Tips for Engagement Photos: Part 2

I’m back with part two of a three part series of tips on how to have the best engagement shoot ever! You can read Part 1 in this series here. Scroll down to see my second tip and a few photos from my engagement shoot.

All photos in this series are by Sterling Imageworks.

Dress: Romwe | Shoes: Steve Madden (similar) | Earrings: Gorjana

Tip 2: Have a Vision

This tip should have a subtitle. Have A Vision, but be flexible. As I said in part one of this three-part series, I knew I wanted Sterling Imageworks to be our wedding photographer even before we got engaged. I fell in love with Callie and Jaison’s airy and bright shooting and editing style and I let that lead my vision not only for our engagement shoot, but for our wedding, as well.

In the planning stages of our engagement shoot, Callie and I were emailing back and forth when she asked me if I wanted the location to include greenery or city. The truth is, I wanted both. I told Callie and she worked her magic! Our three locations in Little Rock, Arkansas included the perfect balance of urban and nature: the Clinton Presidential Library, the top of a River Market parking deck, and the bank of the Arkansas River.

Our vision for the shoot included spring, playfulness, color, and brightness, which is shown in our outfits, from Colton’s seersucker button down to my floral dress, and in our greenery locations.

Here’s how to have a cohesive vision:

Use Pinterest as an aide, but don’t use it as a crutch. Save a few photos to your camera roll that coincide with your lifestyle and use them as inspiration moving forward.
Be consistent with your vision. Yes, Pinterest can let our imaginations run wild. Make sure to stick to a theme. That theme can range from a walk in the park to date night at the ice cream parlor.
Be real to who you are as a couple. For example, don’t include bicycle riding if you and your fiancé have never done it together. The photos on Pinterest may look adorable, but it’s not who you, as a couple, are.
Choose a photographer that products similar work to your inspiration photos. Basically, don’t choose a photographer who mainly produces dark, sepia-toned photos when you want bright, pastel-tones.
Share your inspiration photos with your photographer and be clear about what you like about them. Is is the location? The editing? The poses? The props?
And finally, follow through and have fun!