Congratulations, you’re engaged!

Before the wedding day arrives, your engagement session is one of my favorite opportunities to slow down, celebrate this chapter, and create beautiful photographs that feel completely you.

If you’ve never had professional photos taken together before, you may be wondering what to wear, where to go, what to do with your hands, or how you’re supposed to “pose.”

The good news? You don’t have to know any of that.

Your engagement session is meant to be relaxed, fun, and personal. I’ll guide you throughout the entire experience so you can focus on each other rather than worrying about the camera.

And because your engagement session is complimentary with each of my wedding packages, it’s also a wonderful opportunity for us to get comfortable working together before your wedding day.

Here are some of my favorite ways to prepare for your engagement session and make it truly your own.

Think About the Overall Feel You Want

Before choosing a location or planning your outfits, think about the overall feeling you want your engagement photos to have.

Do you envision something romantic and elegant? Playful and colorful? Editorial and fashion-forward? Cozy and intimate? Adventurous and outdoorsy?

You don’t necessarily need to know how to describe it with photography terminology. Instead, start a Pinterest board or save a few images that capture the essence, mood, colors, locations, outfits, or overall vibe you’re drawn to. It can be a Pinterest board, screenshots from Instagram, photographs you’ve saved, images from a magazine, or even just a collection of colors and locations you love.

Then send them my way!

One of the best things you can do before your session is share your inspiration with me. Your inspiration photos help me understand what you’re envisioning, and I can use them to help find the perfect location and plan a session that feels cohesive with your style.

Your inspiration can show me:

• The overall mood you want
• Locations you love
• Outfit ideas
• Posing or movement you’re drawn to
• Lighting preferences
• Colors
• Styling details
• Props or activities you’d like to incorporate

You don’t have to find a single photo that perfectly represents what you want. Think of them more as visual inspiration.

Send me the whole collection!

I’ll look at the overall essence of what you’re drawn to and use that to help create a session that feels cohesive, intentional, and uniquely yours.

Consider Your Wedding Aesthetic

If you’ve already chosen a theme, color palette, or overall aesthetic for your wedding, your engagement session can be a great opportunity to incorporate those elements.

Maybe your wedding is going to have a romantic garden-party feel. Maybe you’re planning a classic black-tie celebration. Maybe your wedding is modern, editorial, colorful, or inspired by a specific destination.

You can carry that same feeling into your engagement session.

This can be especially helpful if you plan to use your engagement photos for your save-the-dates, wedding invitations, wedding website, signage, or other wedding details.

Having engagement photographs that complement the overall look of your wedding can help everything feel intentional and cohesive from the very beginning.

Your Wedding Venue Might Be the Perfect Location

Did you know that some wedding venues allow couples to hold their engagement sessions there?

If you’ve already fallen in love with your venue, it can be a beautiful place to start.

Photographing your engagement session at your venue gives you the opportunity to experience the space together before the wedding day while creating images that already feel connected to your celebration.

Just be sure to check with your venue first to see whether engagement sessions are permitted and whether there are any scheduling requirements.

And if your venue isn’t an option or simply isn’t the look you’re going for, don’t worry. Send me your inspiration, and I can help you brainstorm other locations that fit your vision.

Making the Most of Your Engagement Session

Your complimentary engagement session is one hour long, which gives us plenty of time to create a beautiful variety of images without making the experience feel rushed.

That said, sometimes you have a lot of ideas.

Maybe you want to incorporate multiple locations, a few different outfits, your dog, a vintage car, champagne, and a special activity that means something to the two of you.

We can absolutely talk through those ideas!

If you have more ideas than we can comfortably fit into your complimentary one-hour session, you always have the option to purchase an additional session so we can give those ideas the time they deserve. 

I’d much rather create a plan that allows you to fully enjoy the experience than try to squeeze too much into one hour and be stressed over time. Let’s fully bask in your engagement era!

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative

Your engagement session doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s.

In fact, I encourage you to think about what makes your relationship unique.

I’ve had couples incorporate some really fun and personal elements into their sessions, including:

• Champagne with their custom champagne glasses
• Classic cars
• Their dogs
• Stationery featuring their engagement or wedding details
• Their favorite coffee shop
• A favorite picnic spot or outdoor activity

You don’t need props just for the sake of having props. But if there’s something that tells part of your story or fits the atmosphere you’re creating, let’s talk about incorporating it.

Sometimes those little details are what make your photographs feel unmistakably yours.

What Should You Wear?

Choose something that makes you feel like the most confident version of yourself.

You don’t need to match your fiancé. Instead, think about coordinating your outfits through complementary colors, textures, and styles while also keeping in mind the location your session will be held in and lean into coordinating with that setting.

I typically recommend bringing two outfits if you like variety, one more casual and one a little more dressed up.

