If you recently got engaged, congratulations! Now comes the fun part: planning your engagement photos.
With 2027 engagement sessions already starting to fill calendars, November is actually a great time to start thinking about your session. From choosing the right season to picking a location and deciding what to wear, a little planning ahead can make the entire experience feel much easier.
Here are seven things I recommend thinking about before booking your engagement session.
1. You Don’t Have to Book Your Engagement Session Right Away
In fact, giving yourself some time can make the experience much more enjoyable. Think about what season you love, what type of location fits your relationship, and what you want your photos to look like.
If you're getting married in 2027 or 2028, now is a great time to start thinking about when you'd like to schedule your session.
2. Think About the Season You Want
One of the biggest decisions you'll make is when you want your engagement photos taken.
Spring can give you blooming flowers and soft greenery. Summer is perfect for beach sessions and warm sunsets. Fall brings colorful foliage and cozy outfits. Winter can create a completely different, romantic atmosphere.
Don't feel like you have to choose the season closest to your wedding. If you love fall, have a fall engagement session! Your engagement photos don't need to match your wedding.
3. Pick a Location That Feels Like You
Your engagement session doesn't have to take place somewhere traditionally romantic.
Think about places that are meaningful to your relationship. Maybe it's the beach where you spend your summers, the city where you had your first date, a favorite park, or somewhere you've always wanted to explore together.
If you're looking for a more editorial feel, gardens, historic properties, and architecture can create beautiful variety throughout your gallery.
4. Plan Your Outfits Ahead of Time
Your outfits can completely change the feel of your engagement photos.
I recommend choosing something that feels like you while also giving you enough room to move comfortably. If you're planning two outfits, consider one more casual look and one that feels a little more elevated.
And yes, this is absolutely an excuse to wear the outfit you've been waiting for.
5. Don't Worry About Being "Good" at Photos
You don't need modeling experience.
You don't even need to know what to do with your hands.
A good engagement session should have plenty of direction, but it should also leave room for you to interact naturally. Walking together, talking, laughing, dancing, and simply enjoying each other can create some of the most meaningful photographs.
My goal isn't to make you look like someone else. It's to capture the two of you as you actually are.
6. Consider Your Wedding Date
If you're planning your engagement session around your wedding, consider how much time you'll want between the session and the wedding.
If you're hoping to use your engagement photos for save-the-dates, your wedding website, invitations, or other details, you'll want to schedule your session early enough to have your final gallery ready. Typically I recommend doing your session at least one month before you want to send the save-the-dates.
This is especially important for couples getting married during the busy spring and summer months.
7. Book Your Photographer Before You Have Everything Figured Out
You don't need to have every detail planned before reaching out to your photographer.
Your photographer can help you decide on locations, timing, outfits, and even what will photograph best during the season you choose.
The most important thing is finding someone whose work feels like what you want to look back on years from now.
Planning Your 2027 Engagement Session?
Your engagement is such a short and exciting season of life, and your photos should capture more than just what you looked like. They should bring you back to how this chapter felt.
If you're planning a 2027 engagement session in New Jersey, I'd love to help you plan a session that feels natural, romantic, and completely yours. Ready to start planning?