Crafting the perfect engagement photos can be one of the most exciting and dreaded times during engagement season. Although you may be thinking that the most important photos are the ones you take on your wedding day, your engagement photos matter just as much, and for many reasons.
Engagement photos are used to announce to the rest of the world that you’re about to marry the love of your life. Sending them in the mail or posting them on social media is an announcement the rest of the world of your plan to be with your other half for the rest of your life. And just like your wedding photos, you will look upon your engagement photos fondly in the future. Your engagement photos will serve as a reminder of the lovely couple you two were before you even said your “I-dos”.
Don’t skimp out on taking beautiful engagement photos that you’ll treasure forever. To make sure you capture moments that you’ll treasure for years to come, here are some simple tips to keep in mind when planning and taking your engagement photos!
1. Your Photo’s Backdrop Should Represent You
While getting the perfect photo can mean trying to get the most aesthetic background, the most important scenery shouldn’t be what’s going to look best in your Instagram theme – the background for your photos should actually be a place where you two feel very comfortable and at home. Taking engagement photos shouldn’t be difficult or feel awkward. If you as a couple don’t go to the beach or river often, it doesn’t make sense to take all your photos with water or the ocean in the background. Since your engagement photos are a representation of your love, everything about it should be genuine. You don’t want to look back and wonder why you went to the beach to take these “perfect” photos when you both prefer to go camping and be in nature. If you two as a couple are more of the “Netflix and Chill” kind of pair, then taking pictures at home is also a great option.
2. Hire a Professional Photographer!
We probably don’t have to tell you that an inexperienced photographer isn’t going to cut it for your engagement photos. We probably also don’t have to tell you (or we hope we won’t have to) that an iPhone camera is just not going to cut it. While phone cameras do enough for concerts or filming a child’s dance recital, careful precision and attention is needed to develop the most beautiful engagement photos that you’ll fondly look back upon.
A professional photographer, especially an engagement or wedding photographer, will be experienced and know all the little nuances of how to photograph you and your fiancé in the best lighting and angle. They can show you how to pose, where to stand, how to look at each other. They can also help bring out with poses that are more natural and fitting. Professional photographers can be found in wedding photographer vendor directories or just by taking a quick search in Google! Be sure to look through their past work to see how they were able to capture the beauty of other engaged couples, before deciding if the photographer is a perfect fit for you, and worth your budget.
3. Dress to Impress – And to Be Comfortable
Being comfortable is an important part of capturing a genuine moment, so dress in a way that makes you feel like you, but also makes you feel amazing. Don’t let all those photos that you’ve seen on social media force you into trying to be something that you’re not or force you into dressing up into something that will make you feel awkward and forced during your engagement shoot. You should feel like yourself, but while looking your best, so if comfortable for you means dressing in a t-shirt and jeans, do that! Just make sure that they’re clean and nicely pressed.
Other engagement photo dressing tips: dress classy and not trendy. When you look back on your engagement photos, you don’t want to cringe wondering why you had the audacity to pair that bright skirt with that neon top. It’s important to complement each other’s outfits but to be careful not to be too matchy matchy. Aim for solid prints and colors and stray away from patterns that can be distracting. One way to create a theme in your photos is to choose a central color, and for each of you to wear one piece of clothing with that color, while styling the rest of your outfit in nudes and light colors.
Conclusion
Congratulations on your engagement! With these tips, you’ll be ready to take the sweetest and most beautiful engagement photos that will make all your friends wish it was them ready to tie the knot. Remember that comfortable is key, and hiring a professional who will make sure to take the most wonderful photos for your engagement is the way to go!