5 Tips to Help You Prepare For Your Engagement Session

Fun, urban Engagement Session with Monica and Jhanisus at Angel’s Flight in Downtown Los Angeles

Engagement sessions are so much fun and we love photographing them because our couples are relaxed, they’re looking good, we’re at a fun location and the time we have together allows them to just be themselves and enjoy each other. Did I mention we get to have fun?!!

Kimi and Daniel in Switzer Falls for their adventurous, romantic engagement session

Tip #1: Why should you book your Engagement Session?

Yes, it allows you to get comfortable with us, in front of our camera and as nerve-wracking as it sounds, at the end of each session our couples always tell us how much fun they had. It’s also a really good time to test out your hair and makeup artist that you’re thinking of using for your wedding.

I may be getting ahead of myself, but if you think about it, most of our engagement sessions are finished by evening on a weekend so since your hair and makeup are done, you’re dressed fashionably casual, it usually makes for a really nice date night!

As with everything we do, whenever we photograph we look at our sessions and weddings like game days. We plan and prepare beforehand and then we rock it out and play as much as we can. We want you to look your best, feel the most joy and be blown away when we show your photos to you!

Silhouette of Sabrina and Leo for their wilderness Carbon Canyon Engagement Session

Tip #2: How should you use your engagement photos?

Sometimes couples ask us if an engagement session is necessary and I always let them know that a lot of our couples use their engagement session photos for Save the Date Cards to let their friends and family know ahead of time to set aside their wedding date. This always gets everyone really excited!

You can also use your engagement session photos for your wedding guestbook so everyone can sign in and leave their best wishes for you. This is always a good idea as you can use it as a wedding keepsake to look back on.

We’ve also had our couples create a canvas to use at the reception table and it also doubles as beautiful wall art to display in their home. If anything at all, we encourage engagement sessions to balance out their gorgeous wedding photos with some casual and fun engagement session photos.

Melissa and Adam in Santa Barbara for their romantic beach engagement session

Tip #3: When should I book my engagement session?

The best timeframe to book your engagement session is about 6 months before your wedding date. You can definitely book it earlier or later but if you’re planning on using them for Save the Dates you want to book your session at least 2 weeks ahead of when you’re planning on sending them out.

Jandy in her red dress and Wilson in Downtown LA for their urban engagement session near Vibiana

Tip #4: Where should we go for our session?

Ultimately we suggest booking your engagement session in a different season than when you’re getting married as it adds a different look to your wedding. If you prefer to use the same or similar seasons, we encourage you to think about holding your engagement session in a different location to balance your wedding day location.

Speaking of locations, if you ask us one of our favorite locations is in urban settings such as Downtown LA Art District, Downtown Fullerton, or Downtown Santa Barbara. If you love taking adventures, we can always head to the mountains or a wilderness vibe. And you can never go wrong with holding your session at the beach. Wherever you decide to hold your session we always encourage you to think about where you enjoy to hang out with your Love. Some might see us as being indecisive but ultimately, these will be your photos and we want you to be as comfortable as possible. You won’t be your best if we were to push a city vibe when you love walking barefoot in the sand. We want you to be as carefree as possible and just enjoy each other to the fullest so we can highlight your relationship in the best way!

Melissa and Adam at Arroyo Burro Beach in Santa Barbara for their beach engagement session

Before we give you Tip #5, check out more from Melissa and Adam’s romantic engagement session in Santa Barbara

Tip #5: What should I wear for our engagement session?

As far as fashion is concerned, we want you to look and feel your best. Think about what you would wear if you were going out to a nice dinner date. If a cute dress and heels are your thing while your love wears some slacks with a blazer then feel free to rock that out! If you like jeans and a cute top while your love is a collared shirt and jeans type, then show us what you’re working with! Haha! I think you know what we’re trying to say here. If you need some extra help, we always provide our Style Guide, so make sure to check it out once you book.

Lawrence just proposed to Melissa at the Hollywood Bowl Overlook in Los Angeles

How do I book our engagement session?

If these tips helped you out and want to check our availability for your engagement session, I encourage you to fill out the info below today and we can get the ball rolling for you.

We’re looking forward to highlighting your relationship and we’re excited for what’s in store!

