Picking the right location for your engagement session can be almost as stressful as picking the perfect venue for the big day - but it doesn't have to be. We have a few tips for you to consider when deciding on a location.
1. Consider the Time of Year
There are two things regarding the time of year for your engagement photos. First, do you want them done right away or within the next month? Look outside - you want to pick a location that will cooperate with the weather for the season. Now, we know that in New Jersey, we experience all the different seasonal weather - blizzards, heatwaves, fall foliage, and spring budding. With that said - if we are planning to do a session in January, I wouldn't suggest doing a beach session. Instead, a location that is either warm and cozy such as a coffee house or outdoors at a tree farm or park where you can have a snowball fight.
The other thing you want to consider only works in you have some time between now and your wedding date. If you are getting married during a specific season (fall weddings for those beautiful rustics colors), you may want your engagement portraits to portray that season - especially if you want to use the images for your Save the Date announcements.
2. Incorporate a Location that is Significant
Whenever I talk with a couple, I always ask three questions. How did you meet, how/when did you propose, and what are your shared interests. These three questions help start a dialogue between us and to get to know the couple better. I also try to use these questions to get ideas for engagement session locations - some place that is meaningful to the couple and their story.
For example, take Stephanie and Kyle's engagement session pictures.
Kyle is a member of a local fire company, something near and dear to his and Stephanie's hearts. In fact, during our initial consultation meeting, Kyle was struggling with staying awake - not because we were discussing boring things, but because he had been called at 3 am to a fire and didn't return home until 7 am. So when it came time to plan their engagement session - Stephanie and I researched some local places. We finally settled on the Fire Muster that was being held at Wheaton Arts, but she didn't tell Kyle what was up. He was truly surprised, which showed in the pictures.
3. Time of Day
This almost goes hand in hand with the time of year. If you want an engagement session in the summer, the most optimal time is earlier in the morning or evening time. The light changes throughout the day and with the season, causing harsh light and shadows. Most summer engagement sessions happen within two hours after sunrise or two hours before sunset. These two different times of the day will help create the golden love that shows off the couple's love for each other.
Bonus Tip: If you are still struggling with picking a location, don't hesitate to ask your photographer. Provide us as much information about the two of you that you can, and we can help pick the ideal engagement session location- we always have a few tricks up our sleeves! However, capturing the love and affection between the both of you is much more eye catching than having a beautiful scene behind you. The background is just an awesome added bonus.
Still unsure? Contact us to book your engagement session or check out our previous engagement sessions.