What time should your engagement photos be? (2024)

FAQs

What time should your engagement photos be? ›

The hour just after sunrise and the hour just before sunset are termed “golden hour” because the angle of the sun against the earth creates a soft, warm, gentle glow to everything the light touches. Most photographers prefer shooting during golden hour, and I am no exception!

The hour just after sunrise and the hour just before sunset are termed “golden hour” because the angle of the sun against the earth creates a soft, warm, gentle glow to everything the light touches. Most photographers prefer shooting during golden hour, and I am no exception!

If you're using the photos for save the dates, you need to have them done about 9-10 months before your wedding. On the other hand, if you just want to use your engagement photoshoot to practice with your photographers, you can do this 2-3 months before the big day.

Ideally, scheduling your engagement session with your photographer should happen within a 6-9 month window before your wedding day. I've found this to be the sweet spot! Most couples choose to send their save the dates around 6 months before the big day.

Professional photographers swear by the perfect light of the "golden hour," which lasts for about an hour right after sunrise and an hour right before sunset when the sun is low in the sky and offers a soft, diffused light.

When should you take engagement photos? If you're looking to use your images for save-the-dates, the traditional time to take them is 6-8 months before your wedding. However, that doesn't mean you can't take them earlier or later!

The last hour before sunset and the first hour after sunrise are coveted by professional photographers. Referred to as “the golden hour” or “magic hour,” these times provide the perfect light to capture stunning photos.

If you don't feel comfortable in tight-fitting clothes, avoid them. Choosing patterns and colors that don't fight with what is around you, is important. You don't want to be wearing colors in the green and yellow family and be photographed in a field/trees. Stick to light and neutral colors avoiding white.

Even a small tip can help them in the long run, and it's a great way to say thank you! However, engagement photographers aren't usually tipped as often as a wedding photographer, or even other wedding vendors.

For an hour long engagement shoot I would probably expect around 50-150 images depending on the experience level of your photographer and the cost of the session. We personally deliver on the higher end with our goal being to deliver a variety of types of images without duplicates.

What time of day is typically the worst time to take photos? ›

The worst light of the day is between the hours of 10am and 2pm when the light comes from overhead. This creates terrible and unflattering shadows where we don't wait to see them (under our eyes, under our noses to make them seem bigger … no one wants that).

So it's basically the ~60 min before sunset and the ~60 min after sunrise, regardless of the season. For photographers like myself, who only use natural light, this is what we call prime time. It's our obsession. We live and breathe for THE golden hour.

The only time I truly recommend we avoid if possible is the half hour or so when the sun is directly above us in the sky. This is between noon and 1pm, depending on the season. We can make it work, but for the most magical light we'll want to schedule for early morning or just a few hours before sunset.

If you want a light and casual engagement party that is social, keep your event before 4 p.m. Events starting after 4 p.m. imply co*cktail hour – and food. As you go later in the evening, it also implies a less formal atmosphere.

Conclusion. The light during the golden hour is the best time for portraits. As a Boston wedding photographer, I've had the opportunity to create many photographs during golden hour. The soft light of golden hour creates a light that you can get any other time of the day.

For me it's about 80-100 fully edited images. My typical Engagement Session goes for 1 Hour which is plenty of time to walk around and capture heaps of amazing photos for my couples.

With a general recommendation to send save-the-dates about eight months before the wedding (or 12 months for destination weddings), aim to book your engagement shoot several months prior to allow time for your photographer to edit your final gallery.