For example, you might start with a relaxed look that feels like a typical date night and then change into something more elevated.

Most importantly, wear something you feel comfortable moving in.

If you never wear heels, this probably isn’t the time to try out a pair for an hour. If you feel amazing in a suit or a flowy dress, lean into that.

Your confidence will always photograph better than an outfit that doesn’t feel like you.

And if you’re stuck between a few options, send me photos! I’m always happy to help.

Don’t Worry About Posing

If the thought of being photographed makes you nervous, you’re not alone.

Many couples tell me, “We’re so awkward in front of the camera!”

That’s okay!

You don’t need to know how to pose, where to put your hands, or what you’re supposed to do.

That’s my job.

I’ll guide you with prompts and movement rather than expecting you to stand in front of the camera and magically know what to do.

We’ll walk, talk, laugh, cuddle, dance, explore, and interact with each other.

Some of the best images happen in the moments between the “poses.”

Once you start warming up and getting more comfortable, we can start leaning more into the editorial poses if that’s your vibe.

Treat It Like a Date Night

This might be my favorite piece of advice!

Don’t think of your engagement session as a photo shoot. Think of it as a date night.

You’re celebrating the two of you.

You can grab dinner afterward. Stop for a drink. Explore somewhere you’ve never been. Get dressed up for each other. Bring champagne. Listen to your favorite music on the drive there.

Make an evening of it.

The more you can relax and enjoy yourselves, the more naturally that connection will come through in your photographs.

And remember, you don’t have to perform for the camera.

Talk to each other. Laugh at each other’s jokes. Hold hands. Kiss. Be silly. Be romantic. Be yourselves.

I’ll take care of the rest.

Engagement Session Ideas

Not sure what you want your engagement session to look like? Here are a few ideas to get your creativity flowing. Your session can be as classic, editorial, playful, or personal as you want it to be. 

Classic & Timeless: Cincinnati Museum Center

There’s something undeniably timeless about a classic car.

Pair a vintage vehicle with the beautiful architecture of the Cincinnati Museum Center for a session that feels editorial, romantic, and a little nostalgic.

Dress up, bring your classic car, and let the architecture and details of the location do the rest. This is a beautiful option for couples who love a sophisticated, old-school feel with a touch of cinematic drama.

 Elevated & Timeless: Indiana State House

If you’re drawn to elegant architecture, formal styling, and an editorial aesthetic, consider an engagement session at the Indiana State House.

Think sophisticated outfits, grand architecture, beautiful columns, and classic portraits that feel like they could belong in the pages of a magazine.

This type of session is especially beautiful for couples planning a formal or black-tie wedding who want their engagement photographs to complement that same timeless aesthetic.

Intimate & Meaningful: Your Wedding Venue

Why wait until the wedding day to spend time at your venue?

If your wedding venue allows engagement sessions, consider using the space where you’ll eventually say “I do.”

This can be especially meaningful if you’ve already fallen in love with the atmosphere and scenery of your venue. We can explore the spaces you’ll be sharing with your closest friends and family and create images that feel connected to your wedding from the very beginning.

It’s also a wonderful option if you want your engagement photos to coordinate with your wedding invitations, save-the-dates, or wedding website.

Romantic & Playful: Frolicking Through the Gardens

For couples who want something romantic, natural, and full of movement, let’s head somewhere beautiful and let you explore.

Imagine wandering through a garden, walking hand-in-hand through the courtyard, dancing beneath the trees, or simply finding a quiet corner to slow down together.

This type of session is perfect if you want your session to feel organic rather than overly posed. Think flowing dresses, soft movement, beautiful greenery, and lots of genuine laughter. There are several locations around the Cincinnati area that can provide this atmosphere. 

Romantic & Celebratory: Pop the Champagne

You’re engaged! Why not celebrate?

Bring your favorite bottle of champagne and a couple of beautiful glasses, and let’s turn your engagement session into a celebration.

Pop the bottle, pour a glass, toast to your future, and enjoy the moment together.

Champagne can be incorporated into almost any type of session—from an elegant city portrait session to a cozy picnic or a romantic garden setting.

Your Engagement Session Checklist

Most Importantly, Relax

Your engagement session doesn’t need to be perfect.

You don’t need to have perfect hair, perfect weather, perfect poses, or know exactly what you’re doing.

You just need to show up and enjoy this season of your lives together.

This is your chance to celebrate your engagement, spend some intentional time together, and create photographs you’ll be able to look back on long after the wedding is over.

So put on an outfit you feel amazing in, grab your fiancé, and treat this like the best date night ever.

And when your wedding day arrives, we’ll already know each other. You’ll know what it’s like to be in front of my camera, I’ll know how you interact together, and we’ll have already built that trust. When the big day comes, you can simply relax, enjoy the moment, and let me take care of documenting it.