The Do’s and Don’ts of the Engagement Session
I may be biased, but I think the engagement session is one of the best parts of wedding planning! It’s also a little nerve wracking. I’m sure you have a lot of questions about how this is going to go, what to do, what to wear. This may be the very first time you've had professional photos taken! My number one tip is to relax, have fun, and let me worry about everything else. But if you still want a few more tips, here are my top Do’s and Don’ts to make the most of your engagement session.
DON’T
Super trendy clothing item solely because it’s trendy.
Small prints, large logos, or bright, neon colors.
Athletic sneakers.
Match-y match-y outfits. Cohesive is better than match-y.
Transitions lenses. Consider a regular pair for at least your wedding day.
DO
Wear something you feel confident, comfortable, and beautiful in!
Choose one dressier and one more casual outfit.
Choose your outfits together. They should be cohesive in both colors and formality.
Feel free to bring any accessories or props that are special to you as a couple or shows something you like to do together.
Clean your ring. Super easy to do at home with warm water, dish soap, and a soft toothbrush.
Paint your nails. If you don’t normally wear nail polish, clean nails are perfect too, just no chipped polish!
Consider professional hair and makeup. This one is not absolutely necessary (weddings are expensive, yo) but if you do want to, look into doing your hair and makeup trial on the day of your photos.
Bring your pets! I love animals and would love to add them to your engagement photos. Bring someone else along to be their handler, help get their attention and possibly take them home after a few photos. Bring treats and/or toys- whatever will get their attention!
Choose the right location. Any nature-y setting is perfect for engagement photos! Also consider a location that means something to you. Do you love having picnics at the park? Hang out at breweries on the weekends?
Have fun! This is the most important do! Relax, have fun, and enjoy this time together!
Downtown West Reading Engagement Photos
I met Carolyn and Sean through my sister who has been friends with Carolyn since high school. Carolyn and Sean have been dating for a while so I’ve known both of them for quite a few years now. They actually live in the apartment next door to us right now! I was so happy to hear about their engagement and honored to be capturing these memories for them.
We took Carolyn and Sean’s engagement photos on a very cold, windy day in downtown West Reading. It was a lot of fun taking photos in a different environment than I’m used to (I usually do engagement photos in more of a nature-y setting.) Special thanks to Say Cheese Restaurant for allowing us to take some photos inside.
Carolyn and Sean are getting married next fall at The Barristers Club in Allentown.
Flags from Bring Hockey Back.
The Barn at Flying Hills Wedding
Cheryl and Dan got married at The Barn at Flying Hills on an absolutely gorgeous fall day. We even had to change portrait locations a few times because it was just too sunny! Their wedding was on the smaller side but that didn’t stop the party! Everyone was so sweet and having so much fun.
Vendor Team
Venue: The Barn at Flying Hills
Catering: Boscov’s Catering
Cake and cupcakes: Dice’s Creative Cakes
DJ: New Energy DJ
A Sunnybrook Ballroom Wedding
Sunnybrook is such a gorgeous venue with so many options. Their ballroom is huge, there’s space for bride and groom to get ready, a fun ‘speakeasy’ lounge for rehearsal dinners, and onsite wedding garden. I was so excited to work here and it did not disappoint. Marge and Ian got married on a beautiful summer day. They are firefighters so we took a few photos with a truck and a huge group of coworkers. We did some engagement photos with a truck as well and Marge even came in on a truck before walking down the aisle! Such a unique and memorable wedding.
Vendor Team
Venue: The Sunnybrook Ballroom
DJ: Kevin at Soundfactor Entertainment & Events
Cake: Beverly’s Pastry Shop
Florist: An Enchanted Florist at Skippack Village
Hair & Makeup: Ashley S, Salon Evolve
Videographer: Tom Funch, FunchFilm Video Productions
Bagpiper: Jeff Edwards, The Blackhorn Piper
A Whispering Pines of Carlisle Wedding
Brad and Shelby got married at Whispering Pines of Carlisle in the middle of June. I feel like I must be really lucky because every time I’m writing a blog post I want to say how sweet and fun everyone at the wedding was. Once again, this is true. I know I’m working but I always just have such a good time. Something about being in a crowd of happy excited people, you can’t help but have fun too!
I met Brad in high school band and hadn’t seen him since! It was so fun catching up and getting to know Shelby at their engagement photos and wedding (we did both at Whispering Pines! It’s just so beautiful!)
Venue: Whispering Pines of Carlisle
DJ: Triforce Pro Audio Solutions, LLC
Catering: Horner’s Corner BBQ
Hair and makeup: Warm Springs Salon and Spa
