THIS IS IT!
ENGAGEMENT SESSION GUIDE
YOU'RE ENGAGE!
YOUR JOURNEY STARTS HERE
YOUR ADVENTURE AWAITS
It's time to start thinking about your engagement session! The best part is that this session is entirely about you two. Take some time to consider what you truly love doing. You can plan a shoot that is completely in line with your style and relationship, whether you're climbing to a hilltop or having a beer outside your favorite local brewery. So, let's get together and run around town (or the woods, the beach, or your bedroom) while capturing this moment in your journey together, no matter how large or small it is!
PLANNING YOUR SESSION
here are a few key elements that go into crafting your dream shoot. All of these things are adjustable and may or may not apply to what you want or require, which is totally fine! As always, if you have any questions or even a crazy idea for something, don't hesitate to contact me — chances are I'll be entirely on board!
SO WHERE DO YOU START?
LOCATION
It's important to consider what kind of mood you're drawn to as well as what represents your relationship. If you already have a location in mind, that's fantastic! If not, I'm always eager to go scouting for new spots. Let's start with the basics: do you want to do it in the mountains or in the forest? Lakes or glaciers? Is it better to go to a coffee shop or a craft brewery? We won’t stop looking until we've identified and selected a location that's perfect for you. If that means hiking 5 miles to a spot with incredible views that you and your partner adore, go for it!
TIMING
The first thing to think about when scheduling an engagement is the time of year you want to do it. Some of my couples want their engagement session to have a completely different look than their wedding day. Perhaps it's a different season or simply a location you won't be able to find on your wedding day. The exact date of your engagement is determined by your personal preferences for the photos.
Regardless, we typically spend 2-3 hours together during the session (this includes any travel time between sites, which should be factored into your plans), and my editing turnaround time is 3-4 weeks.
LIGHT
This is where the magic happens. Typically, the best glowy evening light is captured two hours before sunset and onwards. Alternatively, you can get up before sunrise (probably with a strong cup of coffee!) and shoot for those hours immediately after the sun rises. Don't worry if the day doesn't bring you any sunshine. Overcast and foggy skies can be quite stunning as well.
As we begin preparing your engagement, I'll look up the time of day you're considering so that we can organize your session accordingly. The idea is to have a certain location in mind for your desired time so we can avoid traveling between areas during that time
THE LOCATION
I have a lot of recommendations, so if you need assistance deciding where to go for your engagement session, please feel free to ask! I have a lengthy list of favorite spots with one sure to complement your tastes to enjoy the perfect session. From views of mountains, trees, farmland, lakes, and the ocean, I can help you find everything your heart desires! I enjoy shooting in the vast outdoors, and the further away from the general public we can get, the better! On the other hand, if you like a more metropolitan vibe, I also enjoy running around the city. There are plenty of fun tiny passageways and brick walls to discover, as well as a cute bar or restaurant to stop in for a refreshing beer or beverage (before, during, or after, I don't mind)!
If you're a step ahead of me and have already started thinking about where you want to go for your session, I'd love to hear about it! I always make a point of asking if there are any locations that are particularly significant to your love story. Maybe it's where you went on your first date, where you proposed, or where you go for a daily stroll or dog walk.
WHAT TO WEAR?
To make it as simple as possible, I normally recommend two - three outfits for different looks:
- Example traditional clothes/Sari, formal, semi formal and casual etc.
one you would wear on a nice date night and one for a more informal occasion. It's also okay if you only want to wear one outfit! Wear something clean and comfortable that makes you feel confident and badass.
- Neutral, earthy colors such as beige, grey, white, black, denim, rust, mustard, blush, blue all look beautiful in the locations I generally shoot at.
- Avoid big patterns, logos, or bright colors. Aim for earthy tones, natural fabrics and clothing with lots of movement.
- Avoid being too matchy, matchy - Ideally your outfits will compliment each other but not blend into each other
Instead of buying something new, use your favorite outfits from your closet. Comfort is key, especially for shoes or sandals, since we’ll be walking a lot. If we’re heading to the beach for a sunset shoot, expect to get wet at the end of the session, so plan accordingly!
Surprisingly, one of the most common worries when organizing an engagement or photo session is what to wear.
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Feeling Awkward?
Let me give you confidence by saying first of all that your shoot is going to be awesome, and know that 99% of the time the first 10 minutes of any photoshoot can feel uncomfortable until you relax into it and feel confident in front of the camera! Trust in the fact that I do this everyday; I'll always prompt and direct you and never ask you to do something that feels wrong or awkward or leave you hanging with no idea what you should be doing next.
I promise it will be fun and by the end of the session you'll be totally relaxed and having fun. The objective isn’t just to take pretty pictures, but to capture this exciting stage in your life, exactly as it is now.
Connect on the day:
Relax, unwind, choose to do what you love on the day of your shoot. There’s nothing worse than arriving at a shoot absolutely frazzled and rushed and disconnected. If you’re able to take the morning off, do it. Give yourself lots of time to get to the location so you don’t feel stressed on arrival.
Have zero expectations:
Embrace what comes, the wind, the rain, the laughter, whatever unfolds. Every shoot is unique, and we have no set pattern. It’s all about YOU and capturing your life exactly how it is on the day of your shoot. I can’t give you any guarantees of what we will capture, let’s see what magic happens on the day.
Hair & Make-Up
If you want to schedule a hair and make-up trial before your wedding, now is the time! The engagement session is an excellent opportunity to put your beauty team to the test before the big day!
On the subject of makeup, unless you wear a full face on a regular basis, I believe that for your wedding or photo session, less is more. If you're used to wearing no makeup or just a light tinted moisturizer with mascara, don't go for big false lashes, deep contour, and overdrawn lips; you won't feel like yourself.
The same may be said of your hair. Just because other couples do it, doesn’t mean you have to wear a formal up-do or have "wedding hair”. Do whatever makes the most sense to you and will make you feel confident on your wedding day and in your photos!
O T H E R T I P S
BRING YOUR FUR BABY
Do you want to bring your pet with you? I adore all kinds of animals! Many dogs have accompanied us on sessions. It may help you limit your options, as some areas aren't as dog-friendly as others! It provides you with another element to use (besides each other) and allows you to take some cute family shots! We all know that pets are an important component of a relationship!
LIMIT YOUR LUGGAGE
While we're shooting, try not to carry too much extra stuff. We're normally in a car and can leave non-essential items in it, but in busy places, we may be walking or taking public transportation, making hauling extra bags a bit of a hassle. I carry my gear pack and can tuck some of your smaller goods (wallet, keys, phone, sunglasses, chapstick, etc) inside, as well as throw a small bag over my shoulder if necessary, but repeatedly putting down bags will disrupt the flow of the shoot.
CHAMPAGNE PARTY
Another piece of advice is to bring some 'liquid courage' to the session! Perhaps a bottle of bubbly for that dramatic spray shot (but keep it inexpensive because you'll lose some), or your favorite craft brews, etc. I want your engagement session to be a cause to have a date night, and the best dates include a sunset cocktail! If you bring a little more for me, I never say no!
Testimonial
“My experience with Super Gibo was truly outstanding. He was great to assured me that no matter the weather, the photos would be amazing—and they absolutely were! :) During our engagement shoot, he took charge and expertly guided us on how to pose, stand, and look our best. The results speak for themselves—I'll share a few photos below as proof of the wonderful time we had with Super Gibo. We’re definitely hiring him for future events and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a talented photographer!.“
Joshua+Cathy
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