Romantic engagement session in Pasadena with Michelle and Daniel

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Are you thinking about booking your Engagement Session?

Feel free to fill this out and get in contact with us to get the ball rollin’!

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Surprise Proposal in Los Olivos, CA | Sean and Gianna

When Sean called us to let us know he was planning to propose to his girlfriend, Gianna we couldn't be more excited to hear about his idea! When we showed him a few locations, he was so excited he wanted to go up and scout the area out. 

His general plan was to propose at a location that was pretty private as him and his girlfriend are pretty low key. Then we were planning on going into town in Los Olivos where the rest of their friends and family were waiting to celebrate the news!

After securing the location for him, we headed up and stealthily waited for him and Gianna to arrive. Usually I like to "hide" so I don't spoil the surprise, but I stepped out of my hiding spot and Gianna actually saw me! I was freaking out as I thought I ruined it for Sean! But she thought I worked at the vineyard and it didn't phase her that someone else was there! Whew!

When the time came, Sean did his part and the rest is history! As you can tell, Gianna was pretty excited and after taking some portraits around the area, we told them we were leaving and would be in touch. Since Gianna didn't know the rest of their families were waiting for them, she had no clue we actually left to go to the second winery to photograph the second surprise with their family! 

We couldn't be happier for them as their friends and family were so excited for them as emotions were running high both before and after the surprise! 

We're so excited to show you a few photos and we encourage you to show them some love in the comments below!

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Sean + Gianna's Slideshow

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Laguna Beach Engagement Session | Kate and Jeff

Through the hustle and bustle of life, it's so easy to get caught up in the stress of everything going on and it may be hard to take time out to allow ourselves to let our true feelings out. It may be cliche, but we absolutely love bringing out the best in our couples and we hope we were able to do that for Kate and Jeff. 

We've been to Laguna Beach many times for various engagement sessions and weddings and this session was very intimate. I'm not sure where to start as the vulnerability and raw emotion that Kate and Jeff brought to their engagement session made it an absolute pleasure to witness and we can't wait until their wedding day to celebrate with loved ones. 

Kate and Jeff may seem like you're everyday friends, which they are, but when they got comfortable they became overwhelmed with emotion as they realized the reason why they're getting married. They let themselves love on each other in a way that let the other person know they deeply cared for them. I'll let the images speak for themselves as their story is personal and unique yet their love for each other was on full display. 

Enjoy and be sure to give them some love in the comments!

Angel's Flight and Downtown Los Angeles Engagement | Monica and Jhanisus

I have to say, this year has been pretty amazing already and we couldn't have asked to be able to have more awesome clients as Monica and Jhanisus. They're so down to earth and as we started to plan for their engagement session, we knew we were going to have a blast. They chose to tame the tough streets of Downtown LA and incorporate their casual engagement session around the areas they were looking forward to the most.

We started in the Art District to get some of those cool vibes then made our way to the 1st Street Bridge. We had a quick change into their second look and they continued to rock it out around the Angel's Flight area. To finish off the evening, Jhanisus took us to a little spot where he really wanted to take some night shots with the Financial District as the backdrop.

No matter where we went, they both brought their 'A' game when it comes to styling and because they complimented each other, they definitely rocked it for the whole time. 

Although they told me they were a bit anxious before we started our Downtown LA tour, I couldn't tell at all and they seemed like absolute naturals in front of the camera. 

We can't wait for their upcoming wedding and if their engagement session is any indicator of what's to come, we know they're going to knock it out of the park!

So many blessings to you guys and we're looking forward to what's in store for you guys!

Engagement at Carbon Canyon Regional Park | Rachel and Aaron

If you missed Aaron's surprise proposal at LA Live in Downtown Los Angeles he got one knee on the ice. Once we photographed their engagement session, it was pure fire. 

The love the have for each other is so evident and we're so excited to have front row seats to watch their lives blossom together. On a personal level, Rachel is my third sister and as she becomes the beautiful young woman she is, And as far as we can tell, Aaron definitely brings out the best in her. 

They both have a promising road ahead of them and we're so excited to see them get married in a few months. As a lover of travel and living a bohemian life, they're going to do things their way and we can't wait to see what they will incorporate for their wedding day.

Enjoy these images from their session and make sure to send them your blessings!