5 Tips For Your Northern Michigan Engagement Photo Session | ft. Tom & Cat at The Sleeping Bear

Click on any of the photos in this blog post to be directed to Tom & Cat's full gallery! Also on a side note - if you have a partner, I hope they can make you laugh like this:

For many engaged couples, securing their favorite photographer is one of the first tasks at hand when it comes to planning their wedding. A date must be confirmed and often that means that a venue must also be reserved, but the very next step for many people is to hire a photographer and get engagement photos scheduled. Most photographers who offer engagement photography also offer wedding photography packages, some of which may include an engagement session (WE DO! Click here to see our wedding catalog!)

When our couples arrive to their session, they often confess that they have the jitters and feel a little uneasy because they're not sure what to do - most of them have never done this before. Does this sound like you and your fiancé? Then we've got 5 tips to help your engagement photo session go off without a hitch!

1) HAVE A DRINK

Hell - have two! It’s not uncommon to have the jitters before it’s time for your closeup. Most people feel unnatural in front of the camera, and while we will offer professional advice, posing, prompts, lighting and help to set the mood, ultimately - the more you can get into it with us, the more genuine your photos will feel. If a drink or two will take off the nervous edge for you, we encourage you to do it! You’re there to have fun after all, right?

2) BE YOURSELF

It will show through in the pictures if you're faking it, or if your clothes are uncomfortable, or if you're forcing poses. We will prompt you with fun actions that will bring out your natural love for one another, but you can help boost your level of confidence by wearing something that you feel good in. Take some time for a little self care leading up to your photo shoot - pamper yourself with some skin care (yes guys too!) and make sure to get plenty of rest.

3) REMEMBER WHY YOU'RE DOING THIS

You're in love with the person you plan to spend the rest of your life with. THAT'S SO EXCITING, RIGHT?! When you get nervous, just remember the love you have for your partner & hold onto that. Think of an inside joke that you share together - maybe even talk about it in the car on the way there. Go out of your way to show your affection and tell your partner how much they mean to you. By the time you arrive to your photo session, you'll find yourself falling in love all over again!

4) GET YOUR PARTNER EXCITED TO TAKE PHOTOS WITH YOU

This is your chance to make some beautiful artwork for the home you share together. Talk about the photos you'd like to see hanging on the walls every day. If you're competitive, see who can come up with the best ideas and save them to an album. Decide who wins (and what they win!) after the photo session is over.

5) STAY FLEXIBLE

We know you're excited to have your engagement photos taken so you can move forward with save the dates & wedding invitations, and we're excited to get you in front of the lens! We've been doing this long enough to know that if we structure everything too much, we end up losing sight of artistic opportunities. So if we're on our way to a location but there's a barn with gorgeous glowing sunlight, be ready to stop. If the weather is not cooperating, we recommend rescheduling rather than forcing your way through it. Most of all, we want you to LOVE your photos, and sometimes that requires flexibility on everyone's part.