When you first get engaged, there are so many exciting things happening! Sharing with your friends and family, announcing your engagement, dreaming about the wedding, and so much more. One thing you can also look forward to is when you take your engagement photos!
Keep reading to learn all about when you should take your engagement photos and preparing for your session!
When Should You Take Your Engagement Photos?
As a wedding photographer, I am pro “take engagement photos within 4-6 months” from your proposal. Not only are you still in the beautiful excitement phase, but you’re also in a great stage of planning and dreaming up your wedding day. This is such a fun stage of life to have photographed to look back on!
The other reasons I say within 4-6 months are for a few logistical reasons:
1. If you need to have a hair and makeup trial, then you can schedule that on the same day as your engagement session. You’ll be able to see how your hair and makeup holds up and looks in the photos. Yay, two birds, one stone!
2. You’ll get to meet your photographer wayyy sooner. This can be a complete game-changer as it’ll ease you into working with a photographer rather than just hoping it works out on your wedding day. You’ll be able to get to know each other, see how they give direction, and you’ll also be able to give feedback as well.
3. Once you receive your engagement photos, you’ll have photos ready to use earlier in your planning process. There will be opportunities to use them for your wedding website, save the dates, invitations, decor for any other parties or celebrations like a wedding shower or bachelor/bachelorette parties, etc.
Do You Actually Need to Have an Engagement Session?
My personal and professional answer is yes, you should have an engagement session, but it isn’t an absolute must. The answer depends on what you and your partner want. One of my biggest reasons for encouraging you to have an engagement session is because this is a truly unique chapter in your relationship and love story right now. You won’t experience this phase or season again with your partner. Your engagement session is a chance to connect and spend meaningful time together, and after you’ll receive beautiful, professional images.
It’s also an opportunity for you and your partner to get comfortable being in front of the camera. It’s totally okay to feel nervous about your engagement session and being photographed. I know it’s not a normal day-to-day experience for most of us to have a camera photographing our every move. This is a good time for you and your partner to practice having your photos taken and learn how to be more relaxed in front of the lens.
Your photographer will also help guide you both so that you feel like the best, most confident version of yourself during your session and get stunning images. You’ll be a seasoned pro being in front of the camera by the time your wedding day comes around!
Choosing Your Engagement Session Location
When it comes to choosing your engagement session location, I always tell the couples that I work with that the possibilities are endless! If you and your partner want to have your engagement session at your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or in your home, you can! There’s no “right” answer to choosing an engagement session location.
If you’re feeling anxious about your upcoming session, I personally like to recommend choosing a location you’re familiar with versus somewhere new. The reason for this is that you already know what to expect by being there, and the goal is that you’ll feel more relaxed and like yourself over choosing a foreign location.
If you’re wanting to have your engagement session outdoors, make sure to take the weather into account! Hawaii’s wet season is from November to March. This doesn’t mean you can’t plan a session at this time of year, only that we’ll want to keep the weather in mind as we decide on your location so we’re prepared.
Another thing to keep in mind when choosing your location is how busy it gets. If the location you’re considering is a popular destination, we’ll want to consider the logistics of when we can not only get the best photos but also escape the crowds. This might mean planning an early sunrise session versus a sunset session or choosing a month when the destination is less crowded.
Ultimately, the location you choose should reflect you and your partner. If you both love the ocean, you can have your session on the beach. Or if you love nature and the mountains, we can make the mountains your backdrop. My advice is not to choose a location because it’s popular or pretty but because it suits both you and your partner.
Best Spots in O’ahu for Your Engagement Session
As someone who calls O’ahu home, here are some of my favorite places where you could have your engagement session:
- Koko Crater Botanical Garden
- Kualoa Regional Park (Kaneohe)
- Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens
- Ko’Olina Beach & Lagoons
- Wahiawa Botanical Gardens
Ready to Hire Your Wedding Photographer?
I hope this guide about when you should take your engagement photos and preparing for your engagement session was helpful!
And… if you’re still looking for a Hawaii wedding photographer, I’d love to connect! I’m for the couple who doesn’t need a checklist of photos crossed off, but space to feel and experience their day fully. If you love hard, feel deeply, and hope this day will be more than just a blur, I can’t wait to meet you!
You can head over here to learn more about my wedding services or get in touch with me here. Let’s talk about how to bring your dream wedding vision to life!
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Your Guide to Planning a Wedding at Paliku Gardens at Kualoa Ranch
