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How To Personalize Your Engagement Sessions

Hello and welcome to the Justin and Lauren Photography blog! We are Justin and Lauren, photographers based in Charleston, South Carolina. Our journey began in 2015 when we met during training to become photojournalists for the U.S. Air Force. Our passion for photography has only grown since then, which led us to start our own business. We’re your photographers for all kinds of events– Weddings, engagement and couple photos, branding, and more! If you’re interested in learning more about us and what we offer, visit our website! We love taking photos in unique locations, so if you’re up for traveling to a beautiful, secluded and peaceful location, we’re going to get along just fine! As your photographers, we are dedicated to providing you with the best of the best in images and an unforgettable experience. Candid photos are some of our favorites to capture. We pride ourselves on being raw, real and authentic. We also provide prints, canvases and albums. Contact us today so we can help bring your dream photoshoot to life. We can’t wait to meet you!

 

Our last article discussed 2022 photography trends, such as utilizing vibrant colors, vintage or retro looks, silhouettes, and dreamy aesthetics! There are so many fun elements to incorporate into your photography session. If you are interested in taking a closer look at photography trends for this year, we encourage you to check out our last post!

 

Today, we’ll be talking about tips on how to personalize your engagement session. Booking your engagement session is just one of the many things happening during this exciting (and busy) time. Your session will produce photos that are great memories for you and your family for generations to come. You may be envisioning your engagement photos already, but perhaps you’re trying to think of ways that you can customize your session. If that’s the case, we have you covered! We love love, which means we love photographing it, and we are always looking for ways to help our clients get the most out of their sessions. Let’s get started!

 

Location

 

The location of your engagement session is arguably one of the most important parts, as it will serve as the backdrop for your photos. When thinking about engagement photos, you might picture a couple holding hands or kissing beside a tree, in front of a green pasture, or in a vast field. These are all great choices if it’s something both you and your partner like! But what if you want to make it a bit more personal? There are several ways to do this. Think about places that are significant to you as a couple. Where did you meet? Where was your first date? Do you have a go-to spot that you both love? If you met in high school, maybe you’ll want to take some photos in front of the school, or in front of your city or town “welcome” sign, if you met there.

 

If you have an upcoming trip planned, this could also be a perfect opportunity for an engagement session. What better way to capture precious moments than when you are both enjoying a trip together and doing something you love. Nothing is off limits. All of these places can serve as the location for your engagement session and are sure to bring back great memories whenever you view your photos. If there are multiple locations you have in mind and you simply can’t choose just one, you can take a few photos in different areas! 

 

Props

 

The use of props is always an easy way to make any session more personalized. Is there a hobby that you and your partner share? Maybe it’s even something that helped bring the two of you together. For example, if you’re both super into cooking, maybe the location of your shoot will take place in your kitchen while pots and pans serve as your props! If you’re both bookworms, you may each want to hold your favorite books in some of your photos. You could get extra personal by opening up to a page of the book with a particular line that means something to you both– It doesn’t necessarily have to be readable to the viewer, but you will both know it’s there, which can make the photos even more special. 

 

If you have pets, consider including them in your session! Adding fur babies to your photos is a great way to add a personal touch, and the photos are always adorable to look at. Many people find that having their pets around during a shoot also helps them relax, which could be great for you if you’re nervous about your session!

 

Clothing and Accessories

 

Choosing an outfit for your session can feel extremely difficult, but it doesn’t have to be! Although it’s a given that you’ll want to look your best for your photos, we encourage you to be yourself all the way through! You may want to consider a casual look for some photos and a more formal look for others. If dressing up really isn’t your thing, stick with a casual look! This will subtly personalize your session because you aren’t dressing in a way that doesn’t fit your personality. If you have a favorite hat or pair of shoes that you’re always wearing, rock it for your session! 

 

If you and your partner typically dress casually and think that going all out for your session will make it more fun, then go for it! Maybe you want to step outside of your comfort zone by going full-glam for your engagement photos. It really boils down to what you feel most comfortable doing.

 

Another thing you may want to think about is accessories, such as jewelry. Of course, your engagement ring will make an appearance in your session– It’s the ring that started it all! But for an extra personal touch, consider wearing the first piece of jewelry your partner ever bought for you, or a piece that simply means a lot to you, such as a family heirloom. 

 

Incorporate Your Wedding Theme

 

If you’ve already started planning your wedding or have an idea of what kind of theme or color scheme you want it to have, try incorporating those elements into your engagement session. For example, if your wedding is going to be all about neutral colors, maybe you want to make your engagement photos fit that color scheme as well. Having a wedding on the beach? Your session could be done on the beach as well, foreshadowing and setting the stage for your big day.

 

Tell Your Story

 

Think about all of the big moments so far in your relationship: First date, first “I love you”, and everything leading up to your engagement. You can recreate these events in your engagement session! For example, if your first date was at the movies, we can absolutely photograph you at the movie theater! Got engaged while on a picnic? Let’s set up a picnic photoshoot! Incorporating some of the most memorable moments you two share not only personalizes the session but also allows others to get a glimpse of your love story.

 

Candid Shots

 

One of the things we absolutely love is candid shots. When the wind catches your hair in the best way and the sunlight is hitting your face just right, but you’re just in the moment and not expecting a photo to be taken… Those moments make for amazing and personalized photos. We encourage our clients to be themselves during their session as much as possible. We believe that life is truly lived in all of those in-between moments, and perfection is overrated. So, act natural with your partner just like you would at any other time– Hold their hand, put your head on their shoulder, crack jokes, have fun! Don’t be afraid to be silly and have a good time. It may seem difficult, but just try to relax and let us work our magic as photographers! We promise everything will fall into place.

 

As you can see, there are so many fun ways to make your engagement session unique! No matter what you choose, your session will be an unforgettable experience. We hope you found this article helpful, and we hope to see you back on the blog soon! If you have any questions or want to book a session, please reach out to us! We would love to meet you and we would be honored to capture these precious moments for you to look back on.

 

At Justin and Lauren Photography, we dedicate ourselves to capturing the unique beauty of those special moments in your life. We are located in Charleston but are available to travel– In fact, we have tons of places we just have to see on our bucket list. Let’s have an adventure together! If you have any questions about our services or would like to book a session, reach out to us today so we can meet in person or over Zoom to talk about your ideas and help bring them to life. We would love to connect with you! 

Welcome!

Hi friends, we are Justin and Lauren! Our journey into photography started in 2015 at the same time we first met: during training to become photojournalists for the U.S. Air Force. Over the years, our passion for photography has only grown, and we finally decided. “Why not us?” and began our business. Today we provide wedding photography here in Charleston, SC, as well as engagement, couples, and branding photography for the Charleston area.