planning for your engagement session
Planning your session
The engagement session is one of our favorite parts of our time together because it gives you both a chance to be in front of our cameras before you get married, which is going to make your wedding day experience feel so smooth, seamless, and comfortable.
This is such an exciting time in your lives and it's wonderful to have that captured forever.
We packed this site with all of our best secrets for getting the most out of your engagement experience, so let’s dive right in!
checklist
SET DATE, TIME AND LOCATION WITH MICHAEL & LAURA
REVIEW GUIDE (BELOW) FOR STYLE TIPS
SCHEDULE HAIR AND MAKEUP APPOINTMENTS
CHOOSE YOUR OUTFITS
GET YOUR NAILS DONE
CLEAN YOUR RING
PACK A BAG WITH:
Flats or flip-flops for walking between photo spots
Outfit two (including shoes and accessories)
Touch-up makeup
Water bottle (for warmer sessions)
Coat or cover-up (for colder sessions)
PICK A FUN POST-SESSION DATE NIGHT SPOT
We begin all engagement sessions one to two hours before the scheduled sunset during “the golden hour,” when the light is the dreamiest.
The location of your engagement session is totally up to you. We love when our couple choose something unique to them.
If you need help or suggestions, just ask!
Choosing a time and location
Brainstorm unique locations that you might have special access to that most people don’t. For example, maybe you, or someone in your personal or professional network, can secure permission to a location that would otherwise be off-limits, like a beautiful private estate, country club, or resort. Maybe it’s a family ranch, upscale hotel, or even an airplane hangar. The sky is literally the limit!
Spend a few minutes thinking about it and checking around. You’ ll be surprised with what you come up with. Plus, if something seems out of reach, just remember: you never know until you ask!
Think outside the box
We begin all engagement sessions one to two hours before the scheduled sunset during “the golden hour,” when the light is the dreamiest.
The location of your engagement session is totally up to you. We love when our couple choose something unique to them.
If you need help or suggestions, just ask!
Choosing a time and location
Have you thought about rocking a sequined gown, tulle skirt or flower crown but just never had an occasion for it? This is your chance to do it up! Remember : There is no such thing as “too dressed up” when it comes to your engagement session, so don’t be afraid to have some fun!
If you don’t want to add a new permanent piece to your collection, many brides love Rent the Runway for their engagement photos because you don’t have to spend a lot to feel like a million bucks. Plus, you can send the outfits back when the session is over. Other brides just love having a great excuse to bring a new permanent piece (or two!) into their closet!
This is your chance to wear that gorgeous dress you've been dreaming of. There is no such thing as too dressed up for your engagement session.
Long, flowy dresses and skirts look amazing on camera because they bring extra movement to the photos. Especially when juxtaposed with nature, like the desert, forest, plains or beach.
Cute, shorter-length dresses photograph beautifully as well. Dresses and skirts tend to look most stunning on camera because they really flatter the female body — which is probably why the red carpet is always full of so many dresses and not very many pantsuits!
We suggest choosing two outfits - one “wow” dress, and then another shorter sun dress or cocktail dress for a more casual “us on a date” feel.
But if you want to bring two “wow” dresses and forgo the more casual dress altogether, give yourself permission to do it! The camera loves runway-esque apparel and so do we!
Outfits
In my experience, every woman, regardless of her shape has an area of her body that she’s self-conscious about, so recognizing what area that is in advance is key. Choosing flattering silhouettes and colors that complement your natural features is the best way to ensure you’ll love the way you look in your photos.
Three-quarter length sleeves create an awesome slimming effect on all arms, so be on the lookout for an option with a longer length sleeve. You could also bring a cute jacket or cardigan along too. Skinny straps or strapless dresses have the opposite effect on camera, so I recommend avoiding those if your goal is slimmer-looking arms.
Heels elongate women's legs making them look fabulous. Closed-toe heels in particular look great on camera because they carry out the line of your leg all the way down to your toe. My personal favorite is a pair of neutral colored heels!
flattering your figure
From James Bond to Don Draper, Men look most striking in a well tailored suit. If he doesn’t have one, now’s the perfect time to invest in something he’ll wear for the rest of his life! The best part? It’s a lot less expensive than you might think!
While custom suits can cost thousands of dollars, some of the most well-known brands have off-the-rack suits in their stores for a fraction of the price. Solid shades of gray or navy are a strong compliment to most women’s outfits, whereas pinstripes or plaid patterns tend to distract the eye.
Next time you walk by a store like J. Crew, you’ll notice the male mannequins and models are always wearing several layers at once. Layers on men look great on camera, so even when it’s hot outside, trust me when I say that it’s worth an hour or two of discomfort for photos that will last you both a lifetime.
Adding another layer will bring extra dimension and visual interest to your photos. Blazers, vests and coats up the level of any look. If the temperature permits, he could even consider adding a v-neck sweater with a pop of color from a long-sleeved collared shirt and tie underneath. Don’t be afraid to get a little creative with layers!
Long pants and closed-toed shoes are the most sophisticated and masculine looks for men. They draw attention away from his legs and feet and place it where you want it: on the face you fell in love with. So, for your session, it’s best to leave the shorts, sandals and jeans at home, too. Suit pants, dress pants or colored pants work best, especially when paired with closed-toe shoes. Brown leather dress shoes complement almost every look.
Ties, bowties, pocket squares, colored socks, belts, tie clips, suspenders, vests and watches are sharp compliments to any suit. If you want to wear the same suit for the whole session, you can mix and match accessories to compliment both of her dresses without doing a full change.
As you're coordinating your outfit with your fiance’s, keep in mind that your outfits will look the most cohesive on camera when the color palettes coordinate, but don’t necessarily “match.” You should each aim to wear a different dominant color, but stay within a similar color palette family.
So if you’re wearing a blush dress, soft blue earrings, and nude heels (blush being your dominant color), then he could wear a navy coat with gray pants, paired with brown leather shoes and maybe even a blush pocket square. Now he has his own dominant color (navy) while still incorporating a few touches of your color palette.
We suggest choosing your dress first, and then put together your fiance’s outfit based on that.
When choosing colors for your outfits, we recommend selecting lighter tones and more muted shades. By avoiding ultra-bright, bold colors, it will help bring all the attention to your faces and let the eye focus on the way you feel about each other.
The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown and white. That softer color palette fits beautifully into almost all natural outdoor environments,
ENGAGEMENT SESSION
Prep your Groom
Most men aren't overly excited to take photos for nearly two hours because they don’t have an expectation of what’s to come and why it’s so important to you. Take fifteen minutes to educate and empower your guy. Show him your two favorite sessions that we've done, explain why you love them and express to him how much it means to you. Trust us, once he knows it’s important, he’ll light up the camera for you!
The most common thing we hear from guys before engagement sessions is this: they don’t like taking photos or don’t think they’ll be good at it. By the time we’re done, though, they can’t believe how fast it went and just how much fun they had!
ENGAGEMENT SESSION
Make a night of it
Some of our favorite date night spots in Richmond from casual to upscale.
- Little Nickel
- The Veil Forest Hill
- Beauvine
- Secret Sandwich Society
- Hobnob
- Bar Solita
- Stellas *
- The Roosevelt *
* Make a reservation
Let's just have fun!
We want your engagement session to be a time for you to just be yourselves and enjoy it. Have fun together. Laugh a lot. And we’ll take care of the rest!
Photo delivery Timeline
one week
two weeks
30 days
social media sneak peek with one of our favorite photos
blog post with some highlights of our time together
online gallery with all of your final, retouched, high-
resolution images
