First of all, congratulations! This is the start of one of the most exciting chapters in your love story, and it should be celebrated (i.e. champagne, romance, candles and a bunch of beautiful photos to remember it by).

I know that stepping in front of the lens for the first time can be a little intimidating, though. But it doesn’t have to be! I’ve put together a few tips on how you can ensure you get the most epic photos from your engagement session.

1. BE OPEN AND CANDID WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER
   Chances are pretty good that your photographer will reach out to you with a questionnaire about how you met, what you love most about each other, how you like to spend time together, etc.
   
   While it might not always be easy to open up and share a few personal details, this contributes HUGELY to the outcome of your shoot. Your photographer will know how to prompt you to get the best results and there will be zero awkward moments. For example, if I know you’re not keen on PDA, I won’t ask you to kiss each other every two minutes during the shoot. This will just make you feel awkward, which will ultimately lead to a bad experience.
   
   

2. WEAR SOMETHING YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT IN
Wearing the tightest dress or jeans you can lay your hands on, is probably not the best idea. Anything restricting your movements or causing you to pull it up or down to hide the important bits, will take away from just relaxing and enjoying the experience. I will always suggest wearing something that you’ve worn before, that you can do jumping jacks in and that makes you feel like a rock star!

3. BRING ALONG SOME PROPS
Be it balloons, blankets, champagne or a really cool old vintage car. It gives you a wider variety of shots to choose from, that brings with it endless profile picture possibilities and instagram posts. Plus, if you bring a bottle of bubbles, it might help calm the nerves and get you into the groove.

4. CHOOSE A LOCATION THAT YOU BOTH LOVE
I do have a few suggestions when it comes to picking a location for your shoot, but if you have a favourite café, you love the ocean or you just want to spend a cosy day at home, I’m keen! And the photos will definitely speak for themselves. It goes without saying that if you’re not a fan of the beach, you won’t have a great photo experience if you shoot there. Some of the best moments I’ve ever captured, have been either in a little Stellenbosch flat, a bar in the streets of Cape Town, or a little hidden back garden where no one has ever done a shoot before.

5. RUN, JUMP, LAUGH, DANCE, CUDDLE – MOVE!
You really, really don’t need to stand stock still smiling at the camera for up to an hour. That would just result in a boring gallery with no real depiction of who you are as a couple. You’re allowed to giggle, dance, jump around or cuddle on the couch without stressing about how the photos will turn out. Moving around actually creates the most beautiful photos!

6. CREATE A MOOD BOARD
Knowing what you want and being able to convey this to your photographer may help nudge the shoot in the right direction. Whether it’s certain poses, locations or perhaps a certain kind of theme that you’re going for. Put together a mood board and share it with your photographer. In saying that, make sure that the mood board more or less fits in with your photographer’s style. If you’re going for something light and airy while your photographer has more of a dark and moody aesthetic, perhaps look for a different photographer.

7. RELAX & HAVE FUN
This sort of ties in with point number 5. The bottom line is, you’re engaged! Celebrate this moment with each other, and don’t even think about the camera. We like to call ourselves professional third wheelers for a reason. Don’t see this as something that you have to do and just get over with. Make a date out of it! Bring out the picnic baskets, champagne and snacks, or grab a takeaway coffee from your favourite spot and drink it in the middle of the sidewalk while people watching. You do you and have those little, everyday memories captured with your most favourite person in the whole wide world!!