The Ultimate Guide to
ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS
not your mother's engagement photos
It's easy to pose with a smile for a picture. It's relatively simple to fake a laugh. What is rare is for you to have photos that embody your essence as individuals and as a couple. That is the core of this portrait session.
From the moment you sit down together and the camera comes out, you will sort of feel like you're on a bizarre date with a third wheel. Expect organic conversation, natural interaction, genuine laughs, and feeling like you are on a first date with the love of your life all over again.
On your wedding day, you want to live fully present in the moment and feel like you have a professional photographer friend who knows all of your angles. Having this pre-wedding session together will help you get comfortable in front of the lens and feel even more like yourself.
The Low Down on Engagement Sessions
ready to make photo magic?
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Favorites from Past Sessions
Have a practice run before the wedding day in front of the lens
Finally have some great photos of you that aren't selfies or iPhone photos!
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this is why these photos matter.
For your wedding website or Save the Dates (and have your faces on your friends' fridges)
03
If you're self conscious, this is a great chance to up your confidence with the camera
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Have timeless photos of you that feel like the old family photos you find in a shoe box
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Why should we do an engagement session?
If you are New York City lovers and obsessed with your neighborhood, you can do your engagement photos in your most beloved space. We'll kick things off in your apartment...because how amazing is it to have photos in the place you lived in when you got married? We then head around your neighborhood.
We will seek out unique spots, amazing light, and any landmarks that are important to you along the way.
Want fashion-forward photos that feel like they could be out of the pages of a magazine? The editorial session is right for you. Multiple outfit changes, an epic location(s), and art direction to guide you in feeling like yourselves and models.
You can expect guidance in picking outfits that are best for photos as well as an inspiration mood board that we will collaborate on together for all the epic vibes and final photos.
different types of sessions
Neighborhood Session
Editorial Session
cozy vibes
VOGUE VIBES
Want to venture out into nature or somewhere more unique for your engagement photos? Totally possible. We can hit a local nature park, go for a hike, visit a little town upstate in the Catskills, or even go to a retro diner in the mountains. The options are endless!
We will chat what you're looking for and brainstorm ideas for photos together, and then get lost somewhere new and wonderful.
Adventure Session
exploring vibes
Do you have an iconic locale that you've always dreamed of doing photos at? Let's do it. Whether it be Top of the Rock, under the Brooklyn Bridge, or renting out an old-world mansion, it's possible.
Our collaboration for this kind of session will include an inspiration mood board of dreamy imagery to ensure our execution of your vision is exactly what you want.
Landmark Session
iconic vibes
LET'S BREAK it DOWN
Yes, you read that right. Most of us aren't naturals in front of the camera, and we don't expect you to be! With an empathetic approach but an eye of an art director, you and your partner will feel so comfortable in front of the camera - feeling utterly like yourselves, while looking your best in photos. One of the things we hear the most is... "OMG, is that us?!"
You don't have to act like models, but you will feel like models.
"Rather than forcing you to fit into some awkward, posed, same-old mold, Katherine somehow made us feel like Vogue models and yet utterly ourselves" - Nicole & Scott
but guess what...
How It Works
You book your engagement session on my calendar about 3 months in advance to get your ideal date.
we book the date
You and your partner have an amazing time in front of the camera, looking your best but feeling like yourselves.
make photo magic
You'll receive all your edited photos in about one week after your session (usually with a sneak peek too).
one week turnaround
Beginning at your home in NYC
It’s the one place that you share as a couple and it tells us a lot about your personalities. Most of us have tiny, cramped apartments, jam packed with charm. You will always remember the apartment you lived in when you got married, so why not showcase that?
*Considering COVID-19 precautions, we can easily meet outside your building and just begin photos around the neighborhood.
30-45 minutes
THE USUAL FLOW OF A
NYC ENGAGEMENT SESSION
Exploring a beloved neighborhood
After spending time shooting in your home, we'll head out into your neighborhood where you dwell the most. These photos are going to be about where you hang out, the streets you pass on your daily commute, your favorite coffee shop, etc.
Again, we are not about posing you in front of major landmarks in the city. However, if you have a certain place in mind, then we would love to include it because of its meaning to you.
1-1.5 hours
Ending at your favorite local bar
Once we've found great light and epic spots around the streets of New York, we'll make our way to one of your local haunts - whether it be your favorite restaurant, cocktail bar, or coffee shop. This is a great ending capstone to all the photos. Once the session is complete and I'm on my way home to edit your photos, you two can soak in all the magic and fun of the evening and celebrate with one another.
15-30 minutes
Worried about what to wear? No worries, we have you covered. Check out this Pinterest board full of inspiration for outfits that look great in photos, for every couple, body type, and style. You can always send us pictures of outfits and we'll help you choose.
Check out the Outfit Inspo Pinterest Board!
Pinterest board
What to Wear Inspiration
We gotchu!
outfit ideas + inspiration
looking your best, feeling like yourself
Layers, layers, layers! When putting together an outfit, layers are what make the outfit look polished and complete. Add a jacket, jewelry, pocket handkerchief, etc. This gives the photos much more depth! Even if it’s something as simple as adding a little fur vest, it adds so much more dimension to your wardrobe.
