How To Choose Your Engagement Portrait Location

Happy November brides and grooms! Guess what time it is? It's time for some beautiful fall engagement portraits. The craziness of summer is over and everyone is planning in earnest for next seasons weddings. Fall is the perfect time to have an engagement session because you can use these images for your save the date cards, or your holiday cards if your wedding is anytime the following year. Why not get more bang for your buck, right? Not to mention, most wedding photographers finally have their weekends free again after the summer season has wound down.So the next big question is where to do it? The currents trends are reflecting a desire to make the images more personalized with the couples choice of location being some place that is special to them. It could be where the two of you met, where you had your first date, or even where he proposed! Or maybe  someplace that reflects an interest the two of you share, like the bleachers at a Formula One race track, or your favorite cafe with cute street side tables set up. Here in San Francisco, we do a lot with our landmarks like the cable cars, Golden Gate Bridge and city scape back drops....but be creative and make it special! Bring props that tell everyone what it is that makes the two of you unique. Your love is one of a kind and your engagement images should be too, with a little thought and planning.The images I've included on this blog are of an actual proposal! Kirk wanted me to walk around on the beach pretending to be a tourist (with a really expensive camera!!!) while I secretly photographed his real life proposal to Christina. Because most photographer have a long range lens, we can stand very far away and still capture everything. She had absolutely no idea that I was photographing them as they strolled down the beach together moments before he popped the question. He had hidden an old fashioned glass bottle in the sand, complete with a burn scrolled letter to her inside. As she "found" the bottle and read the beautiful love letter inside, he got down on one knee, presented her with a stunning ring, and asked her to be his forever. She said YES:)If you aren't sure what direction to go in, talk to your photographer and see what you can come up with. They might have a creative idea they've always wanted to try that could be just right for you. Good luck, and happy shooting!