mood of the day. The most important thing is that you’re confident in your look and feel it’s a good representation of your personality.
Do we shoot at more than one location?
Yes! A typical engagement session includes two location spots fairly close by. A lot of our couples are outdoor-lovers, so they may choose to do one natural spot and one more urban location. We’ll communicate with you ahead of time to best understand special locations of your relationship, locations we want to shoot and recommend, or locations that connect with you both. When traveling outside of Bend (which we love), we may reach out to you a bit more for special locations in your area. From there, it’s all about the light, texture and background.
How long is the engagement session?
A typical engagement session is 1-2 hours. If we’re traveling to your location and meeting face-to-face for the first time, we like to grab a cup of coffee or connect a bit prior to shooting, so plan on 2.5 to 3 hours.
When can I see the engagement pics?
After the shoot is completed, the next question is…when can we see them? We like to post our favorites (top 10-20 images) on the blog typically within a week of the shoot; the full gallery is available 1-2 weeks after that. Recently, for our brave brides, we’ve been including with the engagement session post a love letter from bride to groom (or vice versa) as a part of our letter series. If you’re interested in participating, it adds such a special touch and often surprise to your fiancé.
More questions? Please post in comments below!
…and because posts are always better with a pic, here’s a teaser of the recent engagement session of Heather + Phillip. More to come, stay tuned!
San Francisco, CA
Bend, OR
We had a recent question, “Can I bring props to an engagement session?”
The answer is YES! We’ve had couples bring antique furniture, wedding decorations they will be using, fun signage and more. Feel free to have a little fun and bring accoutrement with you. Don’t worry, we’ll find a way to incorporate it well.