If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re in love and considering hiring a photographer to capture some memories for you. Whether it’s an engagement session or just for fun, getting photographed to document this time in your life is an exciting journey. This blog post will guide you through five ways to add personality and meaning to your experience, and help you get the kind of images you’re dreaming of.

Where to start when planning your couple’s session?

Simply asking yourself a few good questions is a great place to start. How do you want to remember this chapter of your life? What aspects of your relationship do you want to be captured? How do you want to feel when you look back on the images and which emotions do you want to shine through the most?

These types of questions are your intention setters, and will be the guiding light to most of your main decisions. Once you know your general idea and the direction you’d like to go, you can have fun getting creative and dreaming big! You’re well on your way to not only getting beautiful photographs, but ones that hold personal meaning to you as well. 

So without further delay, here are some options to create a personal and memorable experience for your session:

1. Rent an Airbnb, a cabin or a hotel room.

Ever gone on a little getaway and found yourself somewhere with beautiful interior design, an incredibly picturesque view, or stunning architecture? Find a place like this for your session, a place that makes you feel something. I have a curated list of gorgeous cabins saved on Airbnb that I share with my couples who are interested in going this route. I also always make a note of lodges, boutique hotels, or other locations that would make for great experiences and amazing photographs.

2. Do an In-home Session

What could be more personal and sentimental than a place where you’ve already shared countless memories with your partner? Add a layer of comfort to your session by keeping it cozy and being in your most natural element. Make yourselves a cup of coffee, wrap up in a favorite blanket, chase each other around the dinner table or have a tickle fight on the bed. Or if you’re weird like me, take a seat on the kitchen counter and make odd noises at your partner while he cooks you food. 

3. Go Someplace special 

Is there a place you often drive to just to look at the view? A beach spot you’ve been going to since you were a kid? A random dirt road or a favorite hike? Maybe there’s a building or location that you find intriguing and unique. I love a good scenic nature spot as much as the next photographer, but It doesn’t always have to be that. If your idea is unconventional, I say go for it! Being in a place that has value to you will make for memories and photographs that you’ll love to look back on.

4. Pull from Inspirations or Personal Interests

It might sound overly simple, but don’t be afraid to get creative! Are you inspired by vintage cars and old roadside motels? Slow fashion, or old western films? Minimalism or Wes Anderson color palettes (like this)? Play around in your imagination and pick something that really resonates with you. You can refer back to your favorite movies, artists, musicians, music videos and old magazines to spark an idea. Once you’ve got a vision in mind, piece it together with styling and a location that fit the vibe!

5. Incorporate something you love to do

Do you love hiking, riding motorcycles, drinking coffee on the porch or reading a good book? Going for a walk along the beach or sipping a beer on your rooftop? Incorporating a fun activity is one of the best ways to capture you in your natural element and helps tremendously in creating a story for your photographer to tell. Remember those old film photos from your childhood of you playing with dinosaurs or swinging on the tire-swing in the backyard? You know how you get this sense of nostalgia and start to remember how life was back then? Recreate that today by losing yourself in the moment. Don’t think about the photographs as much, just about doing the thing you love.

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Hey there :)

I’m Kassandra. I’m a traveling elopement and small wedding photographer Based in Oregon. I help humans in love create meaningful moments so I can capture them in images that they’ll cherish forever.