What Are Engagements?
You popped the question, you said yes! The next step, beyond just venue tours and dress appointments, is to book that photographer…and book that engagement photo session with your wedding photographer.
Take it from Kimberly Crook, Utah wedding photographer and engagement photo extraordinaire, your engagement photos are not only a way to capture such an exciting time in your life—being engaged—but a way for you to really connect with your wedding photographer before your actual wedding day. And they’re just plain amazing to have on hand, for your invites and your lock screen. There’s never a bad time for gorgeous couples’ photos, and your engagements are exactly that!
So what are engagements?
Kim says, “Engagement sessions are casual couples sessions meant to give you cute photos for your wedding announcements and to decorate your home!”
Casual meaning you aren’t in your wedding dress just yet; but that doesn’t mean you can’t go all out with a chic high-end bridal look and a suit…or just your jeans and boots.
“I especially love engagement sessions because they give you a chance to have some practice with different poses, and get used to being in front of the camera, which means you are much more comfortable taking photos on your wedding day. This is invaluable, because your wedding photos are the most important day of your life, so being less stressed for photos means those wedding day portraits will turn out extra beautiful and feel like you!”
Whether it’s comfy casual, or a summer dress and linen pants (or maybe a bit of everything, who says you can’t have multiple outfits), your engagement photos will set the tone for your wedding photos.
Engagements Vs Couples Sessions
So how do engagement photos differ from just a regular couples photo session? Apart from showing off the new rock on your finger, of course.
“Engagement sessions and couples sessions are almost the same thing! The key difference is timing: engagement sessions take place after you’ve officially put a ring on it, before the wedding day, so you can use those photos for your announcements and wedding website.”
Save the dates, RSVPs, and dress code info will all be so beautifully reinforced by your giddy smiles and wildflower twirls.
“On the other hand, couples sessions can happen at any time, whether you’re not engaged yet, or you’ve been married for years! Basically, engagement sessions celebrate your upcoming wedding, while couples sessions celebrate any stage of your love; but both work almost identically.”
So even if you’re not quite engaged or going on a decade or two of I do, here’s your permission to book that ‘engagement session’ with a great couples photographer. We know a girl if you’re in the market!
Book Your Engagements With Your Wedding Day Photographer
Either way, booking an engagement session before your wedding is arguably as important as your actual wedding day photos. Great photographers like Kim always make sure they include it with any couple they’re working with.
“I always, always, always include engagement sessions in my packages (even if you’ve already taken engagements with someone else) for one very specific reason: I want you comfortable with me behind the camera before your wedding day.”
Engagement photos are a great way to not only practice being in front of the camera, but practice doing it with the person behind the camera.
“Every photographer is different in their own way, so it’s so important to have experience with your wedding photographer before the big day, so you are already besties before you spend your entire wedding day with them!”
“Not only that, but it gives you great practice with posing before the wedding day, so it’s less intimidating when you say I do. And you’re only engaged once, so it’s the perfect way to remember this time of life and stage of your love story.”
“It is so insanely helpful for you, and much less stressful, when you already know your photographer well, you know how it feels to be photographed by them, and you have already seen how great you’re going to look when you trust them to direct you and get amazing photos.”
And you’ll have already had experience with their poses, angles, and skill behind the camera.
“I’ve had so many couples get excited on their wedding day about certain poses and prompts that we did at their engagement session, because they saw how great they looked, and have been daydreaming about that pose in their wedding dress. I’ve also had several couples tell me how much more comfortable they were during their wedding portraits because they already had some practice in front of the camera.”
When to Book Your Engagement Photos in Utah
So here’s the first step in getting your engagement session booked: knowing when to schedule it.
“I recommend scheduling your engagement session for at least four to five months before your wedding. This will give you enough time for your photos to be taken, edited, and delivered to you before you need to send announcements. But season is important when planning your engagement session.”
If your wedding is in June, that means engagements will need to be in at least February or March…but if you’re in Utah, it’s not exactly the warmest time to do it.
“If you really want spring wildflowers for your engagements, but you have a summer wedding, that’s something to chat with your photographer about. Many photographers, like me, send a handful of sneak peek photos right after your session, which are great to use if you need to get your announcements sent out quickly after your session. But if you like the idea of autumn engagements for your summer wedding, that gives you and your photographer plenty of time before announcements go out. The more time you can give yourselves and your photographer, the better!”
Either way, it’s a good idea to keep in mind your wedding timeline and plan for your engagements accordingly.
“My favorite season to shoot in has to be spring or summer; I’m a sucker for greens! Everything is so lush, vibrant, and alive during the spring and summer months, and sometimes you get the cutest wildflowers in your photos. Spring and summer weddings and engagements have my heart.”
Indoor Vs Outdoor Engagements
Utah really knows how to pop off with the outdoor scenery between the mountains and the red rocks and everything in between.
