Engagement Session
I am really excited to photograph this season of life! If we met in person before you booked me as your wedding photographer, you may remember that we talked about some of this information below. If not, trust me, it will put your mind at ease as we begin planning your engagement session. Either way, you’re going to love how easy it is!
In the guide below you’ll learn more about:
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What is included with your engagement session
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What month to schedule your engagement session
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What to wear & what not to wear
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How to access your interactive styling app
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Professional hair and makeup recommendations
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My rain policy
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Tips & Tricks
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Generally held at 1 location.
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As many outfit changes as you’d like! The more outfits, the more variety but fewer images in the final gallery since some of our time together is spent changing clothes.
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45 minutes to 1.5-hour session. This varies slightly with location, how much walking we do at the location, the lighting, and the time of year we are shooting.
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The full gallery is generally delivered in 1 to 2 weeks. I will always deliver a sneak peek and let you know my schedule so that you know when to expect your final gallery.
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Unless previously agreed upon, Engagement Sessions are scheduled only Monday through Friday.
What is included with your
engagement session?
Seasonal Timing Tips
Please keep in mind you can schedule your session at any time throughout the year. If you want to schedule months in advance, I’ll give you a date range, and then about 4-6 weeks in advance we will select a specific date within that range.
Winter engagement sessions are gorgeous and “winter” typically falls in January in February in our part of Florida! I love how different foliage looks and we tend to find that tall fluffy brown golden or reddish grass this time of year. However, they do take some additional planning simply because of the 4:00pm sunset time. You will most likely need to take an afternoon off from work to get ready in time.
Spring engagement sessions are beautiful since they tend to be cooler weather and bright- when it’s not raining! The start time for your session can range from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. If you’re like me, you may want to use eye drops prior to your session to counteract any red eyes due to allergies. Keep in mind that we run into rainy weather more often and you may need to have some flexibility with reschedules in case it rains the day of your session.
Summer engagements are great because we have way more daylight and usually get started around 7:45 or 8:00pm which means most couples will not need to take off work for their session. Since it tends to be more humid, I suggest choosing a location by the water (beach, spring, or river) to allow for a cool breeze. I generally shy away from July and August because it does get a little too hot and humid but if you’re at the beach, it can be done! I also travel to North Georgia during these months and would love to coordinate a mountain or waterfall engagement session with you!
From the beach to the woods, you can’t go wrong in the fall! That being said, September is very buggy at the beach so I avoid that area and focus on Leon County locations that photograph perfectly! October is perfect for beach and local locations. Start times range from 6:00pm to 7:00pm depending on the date and location. Please keep in mind that November is my busiest season with weddings, family sessions, and family commitments. Typically sessions are booked 2-4 months in advance so if you’d like to book an engagement session in November please be in touch now to see if I have anything available. Also, December is the only month I do not book Engagement sessions due to my schedule.
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
What to wear
This interactive styling app is a game changer!
I know choosing outfits can be hard. That’s why I invested in an online app for my couples! This revolutionary tool is a digital shoppable style guide showing you photo-approved clothing options from retailers in real-time. The best part is, you can use this as inspiration for what you already own, use the links to purchase new clothing, and even upload photos of clothing you already own to mix and match with items you’re inspired by!
Styling code: havefun
What Not to Wear and Why
1. Colors to avoid: bright yellow and green and anything neon. These reflect color onto the skin and can be difficult to edit.
2. Avoid pure white: Pure cotton white will often wash people out and cause white to pick up a blue tone in the camera. While there are some colors that don’t work for some people, for the majority of people, a soft warm white, ivory, cream, and off-white can be very flattering.
3. Avoid patterns smaller than a dime or quarter: Tiny patterns cause something called “Chromatic Aberration” in digital images. Men’s checkered shirts are fine if the “checks” are on the larger side.
4. Alternate heaviness: If one of you is wearing a navy top, the other shouldn’t wear a dark/heavy-colored top. To a certain degree, alternating the “heaviness” of your outfits can make your images look more balanced.
5. Avoid one of you being casual while the other is more dressy: This can look a bit awkward in your photos.
6. Other things to avoid: graphic tees, bold logos, too tight or too loose, and anything that you normally would not wear or do not feel comfortable in. This goes for shoes too! If you can’t walk in your shoes you won’t be able to capture a lot of movement I’m known for.
7. Please don’t try to match your significant other: Instead, try to coordinate! Coordination means you are usually choosing different colors that look good together but are not close to being the same.
8. Shoes on the Beach: If you plan for a beach session, you have one less thing to worry about! We will go without shoes on the beach.
