How to make engagement pictures more fun (and cost effective!)

Take it from Lindsay and Audrie,

Engagement photos help add major hype to your wedding. It’s something to look forward to with your S.O., makes for sentimental pictures to fill your home with, and can serve as a personalized “Save the Date” card for wedding guests. Did I mention you can never go wrong with a photo gallery area for guests to visit at the wedding? Those pictures serve as a fun and personal touch for guests to see your love story.

Engagement pictures should reflect, not fake, the love you share with your fiancé/fiancée. And dually important: you don’t need to spend big money to have a beautiful engagement shoot.

Here are a few tips I discovered that make big impacts in your engagement shoot:

 

Color is key.

Linsday and Audrie incorporated bright, fun colors into their engagement shoot. It made a HUGE difference–their color scheme made their pictures bubbly and upbeat. Everything from the daisies to the diner contained a pop art-esque palette, making their shoot seem genuinely fun and laid back. Their sunny-side-up outfits brought out rosy glows from their cheeks and made their smiles more radiant.

 

 

Pick a location you both are comfortable with.

Here’s an example: the beach behind Hotel Del Coronado is a popular spot for engagement photos. But if your fiancé(e) hates sand in his or her shoes and enjoys a more casual location, then you may get some fake smiles, and an overall lackluster shoot. You might love the beach in the back, but your hubby will be secretly not as excited. On top of that, the hotel may charge you for using their property in your pictures, or only allow their photographers to do the job.

Pick the taco shack you frequent for date nights, your go-to trail that you both love to walk the dog on, or even the produce stand that sells your favorite breakfast cereal mix-in for your engagement shoot. Not only will you not have to pay for an expensive shoot, but you’ll be bringing great publicity to your favorite place. You can joke with, be more loose with, and have more fun with your love if you both have your guards down and have a history with the location you’re at.

I have taken over fifty thousand wedding/engagement photos, and those kinds of pictures come out the greatest. The honest, natural smiles that come from the love of your life making you laugh are unbeatable to snap.

Use the sun (or moon) to your advantage.

Use the outdoor light to set your scene. The best part about this tip is, it’s free. Audrie and Linsday chose the late afternoon for their shoot. That time of day brightened their faces and colors without too much exposure, and also represented their favorite time of day to spend time together.