Priceless Engagement Photos

By Guest Writer, Starr Samuelson


Dress? Check. Cake? Check. Engagement Portraits? Oops. It’s easy to let this fun option get away from you with all your wedding planning, but a test run on your portraits as a couple? Priceless. These portraits offer you a wealth of uses, the chance to get to know your photographer better, and the sweet security of realizing that you too can be photogenic


What to wear? O.k., everybody’s favorite question. This is a great chance to show off your style, so I usually recommend that my clients bring two outfits that can be complimentary to each other. For summer this can be a fun beach look (don’t forget the flip flops!) and maybe something more dressy like a pretty skirt and top combo for her and dress pants and a nice shirt for him. For more city appeal, throw on your favorite jeans, tees, and street jacket for a fun urban landscape. Remember, your choices should represent you both as you really are, so don’t be afraid to have fun with it.

Personalize it. Take a second to think about your story. Where did he propose, where did you meet, or where do you like to hang out? Since most portraits these days are done on location, make it special. When speaking to my clients, I always like to chose at least one location that can be answered in one of those three questions. Kim and Luke met at the Red Door in Seattle, so at the end of their portraits we headed over to take a few photos in the bar where they first laid eyes on each other. For something personal, they brought Seattle Seahawks football jerseys with their future last name on the back. These turned out to be some of their favorite photos, and will be shown off next to their guest book at the wedding.

Introduce a member of the family
Many couples share more than just their love, they also share a pet. Couples are including their pets in the wedding line up, so why not in their engagement portraits? It’s super fun to get some great candid photography at your favorite dog friendly park or beach, and there’s no better way to see you both forgetting about the camera than as you play and run around. Tim and Alisa recently brought their dog Jeremy along for the ride, and the photos are pretty priceless.


Use them well. So we’ve talked about how to set up your portraits. Now let’s talk about some great uses for them. The most common is to have an 8x10 portrait framed in an even larger matt for your guests to sign at the wedding instead of a guest book. Another great option is to set up a digital photo frame at the wedding to show them off as guests arrive. These frames can be purchased at any store that sells computer equipment, and will run the photos like a slideshow to be enjoyed by all who view them. Wonderful favors can be produced too. A recent bride of mine took her engagement photos to Jones Soda Co. in Seattle to create a custom label soda for her table favors. The black and white portrait she chose perfectly represented their fun and lively style, and looked great on her tables. Finally get them out there on the web! With so many couples setting up wedding websites, it’s great to have some professional photos to show you off to best advantage to family and friends who haven’t seen you in a while. Save the date magnets are also very popular using a favorite photo. Finally, use a few favorites to create your thank you cards. Snapfish, an online photo company, will take your favorite jpegs and make cards or even calendars for you in literally a snap. These make great gifts and are so much more intimate than standard card stock. So enjoy this fun practice run for the wedding, and have the most wonderful of celebrations.

About Starr Samuelson Seattle, WA, Wedding Photographer

Starr has been a professional photographer for 13 years and has photographed over 600 weddings. Starr gains her influence from her mother’s passion for photography and her own passion to travel the world. To learn more about Starr, Click Here.