Winter Engagement Pictures in Boston :: Liz + Tim

Good morning all! Before I share preview images from a mini engagement shoot I just did with Liz and Tim I thought I'd share some FAQ, useful info and tips on engagement shoots. The clocks go forward next week, April is usually my popular month for engagement pictures and I hope this helps!

Question: Do we really need to do an engagement session?

Answer: Yes. I won't shoot your wedding unless you do :)

Kidding.

Not really.

Well, not unless you live in like Australia and won't be in New England until your wedding day. Trust me - it's fun, you get comfortable in front of the camera, you see your pictures and go "oooh - we look good" and then you totally relax on your wedding day because it's just little old me. Oh - and you get some great images for save the dates, wedding websites, newspaper announcements, holiday cards...

Useful tip - don't obsess about the location!

I'm all for shooting in a location with significant meaning to you both but it's really all about the two of you (and the light!). I'd suggest thinking about the kind of feel you'd like for your pictures and letting that guide us. So if you want to have pictures in a cute dress and heels/sharp suit then it's probably not a great idea for us to meet at the beach or in a forest ;) If you're stuck for ideas then just let me know. Mini-engagement shoots take place within 20 miles of my house (otherwise a mini shoot turns into 4 hours with travel time!) and there's lots of choice - quiet little parks, downtown urban areas, the beach, the harbor, even a historic castle...

Question: When should we do engagement pictures?

Answer: In terms of scheduling it's good to do them anytime 6-12 months before your wedding. It really depends if you'd like to have them with a specific seasonal feel. Time wise - the light is always most beautiful (and flattering) first thing in the morning or in the hour or two before sunset.

I do at least one engagement shoot for each wedding I photograph and even engagement shoots for couples just visiting New England! That equals around 25 weddings and around 40 engagement shoots each year (plus some family and boudoir shots). As my weekends are so busy with weddings, engagement shoots always take place on weekdays unless you live outside of MA, NH, ME, RI. If we're shooting in Spring/Summer we'll probably start around 5pm so perhaps you have a "doctor" or "dentist" appointment so you can leave work a little early.

Useful tip: Forget your purse!

Unless you want your purse to have a starring role in the pictures, leave it in the car (safely out of site of course!). It's nice to have your hands free for hugging and holding hands. Just pop your lip gloss in his pocket :)

Question: What should we wear?

Answer: You want to feel cute and be comfortable. These pictures should show you as you usually are. You don't need to match each other but it's good if the color/feel of your outfits compliment each other. It's worth every penny to get your hair and make up done professionally (great time to schedule your hair and make up trial) and worst case you can even stop by the Mac/Bobbi Brown/Nars counter at a department store. I know it's sometimes hard to justify the additional cost of pro hair and make up but you're investing a lot for your photography and you want to look perfectly polished! If I'm taking your engagement pictures you'll be receiving my mammoth engagement tip document with all sorts of useful info and suggestions on clothing.

And on to the pictures! I'll be doing a full shoot with Liz & Tim in the Spring but in the meantime they needed just one picture for a save the date card (hence the negative space in most of these pictures for me to add text!).

We started out in Post Office Square in Boston with some giggling:


Then we went for a little walk. It was a kind of dull and chilly morning so I used the safety lights on some construction work to warm up the image!


If I know that I'm designing save the date cards then I'll take some images with negative space so that I can easily use this area for the text:

There's something about this picture that I really like. I think Liz looks so cute :)


Keeping warm on the harborfront:


I'll give you the full story when I post their full engagement shoot but Liz and Tim first met in ninth grade when they sat next to one another in French class. Je pense que cela est tres adorable!


Happy Tuesday!