Engagement Photo Ideas: Best of the Season

By Devorah Isenberg, Tuesday, January 03, 2012 7:28 AM

In recent years, engagement photo shoots have become a popular alternative to the traditional wedding-day photo shoot, with couples setting up fun and romantic photo shoots as a way of celebrating their engagement and announce the happy news. Without the pressure of the wedding day, couples find that engagement photo shoots have more room for creativity and fun, making them a perfect way to celebrate the unique personalities and interests of the couple. If you are planning on taking some engagement pictures of your own, consider a few of these ideas to make your photos truly memorable.

Remember, the best engagement pictures are the ones that truly express who you are. Before booking the photographer and choosing your location, consider what style or message you want your photos to project. Do you want all-out glamour and sophistication, or do you want your photos to capture you in your everyday life? Do you have a beloved theme or period style you would love to channel? Some of the most popular engagement pictures are based around a mutual interest that the couple share—like a beloved city or hobby.

Here are a few engagement photo ideas that might spark your creativity and help you plan your own shoot:

• Channel a favorite book, movie or period setting. This is your chance to express yourself, so don’t be afraid to “geek out” a little with costumes and props that match your theme. Go with Gone With the Wind antebellum romance, or The Great GatsbyRoaring Twenties glamour. You can even recreate a favorite scene from a romantic movie, like the balcony scene in Pretty Woman, for a fun and creative engagement photo shoot.

   

• Book your engagement photography shoot at a location that is especially meaningful to you as a couple. If you fell in love while wandering a local park, spend a day there taking your photo shoot that includes an iconic New York hot dog stand, the subway, the Empire State Building, and other landmarks.

   

• Artsy couples will have no problem taking some creative engagement photos. If you love to dance, get an action photographer to get some shots of the two of you on the dance floor. Artists will appreciate the magic and otherworldly beauty of a photo shoot that incorporate holi powder, a brightly-colored Indian powder that you can throw at each other for gorgeous, multicolored effects.

   

• Hipster couples will love to take unique engagement photos using nontraditional cameras like the Holga and Diana, that will give your pictures that aged, artistic look. Dress in your vintage best and plan the shoot at a fun location or with your favorite bicycles. Incorporating some action into the shots will make them more fun for you and more interesting to look at.

No matter which engagement photo ideas you end up using, remember, your wedding day photos are supposed to be more serious, so your engagement photos are your chance to let loose. Encourage the photographer to take plenty of candid shots of the two of you laughing together between poses, and don’t be afraid to try some silly shots that might be too far-out for the wedding photos. Chances are, when you look back at these photos, you’ll love the natural, laughing-out-loud photos the best!