When to Take Engagement Photos
Our Top Tips For When to Take Engagement Photos
When Should You Be Taking Engagement Photos? Our Top Tips For Planning Your Adventure Engagement Session
So you’ve got that ring on your finger! As someone who recently got married, I know what an exciting and overwhelming time this season in life can be. Especially as a small wedding and elopement photographer, I love helping our couples navigate the craziness that is engagement season so they know all of the next steps in their wedding or elopement planning process. And that brings us to one of the most exciting part of planning your wedding: the engagement photos.
Your engagement photos are kind of like your first step out into the spotlight of engaged life. And they’re also one of the most exciting parts of the wedding planning process, where you can spend a couple hours frolicking around and cuddling with your boo, all while getting some gorgeous keepsakes to hang up on your walls. They’re also a perfect way to get used to being in front of your wedding or elopement photographer’s camera and understand their shooting style and vibe.
When it comes to when to take engagement photos, I have a few recommendations:
Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute
This is especially important if you want to use your engagement photos for your save the dates. Bear in mind that it’s industry standard to wait a few weeks for your engagement photos to be edited. And then you’ll want to send your photos off for print, which will also take a bit of time. On average, you’re going to want to send your save the dates out a half a year or so in advance of your wedding, so you’ll want to buffer for your wedding photographers editing time, your designing time, the print shop’s turnaround, and the shipping timeframe.
If you’re planning a destination elopement or adventure wedding, you’ll want to increase this range a bit more, so your guests can make sure they’re able to book their flights and save up any funds they need to travel to your wedding or elopement.
Make Sure You Factor in the Expected Weather For the Seasons
Here in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, each season has its own perks for engagement photos. The fall is an amazing time to see the changing of the aspen leaves in the mountains. The summer is rampant with mountain wildflowers. Spring has plenty of cherry blossoms down in Denver and other nearby Front Range towns. And winter likely means snow, especially in mountain towns like Breckenridge, Aspen, or Vail. But if, for example, you want your engagement photos taken on one of Colorado’s gorgeous mountain passes, it’s best you do so before mid-September, since a lot of these roads are closed during the winter months (although there are a few secret exceptions I love to tell our couples about!). And as a Colorado-based adventure wedding and elopement photographer, I make it my business to be up to date on the best spots for photos, depending on the season you choose to take your engagement photos.
Consider a Weekday For Your Engagement Session
This tip is especially important for couples looking to get their engagement photos taken in a national park. National parks are historically busiest on weekends. In fact, most popular trailheads in Rocky Mountain National Park are full by 8am in the morning, even in the wintertime. However, weekdays provide you with much more flexibility when it comes to battling through crowds to find parking and a quiet spot. Another thing to note: many wedding and elopement photographers have extremely limited availability on weekends (because that’s when we’re typically out shooting weddings and elopements), so weekdays are usually when engagement sessions get scheduled.
P.S. As an adventure elopement photographer based in Colorado, I’m always looking for the coolest spots for our couples’ engagement photos. When I’m not photographing small weddings or elopements, I can usually be found on the trails, scouting locations in Colorado’s national parks and beyond. And I’m here to help our couples with navigating the little details when it comes to their engagement sessions. So if that sounds like your vibe, give us a shout. Let’s take you and your boo on an epic adventure.
Planning Your Adventure Wedding Or National Park Elopement?
Check out some of our favorite elopement and adventure wedding planning resources:
Sheena Shahangian Photography LLC
Empowering You To Have Your Adventure Elopement, Your Way
Colorado Elopement Photographers + Adventure Wedding Photographers