Everything you need to know — from picking your location to feeling totally comfortable in front of the camera — so your session is fun, relaxed, and so incredibly you.
Congratulations, you're engaged! I am so genuinely excited for you both and I cannot wait to spend time with you.
Engagement sessions are honestly one of my favorite things to photograph — it's just the two of you, no pressure, no timeline, just getting to be yourselves together while I follow along and capture it all. These sessions are also the best way to get comfortable in front of the camera before your wedding day, so by the time you're walking down the aisle, being photographed will feel completely natural.
Read through this guide when you first receive it and again a day or two before your session. The more relaxed and prepared you feel going in, the better your photos are going to be. And I promise — these sessions are way more fun than you're expecting.
Here's everything you need to know.
Here's the thing about picking a location for your engagement session: the only wrong answer is somewhere that has nothing to do with who you are as a couple. If neither of you have ever set foot in a library, it's probably not the place for your session. But if you spend every Sunday morning at a specific coffee shop or beach spot? That's exactly where we should be.
Think about what excites both of you. A place that holds a special memory — your first date spot, the place he proposed, somewhere you go every weekend — makes for the most natural, meaningful photos. Talk to each other about the vibe you want. Do you want something romantic and golden-hour dreamy? Adventurous and outdoorsy? Casual and laid-back? Once you know the vibe, the location becomes much easier to pick.
Northeast Florida and the First Coast are full of incredible backdrops for couples. Here are some of my favorites:
If you want to do your session in Historic Downtown St. Augustine, I highly recommend choosing a morning time slot instead of the evening. Nobody is walking around the city at 8am — the streets are completely empty, the light is soft and gorgeous, and you'll have the whole place to yourselves. It makes for absolutely stunning, crowd-free photos. Trust me on this one.
Once you've landed on a spot, let me know and I'll help you figure out the best time of day for the light. Golden hour — that magical window about an hour before sunset — is almost always my top recommendation for engagement sessions. The light is warm, soft, and incredibly flattering, and it makes everything look like a dream. Beach sessions at golden hour along the Jacksonville coastline or in St. Augustine are especially stunning.
Leave the lighting to me. You just pick the place that feels most like you, and I'll take care of the rest.
If you're completely stuck on location, just tell me the vibe you're going for and I'll come up with a few options. You are not alone in this — I've shot all over Jacksonville, the beaches, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, and beyond, and I have no shortage of ideas.
Let me know ahead of time! If you're planning to use your engagement photos for save-the-dates or wedding invitations, we can plan at least one or two specific shots with that in mind — whether that's a horizontal image that works well for a card layout, or a shot that leaves room for text overlay. Just mention it when we chat before the session.
I know, I know — figuring out what to wear is stressful. But here's the honest truth: the best outfit is the one you already feel amazing in. Confidence and comfort come through on camera in a really big way, and no amount of a cute new dress can fix feeling self-conscious all session. Wear what makes you feel like yourself.
If you do want to pick up something new, wear it around the house first — maybe on a date night before your session. Make sure there's nothing annoying about it: no straps that keep falling, no waistbands that dig in, no hemlines you're constantly adjusting. Check yourself out from all angles and get an honest opinion from someone you trust. You want to love how you look when you get the photos back.
Clean your ring before the session! We are absolutely going to photograph that sparkle, and a clean ring photographs so much better than one with everyday buildup. A quick soak in warm water and dish soap the night before does wonders. And gents — having your nails clean and groomed is a good call too, since hands are going to be in a lot of these photos.
You've got your location and your outfits sorted — here's what to do in the days leading up to and the morning of your session to make sure everything goes smoothly:
Totally normal. Almost every couple I photograph says they feel awkward in front of the camera at first — and almost every couple forgets about the camera within the first 10 minutes. I promise I will make this easy and fun. By the end of the session you'll wonder why you were ever nervous.
Seriously. If you have a dog (or honestly any pet you can wrangle), bring them. Pets add so much personality and joy to engagement sessions, and I absolutely love photographing them. Just make sure you bring someone that can take them home or hold their leash after a few shots so we can also get photos of just the two of you.
I want you to think of your engagement session less like a photo shoot and more like a really fun date where someone happens to be following you around with a camera. That's genuinely what it's going to feel like.
I'll give you directions and prompts to get you started — but they're always loose and intentionally vague. I'm not going to tell you exactly where to put your hands or how to tilt your head. I want you to take my direction and make it your own. The less you're thinking about posing, the more natural and beautiful your photos are going to be.
Keep moving. This is the biggest tip I can give you. The more movement you give me, the more photos you're going to get and the more variety we'll have to work with. When I say "walk toward me," actually walk — look at each other, laugh, bump into each other, hold hands. One direction can turn into twenty beautiful photos if you're flowing through it instead of freezing.
Get close to each other. Play with each other's hair, hold each other tight, steal a kiss whenever you feel like it. The more genuine and tactile you are with each other, the better the photos will be. I love a good forehead touch, I love when people make each other laugh mid-photo, and I absolutely love when couples just completely forget I'm there.
Think of it as a date. I'm just your slightly nosy, camera-wielding third wheel — and I promise I'll stay out of the way.
We're also going to get silly. I will make a fool of myself if it means getting a genuine laugh out of you, and I fully encourage you to do the same. Nothing makes for more authentic photos than two people who are genuinely cracking each other up.
And if any direction I give you feels uncomfortable, just say so and we'll move on. I never want you to feel forced into anything. These photos should feel like you.
If you have a motorcycle, bring it. If you have a kayak, let's use it. If you always bring a specific bottle of wine on picnics, pack it. If your dog is your whole personality, bring him. The more your session reflects your actual life and relationship, the more you're going to love the photos.
Let's talk about something every couple needs to hear: rain is incredibly common here in Florida, especially in the afternoons and evenings. It can go from sunshine to a full-on thunderstorm in about 20 minutes flat — it's just part of life here, and it's something we plan for ahead of time so nobody panics if it happens.
Florida weather is unpredictable, but your engagement photos don't have to be. I'll always make the call that's best for you.
If your session is in the afternoon or evening and you're not local, please keep the morning after your session date open as a potential reschedule window. That flexibility is often all we need to still make your session happen before you head home.
Once we've wrapped, here's what to expect:
When it comes to printing, I have two recommendations I stand behind completely:
For large prints and wall art, I personally use and recommend SmallwoodHome.com. As a photographer, this is the only place I order my own large prints from — the quality is incredible and they're worth every penny.
For standard photo prints, I recommend ordering directly from your gallery's print shop. It's powered by Miller's — one of the best professional photo printing labs in the world. Your images are color-calibrated specifically for their printers, which means what you receive will look exactly the way it's meant to.
If you ever have questions about printing, framing, sharing your gallery, or anything else — please reach out. I'm always happy to help.
I'd love to photograph you two — whether you're in Jacksonville, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, or Palm Coast. Let's make something beautiful together.