“Outdoor engagement sessions are great when you want lots of color, greenery, and nature in your photos. They also allow us a lot of room to work, because most locations have multiple little spots and different views, giving us background variety in the photos. Plus, you have the ability to take advantage of that dreamy golden hour!”
But we can’t always control the weather. “Outdoor engagements depend on weather; they may have limited time in the year to shoot because the seasons change, and your session may not be completely private because of other people enjoying nature.”
And that’s where a stunning indoor engagement session in Utah steps in.
“Indoor locations are fantastic when the weather is not cooperating or it’s simply too cold outside during the winter. They are also great when you don’t want other people around while you take your photos, or if you would like a clean indoor backdrop.”
Authentic Laughs and Reveling in the Joy
But no matter the season, the biggest difference-maker in taking engagement photos that you’ll literally cherish for life, is having an amazing photographer who knows how to capture the excitement of being engaged while making sure every shot is a jaw-dropper. And one look at these photos alone is proof that Kim is your girl.
“I had a bride tell me recently that they picked me as their photographer because ‘The way you take the photos and direct the couples brings out so much pure joy and happy emotion in those photos. They’re not flat and boring; they are full of that happiness that emulates the way the couples feel about each other.’”
This bride is absolutely right—Kim’s style is so full of genuine love that it feels like a snapshot into a romance movie. She gets the shots that you need for the invites and the shots you didn’t know you’d love so much.
“Her sweet statement was so important to me, because this is what I truly strive for in both wedding and engagement photos. You’ve chosen your person to spend the rest of your life with, and that is a joyful thing. I truly believe that the joy and love you feel should be captured in the most authentic way possible, to bring out your personalities and the feelings of your relationship. I do this with a lot of prompts, rather than mostly poses, to give you those genuine, candid moments of love for each other.”
And what are photos if not a perfect way to document this special moment in your life? You want it to feel authentic and perfectly capture the emotions of being madly in love.
Clearly, Kim knows what she’s doing when it comes to engagements, so between her location and wardrobe guides, you really won’t go wrong.
Date Night Engagements
“My couples absolutely love the gorgeous scenery I take them to, especially during golden hour! They also really love how fun engagement sessions are; most couples go into their engagements having never taken photos together before, so they are understandably a little nervous. But I can’t tell you how many times the session ends and they say it was much more fun than they anticipated. It’s honestly like a little date where you get to flirt with each other in a beautiful place for an hour!”
Golden hour date night in a beautiful place? Sign us up immediately. Here’s your sign to turn your engagements into a full-on evening out celebrating with your fiancé: think a champagne toast picnic, a stroll through the gardens beforehand, or a nice dinner out once the sun goes down… You got all dolled up after all, might as well go out and celebrate with a night on the town!
“I absolutely love it when I give a silly-sounding prompt that creates genuine laughter and genuine flirting with each other. I always say, ‘I know this feels ridiculous, but trust me, it looks so cute,’ because it does! I love it when my clients trust me with these silly prompts, and then gasp when I show them on the back of my camera how good they look.”
It’s sounding more and more to us like engagements are just another way to spend time with the person you love the most.
Engagement Photos Posing and Prompts
Speaking of fun prompts and poses, Kim’s go-tos are always the ones that bring out the laughs.
“I, of course, will always use the classics, like walking toward me, a twirl, or a dip, but my favorite poses have to be the ones that are more prompt-based and will create genuine laughter and sweet intimate moments with the couple. For example, when I say, ‘Kiss with your teeth,’ as soon as I explain that you should not actually touch your teeth together, it always results in a cute little laughter close to each other’s faces, creating that sweet, intimate, joyful moment.”
“I love to cater my posing to each couple’s personalities, so my go-to poses might look different for each couple. And I of course have poses I only share with my couples, to keep their photos unique to working with me as their photographer.”
Start Now, Start With Your Priorities
Kim’s wedding expertise goes beyond just photography. Her advice for couples is to start with the vendors who are at the top of your priority list before booking the rest.
“First, determine your budget and must-have vendors early; this is usually venue, planner, and photo and video, but really sit down and determine which vendors are most important to you, and if you already have a specific vendor in mind as someone you must have. Then book those vendors first, before anything else.”
Take it from a girl who’s seen a wedding or two, or five (hundred), through her camera lens, don’t hesitate to start planning right now.
“This will give you the most budget to work with and greater availability for those vendors. Once those things are done, you can find ways to use the remaining budget to secure your other vendors and make your day beautiful. I also highly recommend hiring a wedding planner to help you with this and save you stress.”If you want to chat more with Kim, get her advice on the best locations for engagement photos in Utah, or tell her how much you’re obsessed with these photos like we are, you can fill out the form on her website. Just don’t forget to send us your stunning photos once you get them back!
