You’re engaged – congratulations!! For many couples the first few steps in wedding planning might include finding (and booking) a wedding venue, beginning the ever-popular bridal dress search, and booking an engagement session! One of the most frequent questions I receive from recently engaged couples is: “when should I book our engagement photos?”
This is a great question, but really, there is not one-size-fits-all answer. I always recommend couples book their session sooner rather than later, but truthfully, the question of when to book your engagement session comes down to how you plan to use your engagement photos. For example:
- Will you be using your engagement photos for an engagement newspaper announcement? (If so, you might want to schedule them within the first few weeks of being engaged!)
- Will you be using your engagement photos for save the dates? (Save the dates typically get sent out 6 to 8 months before the wedding date, so it would be best to schedule your session 8 to 10 months out from your wedding date.)
- Will you be using your engagement photos for bridal shower décor? (The bridal shower typically occurs 1 to 2 months before a wedding, so 4 to 5 months should give you enough time!)
- Will you be decorating your wedding with your engagement photos? (If you’re really only planning on using your photos to decorate your wedding, you could probably time your engagement session just a couple of months out from your big day!)
Other points to consider that may affect the timing of your engagement photos might be…
…if you have your heart set on getting your photos done during a certain season.
…if you have your heart set on a certain seasonal location (for example – if you’re from Pittsburgh and you want the fountain at the Point in the background, scheduling during the summer time would be best, as it turns off as the months grow colder!).
…if you would like to have a destination engagement session in a different city (your photographer’s availability might be varied for sessions that require further travel).
