Why do an engagement session 

The first reason being that the engagement stage of your relationship is so special but also so short lived, take every opportunity to celebrate this milestone and do your 65 year old selves a favour and document it.

Secondly, the engagement session is like a practice run with your photographer! Spending this hour together with them beforehand is so important to ensure your mind is at ease and you’re much more relaxed in front of the camera when the big day rolls around. They’ll show up at your wedding feeling like an old friend and that comfort you feel will shine through in your photos!

Bonus reason: you can use your engagement photos to create a STUNNING guestbook.  Two things I always see prioritized on a wedding day 1. a beautiful guest book and 2. engagement photos on display. Now, imagine this, we combine the two and create the most special and high quality keepsake. Anddd if you’re planning on getting a wedding album after the big day (which I have more info on right here), you would have the cutest matching set.

My philosophy

I’ve been a wedding photographer in New Brunswick for the last 3 years and I’ll be honest, I got to a point a while ago where I was really dreading engagement sessions and overall just not feeling happy with how they were turning out (that makes me so sad to even say!). 

I sat with it for a long time because I just couldn’t figure out why I loved photographing weddings so much but engagement sessions felt completely different. They felt staged, they felt ingenuine, they felt like work, and I thought maybe I just wouldn’t do them anymore. 

But then I had a bit of an epiphany. The reason I love shooting weddings is that I’m capturing real moments, and the reason engagement sessions didn’t feel that same way was my fault. I was looking around at what seemed to be the standard for other photographers and their engagement sessions and just followed that blueprint. But it was a blueprint that didn’t resonate with me or my ideal client at all. 

I didn’t want to just show up at the same field at sunset, do the same poses as everyone else for 45 minutes and then go our separate ways. Sure you can get “nice” photos that way but they weren’t actually representing the couple at all and that just wasn’t sitting right with me. 

So I basically forgot everything I knew about how it was “supposed to work” and revamped my whole process. Now, I help cultivate real moments for my clients so that I can deliver photos that feel like them. Think of it as more of a date night with me tagging along than a photo session. I have significantly cut back on the number of sessions I book per year to allow myself to have the time and capacity I need to create something unique and honest for each of my couples. And it’s something I’m really proud of!

Ideas for your engagement session

Before we get into the planning stages, I’ll be sending you a fun little questionnaire that helps spark information for your engagement session. Questions like “where and how did you meet?” “What do you two do for fun together?” “What has been your absolute favorite date?” “Can you tell me more about your proposal story?” and from there it’s usually pretty easy to come up with some great ideas.

Examples

Going back to the beach where your partner proposed 

Recreating the picnic from your first date

Hiking together with your dog 

Swimming at your favorite spot 

Hanging out at the local fair where you met 

Staying cozied up at home because there is no where you’d rather be

FAQs

What do we wear?
Check out this huge blog with all my tips for what to wear for your engagement session!

Can we use these for our invitations?
Of course! Just make sure we plan your session well in advance so you’re not ordering invites 2 months before the big day.

Can we add film / polaroids to our engagement session?
I would love nothing more!!!!

My partner really doesn’t like getting their photo taken, would you still recommend this?
100%. Most people in general don’t like being in the spotlight and getting their photo taken (this seems to be especially true for men haha) but I understand that and do everything I can to make sure you’re both feeling comfortable. Honestly most guys are so into it by the end, they’re making up their own poses and always leave with “this was actually really fun”. 

How long does it take to get our photos back?
You’ll have your digital gallery ready for you in 2 weeks! Film scans will be added in later as I have to mail them out to be developed and scanned.

Are you ready!?

If you have an engagement session with your wedding package, I will be reaching out with the questionnaire and to choose a date. 

If you didn’t opt for an engagement session while booking your wedding package, there is still time to add one on, don’t worry! Just send me an email and we’ll start planning and get that scheduled.