Sarah Caldwell Photography

YOU’RE ENGAGED! Can you even believe it?!

I know you’ve got to be beyond excited & ready to start planning your wedding day! I’m here to help you navigate that process, and prepare you for the first few steps so you’re ready and confident for your session.

Your FIRST step is to find the photographer perfect for you and your fiancé.

When beginning the search for a photographer, you should think about the things that are important to you.

Do you feel like you can work well with them, and vibe with their personality? Do you like their editing style? Can you trust them as the professional to capture your wedding day as it reflects YOU? – Here are some things to consider while searching.

*these suggestions are based on the assumption that you are hiring the same photographer for your wedding day as your engagement session*

• What style of Photographer do you want to hire?
  • “light & airy” or “dark & moody”
  • are you more drawn to a cool or warm editing style?
• Where is the photographer located?
  • In-state or out-of-state from you
  • Will you be able to meet with the photographer before hand and see if you’re a good fit
• Do you feel like you know their personality and you could get along with them + trust them to take care of things on your wedding day?
  • Do they show their face / personality on their social media
  • Do they have testimonials of past clients who can attest to their experience with the photographer
• BUDGET
  • it’s important to make your photographer a priority in your budget. the saying, “you get what you pay for” is a true statement & can be an unfortunate place to go cheap
  • are they within your budget OR are they willing to work with you on a payment plan (most are willing)

These are just a few things to think about as you’re preparing to hire a photographer! Engagement pictures are essentially the first step to planning your wedding. – I know for me and in my business, I have 2 wedding packages where an engagement session is included in the pricing. So if someone were to come to me, asking to schedule engagement pictures, I would make them aware of that option and help them get started with planning!

When planning your engagement pictures, it’s important to be aware that OUTFITS can make or break your session.

For most couples, they will use these engagement pictures for their Save the Dates, or as decoration in their centerpieces on wedding day.

So it’s important to take into consideration the time of year of your engagements and the color of outfits you chose to wear, in relation to the colors you want for your wedding day! That way your colors aren’t clashing or looking off.

NEUTRALS, earth tones & denim are the BEST pieces in my mind. As well as simple floral patterns, textured neutral tops and soft blues.

photos by @kierstinjones, @forthewestandwildphoto & @sarahcaldwellphoto

The last thing to think about is the LOCATION of your engagement pictures.

Once again, the time of year is SO important. Whether it’s the color of the grass or the time of sunset, your location is critical.

If you want to take your engagement pictures in a pasture or field, there are certain times of the year when the grass is green, and certain times of the year when the grass is dead/brown.

If you want green grass, at least in Arkansas, you’ll want to plan your pictures somewhere between the middle of April to the middle of October.

And if you want sage grass + warm tones + short grass, you’ll want to plan them between the beginning of November, to the first part of January.

NOW.. if you don’t want to shoot in a more rural setting with grass and trees, but you instead want to shoot more DOWNTOWN with buildings, streets and rooftops, you can essentially do those any time of the year!

The last thing to consider no matter which location you choose, is start time.

At least for me, I like to start my engagement sessions about an hour and a half before sunset. I believe the BEST lighting of the day is about an hour before “golden hour”, and “golden hour” is about the last 30 minutes of daylight.

In Arkansas, the sunset schedule goes…

• January – 6:15pm
• February – 6:30pm
• March – 7:00pm
• April – 7:30pm
• May – 8:00pm
• June – 8:15pm
• July – 8:30pm
• August – 8:15pm
• September – 7:30pm
• October – 7:00pm
• November – 6:15pm
• December – 6:00pm

Start time is important to consider because people have jobs! And sometimes it can be hard to get off work. So being aware of when sunset is, and knowing about when your start time would be, will help you manage your work schedule and pick a date/time/time of year that will work best for you and your fiancé.

I hope this helps you feel more prepared and have direction for your engagement session!!

---

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT & GOOD LUCK!!!💛

---