When to Have Engagement Photos Taken

You’ve just gone back to your hometown, to the place you first met that hot July day. Now you stand here facing each other and he’s gotten down on one knee. He pulls out a ring, professes his love for you.

You exclaim, “Yes!” and pull him in close.

You’re engaged!

That was weeks ago now. Fast forward to today. While you’re still overjoyed, you’re also stressed. There’s so much to plan. Simultaneously, there’s not enough time and the day you’re so excited for feels so far away.

Let’s take things one day at a time.

Today, let’s tackle your engagement photos. Namely, when should you take them?

As a professional wedding photographer myself, I work with all sorts of deadlines to accommodate my couples who are either enjoying short or long engagements.

This article will help you understand when you and your partner should have your engagement photos taken. Let’s dive in!

When to Have Engagement Photos Taken: 3 Questions to Ask

Here’s the reality: You could Google, “when to take engagement photos,” read 100 different articles, and get a million different answers.

The truth is, when it comes down to when to take engagement photos, it depends. Every couple is going to be different. While photographers can make recommendations, when you take engagement photos will depend on you and your partner’s answers to these three questions:

• Are you having a short or long engagement?

• How will you use your engagement photos?

• Do you have a preference for the time of year you take photos?

Are you having a short or long engagement?

The first thing you need to nail down is your wedding timeline. When’s the big day? Are we talking two years down the road or six months down the road?

If you have a big window, you obviously have a lot of time to take engagement photos. If you only have six months until the big day, you have to get moving.

Typically, couples book their venue first and then their photographer. Wedding photographers usually book out 12-18 months in advance, as do popular wedding venues during peak wedding season.

To get a feel for their wedding photographer and decide if they really like them, some couples take engagement photos as soon as they book the photographer. Similarly, if you’re having a short engagement, you’ll want to schedule your photo session as soon as possible.

If your wedding isn’t for another two years, however, you may decide to wait to take your engagement photos until you’re closer to the wedding date. For example, you may decide to take them a year out to kickstart wedding planning.

How will you use your engagement photos?

Typically, couples take engagement photos to use them for the save-the-dates and wedding invitations. They may use them for an engagement announcement or for wedding favors, too.

On the other hand, some people simply take engagement photos to preserve the memories of this milestone moment in their lives. You and your partner are about to embark on a beautiful life together, and many couples want to have that moment captured.

Having engagement photos taken is also a great way to get comfortable being in front of the camera. You get to know how to pose and work your different angles so that you don’t feel completely uncomfortable being photographed on your wedding day.

So, if you don’t plan to use your engagement photos for anything other than a fun experience, when you take them isn’t important. Many couples choose to take them within the month or so after they become engaged.

However, if you do plan to use them for invitations or wedding favors, you have to consider a few timelines. First, how long will it take your photographer to edit the photos and send them to you? Then, if you need save-the-dates or wedding invitations designed, you’ll need to factor in design time. Finally, you’ll have to add in extra time for the invitations to print and arrive.

In general, save the dates for your wedding are sent out six to 12 months before the wedding. Obviously, if you’ve just gotten engaged and your wedding is six months from now, they’ll be sent later than that. Keep in mind that some couples don’t even send save-the-dates.

Wedding invitations are usually sent out at least two months before the wedding, if not sooner. The idea is to give your guests as much advance notice as possible. If you’re having a destination wedding, guests should know even sooner. Ideally, by sending the invites out this early, you’ll have plenty of time to get back the RSVPs and confirm the headcount so you can finalize catering numbers, seating charts, and more.

Based on the timelines above, it’s generally recommended to schedule your engagement photo session at least six to eight months before your wedding.

Do you have a preference for the time of year you take photos?

Some couples have a clear preference for what time of year they take their wedding photos – whether because a certain time of year is nostalgic for them or they prefer the scenery of a specific season.

If you’re enjoying a longer engagement, you’ll have plenty of time to be choosy about the time of year you take your photos. As long as they’re taken about six to eight months before your wedding day, you can have your photo session whenever you’d like. The dead of winter with a fresh snowfall? Go for it. A field of sunflowers in the middle of summer? Do it!

If you, however, have a shorter engagement, you may not be able to be as choosy with the time of year you take photos. Unless you’re not using the photos for invites or announcements, you may have to take them during the season you get engaged.

Talk to your photographer for tips on how to take gorgeous engagement photos no matter the season.

Preparing for Your Engagement Photo Session

So, there you have it. If you’re having a long engagement, you can be a little more selective about when you take your engagement photos. If you’re having a short engagement, you should have your photos taken as soon as possible.

If you’re not using the photographs for anything other than to celebrate, you can take them whenever. If you’re using the photographs for invitations or wedding favors, you have to consider a few timelines.

As long as you have your photos taken between six and eight months prior to your wedding date, there should be plenty of time to get your photos back, have invites designed and printed, and mail them out in a timely fashion.

Now that you’ve scheduled your engagement photo session, it’s time to prepare! From picking a location to the perfect outfit, this article will have you and your partner ready to shine in your photos.