Virginia + Destination Fine Art Wedding Photographers

We’re excited to share some engagement session tips and tricks from our new “Wedding Guide,” coming soon to all of our lovely couples!!
Watch for it in the mail. Also, even if you’re not one of our brides, we hope this might help you plan your engagement session!
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Your engagement session is your first step in your wedding photography experience with us.
Your engagement photos give you a chance to be as creative as you want. If you want to haul a table, chairs, flowers and wine out into a field for a lovely styled session – you can. If you want to build a pillow fort in your living room and have us photograph the two of you sipping hot cocoa, you can. Or if you simply want to go out to a lovely area that means a lot to you for a simple portrait session celebrating your commitment to each other, you can.

What we love about engagement sessions is you can make it all about you. It’s a great way for you to just be you without any added stress. Engagement sessions are like double dates- we just bring our cameras. We keep things easy-going and natural so you never feel uncomfortable on camera. We like to guide you with natural actions rather than static posing. Everything goes at your own pace. You can make it as creative or as natural as you like!

E-sessions are a great opportunity for you to get to know what to expect on your wedding day! We like to start planning them as soon as you book us. Oh, and did we mention? We love engagement sessions so much that we offer them as gifts with every wedding!

Asya and Brandon wanted a cool, wintry, chic feel for their December engagement session Williamsburg.


Kelsey and Michael, whose wedding date is quickly approaching in April (eeek!!), set aside a BEAUTIFUL evening in Smithfield for their engagement session. Their engagement session was very special. They wanted to celebrate their two families coming together, so we did that by including their children in their engagement photos! One of the best family sessions AND one of the best engagements ever!

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Braden and Melanie’s session was rained out; luckily we stepped inside to a little cupcake shop in Richmond (Carytown Cupcakes) and their e-session took on a whole new theme!

Keith and Emily – wow. What a fun engagement session theirs was! We photographed in a botanical garden near Emily’s childhood home, on the mountain where Keith proposed, and then finished up in downtown Roanoke. They poured themselves into their engagement session and sported different outfits in several different locations for an overall gorgeous series of photos.

Stephanie and Jonathan’s inspirational engagement brought New York City style to Stephanie’s backyard in Gloucester. Jonathan, a NYC bartender, sported a dashing bow-tie and Stephanie set up a gorgeous backyard picnic where they celebrated their love with cheese, wine, and Sinatra.

Our most recent engagement session:

Proof that for an amazing engagement session, you don’t need tons of off camera lighting, or even a jaw-dropping location. Cody surprised his fiancee & literature student Marissa with this library engagement session in Williamsburg. More coming soon to the blog!

Additional Tips

When it comes to locations, as you can see above, possibilities are virtually endless. We’re open to your ideas. If there’s a location that’s important to you, it might be a perfect location for an engagement shoot. If you’re at a loss for ideas, feel free to reach out to us. We have plenty of locations we love to shoot at and can make each session unique.

Your engagement photos should represent you! Not only will they be yours forever, but they are great for wedding invites and save the dates. You shouldn’t dress like someone you’re not, but it’s good to put a bit of thought into what you wear!

You should feel comfortable and confident for your e-session! We like to recommend 2-3 outfits with a good variety of semi-casual – to- formal wear.

In colder months, there’s no need to pretend you’re in summer and turn your e-session into a freeze-fest! Wear something cozy and cuddly, When it gets warmer, it’s great to wear something loose and flowing, with movement. When you’re thinking more formal, just bring something you’d wear on a date!

Jeans and khakis almost always work well on camera.
• Pastel tones work extremely well with our style instead of bright, neon colors.
• Plain black and white can tend to show a lot of dirt.
• Patterns aren’t bad, but it’s best to avoid distracting logos.
• It’s okay to have outfits complement each other, but avoid explicitly matching outfits!
• Layers are great! A light scarf, a vest, a jacket all add an extra element to your images.
• Think about shoes to compliment your outfit!
• Personal details & props are great additions to your e-session. Cameras, musical instruments – whatever is important to you. It helps make your engagement ession stand out even more in representing your story.

One final tip for her: your e-session is a perfect opportunity to have your trial bridal makeup and hair done with your makeup artist and stylist. It gives you a chance to see how your makeup will look on your wedding day and it also lends an extra confidence boost!

Virginia Engagement Photographers | Hampton Roads Engagement Photography | Michael and Carina Photography