Professional Hair & Makeup Stylist
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Pearl & Honey Salon
Amanda and Erin own a luxury salon specializing in blondes, braids, and bridal styling.
A personal note: Erin and Amanda book up very early on so reach out to them right away for more information!
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Image by Lisa
Lisa specializes in airbrush makeup, custom spray tan, lashes, skincare, and all things beauty.
A personal note: Lisa is the only spray tan I personally use and recommend because I know I won’t be orange and they blend very well around the neck, feet & hands!
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Haus of Beauty
Lydia owns Haus of Beauty and is a licensed esthetician and makeup artist in the state of FL and provides many services to help you feel your best! Services she provides: makeup, microblading, microshading, dermaplaning facials, lash lifts, brow tinting and waxing.
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Ziba Beauty Lounge
Beeta owns Ziba Beauty Lounge which is a luxury beauty lounge located in the heart of midtown specializing in makeup, waxing, facials, brow lifts/tint, and more.
Personal note: I love the skin care products Beeta offers in her boutique!
Rain Contingency Plan
We live in Florida which means we get the most beautiful and the most unpredictable weather! It’s really hard to trust the weather outlook but there are a few things I tend to track for a more accurate reading!
If you are having professional hair and make-up done, ask what their cancellation policy is in the event of bad weather. Some need 24 hours’ notice while others do not. If there is a chance of rain, we need to talk about your options 1-2 days before the session so you can reschedule your hair and/or makeup without a fee.
On the day of your session, I’ll start tracking the weather. I do consider the percentage but I mainly focus on the radar in the specific location we are shooting at, cloud cover, humidity, temperatures, and wind. That can impact the overall look. Especially if we are photographing a sunset beach session!
If we know it will be raining then we can reschedule your session early in the day. If we are unsure, we can wait until 2-3pm to make the call, depending on when your session is scheduled.
If we do have to reschedule due to rain, there is no additional fee for you! I prefer to reschedule so that you have the best weather for your session and would never charge for that peace of mind!
Tips & Tricks
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You love going on dates right? Couple sessions shouldn’t feel any different! This will be a fun experience with lots of guidance, laughter, and talking through your vision & my approach. Plan to go out to dinner and drinks for a full date night you’ll never forget!
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Pinterest has a bad rap with photographers because they claim it dampens creativity. However, I think that it sharing your Pinterest board with me allows me to learn more about what poses you’re drawn to, the emotional response you’re looking for, and also what you’re comfortable doing in front of the camera. So, please pin away and send me a link to your engagement session board. There will be plenty of ways for me to get creative with the inspiration you share with me!
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I’ll be in touch a day or so before your session to confirm our meeting time, location, and weather outlook.
If you are having professional hair and make-up done, ask what their cancellation policy is in the event of bad weather. Some need 24 hours’ notice while others do not. If there is a chance of rain, we should take about your options 1-2 days before the session.
You can always reach out to me sooner with any questions you have too! 850-694-8910.
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We usually start off with some good conversation and I go over how posing works and why I do certain things. The most important part of the engagement session is learning how candid moments take place and why posing isn’t about perfection! The idea is for you guys to feel confident and excited about getting in front of the camera!
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Always GPS our meeting spot a day or two before your session to ensure you know how to get there.
If you’re going to be a little late- it’s okay! Don’t stress, just let me know, and drive safe.
Let me know if you have any questions about traffic or where exactly we will be meeting. I’m happy to help!
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This may not apply to your shoot, but you always want to plan in advance for a cash-only parking fee that you may encounter.
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If you’re wearing shoes that are difficult to walk in but look awesome, bring some comfy shoes to change into while we walk to each shooting location.
PS. Don’t forget, you don’t need shoes if we are doing your session at the beach!
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You can absolutely bring more than one outfit. As much as I would like to say that we always have restrooms for outfit changes, more often than not, my clients do quick outfit changes in their car if there are no other options.
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Empty your pockets! You don’t want to have keys or phones showing through your pockets. This is easy to overlook but hard, impossible even, to edit out. It’s always a great idea to bring a little tote bag to carry all your things in so we can easily set it to the side.
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I absolutely love it when couples bring their fur babies along for pictures! Feel free to invite a friend to help watch your fur baby while we take pictures.
Thank you!
I hope this guide was useful and I always strive to go above and beyond to give you the most amazing photography experience
If you need anything at all between now and our session, please do not hesitate to text, email, or call me!
850-694-8910
info@charlottefristoe.com
