An engagement session with a sense of place

A destination engagement session can be a chance to explore a place that means something to you. It might happen close to home before you travel, or during a separate visit to your wedding destination. I like to begin with the same question: where do you love spending time together?

Give the session its own space in the trip

If we photograph at your destination, choose a time that leaves room to arrive, settle in, and enjoy being there. Fitting a session between a flight and a welcome dinner can make it feel like another appointment. A quieter afternoon lets us find a rhythm together.

Tell your photographer why the location matters, then consider access, permission, travel time, and light with your planner or venue contact. The most recognizable landmark is not automatically the most personal setting. A familiar terrace or a walk you love can say more about the two of you.

It might be the coffee shop where you met, the campus where your story began, or the neighborhood you walk through every Sunday. The location doesn’t have to be extraordinary. What matters is that it means something to you.

Choose a place with a story.

In my book, I encourage couples to think about places connected to their relationship: a first kiss, a proposal, a shared interest. Years from now, those photographs can bring back more than how you looked. They can remind you of what life felt like at the beginning.

I’ve photographed engagement sessions in coffee shops, movie theaters, on college campuses and even on the rooftop of a couple’s home. I enjoy the challenge of finding photographs in the places my couples choose.

The café photograph here shows how an everyday setting can become something personal. You don’t need a crowded scene or an elaborate setup for the connection between two people to be the thing you notice.

Give your photographer a starting point.

Tell me why you love the place, what you do there, and what you imagine when you think about the session. Then we can consider the light, the timing and whether permission is needed to photograph there.

If you don’t have a particular place in mind, that’s fine too. A setting where you feel comfortable is a good beginning. We can choose somewhere that suits the way you spend time together.

Get comfortable before the wedding.

When possible, I recommend doing your engagement session with the photographer who will photograph your wedding. It gives you time to get to know each other without the demands of the wedding day.

You learn how your photographer gives direction. Your photographer learns about your personalities and the way you connect. Seeing the photographs afterward also gives you a chance to talk about what you love before the wedding arrives.

Keep it simple enough to enjoy.

You don’t need to turn the afternoon into a production. Wear something that feels like you, allow time to settle in, and leave room for a walk or a conversation instead of moving from one pose to the next.

If you’re planning a hair and makeup trial, you could arrange it for the same day. But it isn’t a requirement, and your engagement photographs don’t have to look like a rehearsal for your wedding.

The best starting point is your life as it is now. Let’s make photographs that will help you remember it.