What to Expect from Your Engagement Session

Congratulations, you are engaged. Somewhere between the excitement and the planning, an engagement session tends to come up, and if the idea of being photographed as a couple makes you a little nervous, you are in very good company. The truth is that an engagement session is one of the most relaxed and genuinely fun parts of the whole journey. Here is what to expect, and why it is worth doing.

What is an engagement session, and why do one?

An engagement session is simply a relaxed photoshoot of the two of you, usually in the months before your wedding. Beyond giving you beautiful photos of this chapter, it does something quietly useful: it lets us get to know each other before your wedding day. You get comfortable with how I work, I learn how you two are together, and by the time your wedding arrives, having a camera around already feels familiar. Couples who do an engagement session almost always feel more at ease on their wedding day, and it shows in the photos.

Where should we have our engagement photos?

The best location is one that means something to you. That might be where you had your first date, a favourite neighbourhood in the city, or the mountains if you love being outdoors. Around Calgary there are lovely urban and prairie options, and the Canadian Rockies offer that unforgettable scenery if you are up for the drive. If you would like some inspiration, my guide to the best photo locations in Banff, Lake Louise, and Canmore is a good place to start, and I am always happy to suggest a spot that fits the two of you.

When is the best time for an engagement session?

For the flattering, golden light everyone loves, we usually plan around sunrise or the hour before sunset. Season matters too: summer greens, autumn colour, and even fresh snow each bring their own mood. If you are curious about how the seasons look in the mountains, my season-by-season guide breaks it down. Timing-wise, many couples do their session six months to a year before the wedding, which also leaves room to use the images for save the dates.

What should we wear?

Choose outfits you feel like yourselves in, and coordinate rather than match exactly. Two or three complementary tones across both of your outfits look wonderful together, and soft, earthy colours photograph beautifully against natural backdrops. Bring a layer or two for texture, wear shoes you can move in, and skip large logos or very busy patterns. If you would like more detail, the thinking in my what to wear guide applies just as well to couples.

What if we feel awkward in front of the camera?

Nearly every couple tells me this, so please know you are completely normal. My approach is documentary, which means I am not going to ask you to hold stiff, unnatural poses. Instead, I will give you simple, easy things to do together, a walk, a quiet moment, a shared joke, and then step back and let the real connection happen. Most couples forget the camera is there within the first few minutes, and that is exactly when the best photos appear. You can read more about how I work in why I photograph the in-between moments.

How do we make the most of our session?

• Pick a location and time that feel like you, and let me handle the light.
• Plan your outfits a few days ahead so it is one less thing to think about.
• Bring something meaningful if you like, whether that is your dog, a blanket, or a bottle of something to toast with.
• Arrive unrushed, since feeling relaxed matters more than anything else.
• Most of all, treat it as a date. The more you focus on each other, the better the photos.

Bringing it into your wedding day

An engagement session is really the beginning of a bigger story. By the time your wedding arrives, we already know each other, you already trust the process, and photographing your day feels like a continuation rather than a first meeting. If you are still shaping your plans, you might enjoy my guide to planning a mountain wedding.

If you are newly engaged and dreaming this up, I would love to hear about it. You can explore wedding photography, browse common questions, or get in touch to plan your engagement session.