Steer clear of fluorescents. Their harsh tone can cast colors on your skin. Primary colors are recommended.
Stay away from wearing too much green. Since we seek out green space while shooting, it can just be too much. Forest green and mint green are fine, but avoid too many leafy green colors.
If one of you is wearing black, we recommend the other to wear something that isn’t black so you don’t blend into one another in the photos.
Avoid bringing a large bag, or any purse at all for that matter. We will constantly be putting your bag out of the frame and/or handing it to me and interrupts the natural flow of photos.
Our Top Tips for Preparing Your Engagement Session Look
The real purpose of the session is...
Once you get engaged, it can be so easy to get bogged down in all the challenges, logistics, and spreadsheets of wedding planning. It's easy to forget what the point of this whole shindig is really about...celebrating the power of the partnership you've found together.
Our engagement session together is a chance to get back to those roots. See your love made manifest in imagery. Get comfortable with the person who will be capturing all the love in the room on wedding day. Be together in a beloved space or iconic locale, soaking in all its magic and wonderful light.
You'll have the photos of a lifetime.
this is what matters
Denée & carl's session in their beloved new york neighborhood
sydney & zach's at-home photos in their west village apartment
See full sessions
carly & jakes glam editorial hotel session in the city
clair & trevor's ultimate west village engagement session
steph & bill's catskills adventure at the phoenicia diner
tara & james' housewarming session at their jersey city townhouse
Browse session highlights below. For more full weddings and portraits, click here to visit our blog.
What are the kind of photos that we can expect?
Natural, in-the-moment candids of your personalities and partnership as a couple
It's easy to pose with a smile for a picture. It's relatively simple to fake a laugh. What is rare is for you to have photos that embody your essence as individuals and as a couple. That is the core of this portrait session.
From the moment you sit down together and the camera comes out, you will sort of feel like you're on a bizarre date with a third wheel. Expect organic conversation, natural interaction, genuine laughs, and feeling like you are on a first date with the love of your life all over again.
On your wedding day, you want to live fully present in the moment and feel like you have a professional photographer friend who knows all of your angles. Having this pre-wedding session together will help you get comfortable in front of the lens and feel even more like yourself.
editorial, art-inspired images that will make you say "oh shit...is that us?!"
Once we hit the streets, I'll be seeking out gorgeous light and spots that make for epic photos - even ones you may have never noticed before on the streets you pass every day. We'll bookmark several *must-have* photo spots that you two want and get lost along the way.
Think more art direction, less posing. I'll guide you to looking your best in photos with micro adjustments and recommendations for moving your body. But don't worry, you won't feel like a Barbie doll or you are being put into prescribed typical wedding poses. You'll feel (and look!) like models.
The final result of photos is a mix of genuine candids of you two and your partnership with epic images that look your friends will think is fine art - until you tell them that yes, those are your engagement photos.
Once receiving your final gallery, you'll be able to *heart* your favorite photos so I can see which positioning and pictures were your most loved so we can use those as guidelines on the wedding day.
What time of the day should we do our engagement session?
We'll start our session about 2-3 hours before sunset time. It's the best lighting of the day that makes for more flattering photos with that glowy, sunset light.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to receive the edited full gallery afterwards?
You'll receive your online gallery of 100-150 high-resolution edited photos in a mix of color and black&white 7-10 days after your session.
We have a dog/cat/fur baby! How can we include them in photos?
Absolutely! We'll start photos off at your place, or you can have a friend/family member meet us with your dog to have them join for 10-15 minutes of photos. That's usually all the time we need for great pics!
What if it looks like rain or poor weather on the day of our session?
We'll simply reschedule our session to another date in advance. I keep a number of days open each week so we can easily move it to a nearby date. We will watch the weather leading up to your session date and make the call anywhere from 12-72 hours in advance.
We're not really comfortable in front of the camera...
No worries! Most people aren't :) You can expect a bit of direction to help you get in the most flattering positions, but no cheesy or forced poses. Most people are surprised how much they feel like themselves!
Should we get professional hair and makeup done?
Your engagement session is a great chance to do a trial run of hair+makeup before the wedding day so you can see how it looks in person and in photos.
How long in advance of our wedding should we do the session?
Many couples like to do photos 1-1.5 years before the wedding for Save-the-Dates and a website. Others like to wait until closer to the date. If you're unsure, doing photos a different season than your wedding is recommended for variety in lighting and foliage.
Do you do engagement sessions on weekends? (Friday-Sunday)
As my weekends are often entirely booked up with weddings and family time, I only do sessions on weekdays (Monday-Thursday). Weekend dates are available subject to availability and an additional fee.
If you're getting all those warm and fuzzy feelings inside, let's chat potential dates for your engagement session and more about your vision - whether it's a casual stroll through your neighborhood or editorial session with multiple looks. We'll make magic together.
Ready to make magic?