A Mini Engagement Session

I love including engagement sessions in my wedding packages! Engagement sessions are a great time for me to get to know the couple, know how they feel in front of the camera, and for them to see how I work behind the camera, how I make them feel when they're in front of the camera.

But engagement sessions aren't always in the cards for the clients who book me for their weddings - it could be that they had engagement photos taken by someone else (a close friend, relative, etc.); it could be that they prioritize wedding day coverage over engagement photos and therefore put their budget money elsewhere; it could be that they just don't have a strong desire to have engagement photos at all - and all of those are fine!

But when you book me as your wedding photographer, I'm going to work with you to make sure you get the most out of whatever package you choose. So if we can trade some second photographer time for an engagement session, or add on a 'mini' engagement session without changing your wedding day budget, I'm going to find a way to do that for you!

For Molly and Greg, we had kind of an odd amount of time needed for wedding coverage when looking at the second photographer, so we added on a 30-minute 'mini engagement' session to cover the difference, and it was perfect! They didn't need a TON of engagement photos - maybe just some for a save-the-date and a few to post. There was a location super convenient for all of us, and we had a chilly but beautiful evening, so we knocked out their engagement photos without compromising other aspects of their budget.

Also. You guys. How cute are these two?? We could have had 2 minutes for the session and I still would have been able to capture their love because it was just SO EVIDENT.

An Artsy Proposal Deserves an Artsy Engagement Session

As soon as I started talking to Emma and Andrew as they were looking for a wedding photographer, I immediately knew they were 'artsy.' They met doing theater together. They got engaged at the Picasso Experience. Andrew wants to be a drama teacher. AND when they initially inquired with me, Emma described their wedding as 'lots of pink and florals' and I was SOLD. Pinks? Yes please. Florals? Yes please. So with all of that in mind, and knowing we'd be doing a winter session when nature isn't at its finest, the grounds of the Nelson Atkins was the PERFECT place for their engagement photos.

And then I got to meet these two for their engagement session and they were even better than I could have imagined! Most couples claim that they're awkward in front of the camera, and then once they realize they can just be themselves, they're easy. Emma and Andrew were not different, but when they got in front of my camera, they came alive! They kept each other loose and laughing and comfortable. They didn't take themselves too seriously, but they also knew they wanted these photos to be great, so they took the photos seriously.

I loved how many times there would be an interaction with the two of them that would leave me laughing, and then I'd catch myself and realize I might be missing a great moment between them, so I needed to quickly refocus (literally, with my camera, and figuratively, by keeping my mind where it needed to be). I can't wait for their wedding!! (Where I will be 100% focused the entire time)

In-Home Newborn and Everyone Else

I LOVE in-home newborn sessions. And I always tell my clients that during a newborn session, we (obviously) get photos of your newborn by themselves, in their crib or nursery or on their parents' bed, but we also get photos of the whole family, each parent individually with the baby, siblings (if there are any) with the baby, and fur babies (if there are any) with the baby.

There are certainly a few tricks I use to get EV-ER-Y-ONE to cooperate when we're taking photos of newborn, toddler, pets, and parents, but regardless of what I'm doing behind the camera, if I get the photos my clients want, I'm happy.

So here are a few of my favorite in-home newborn session photos that feature any combination of the baby and their family: