Is a Destination Engagement Session Right for You?
June 6, 2019
You’re engaged!!! I’m sure wedding plans are swirling around your head now that the time has finally come! I know it’s easy to skip right over planning what I think is one of the most fun occasions during this season: your engagement session. After all, you’re dreaming up grand plans for your big day, it’s easy for your engagement session location to end up as a bit of an afterthought. I’ve seen even the most adventurous couples end up choosing somewhere nearby for their photos out of pure convenience, but I’m convinced that’s because they think that a destination engagement session seem like an “exclusive privilege”, not just something anyone can do. BUT that’s just not the case!
Now, it’s no secret I LOVE destination engagement sessions – at this point I’ve done them in New Orleans, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Seattle, North Cascades National Park and soon we’ll be adding Denver and Sedona to the list.
Today, I’m so excited to share Q&As from 1) Caroline and Kyle (Seattle and North Cascades National Park) and 2) Holly and AJ (Washington, D.C.) as they answer the question: “Should I do a destination engagement session?”
What gave you the initial idea to do a destination engagement session?
Holly & AJ: AJ and I are both from Austin and we love it so much, so it doesn’t quite make sense that we would do a destination engagement session. But basically, getting married to AJ is a once in a lifetime thing and a dream come true. I think if there’s ever a time to do something out of the ordinary and pull out all the stops, it’s right now. So why not go to someplace brand new and dreamy? Why not have not just a photo shoot, but a whole vacation experience?
Caroline & Kyle: We both love the outdoors and wanted to capture our engagement photos at a national park! What better backdrop than mountains and pine trees! It was also a nice way to get away from the busyness of planning a wedding and focus on us.
What made you want to bring a photographer with you on your trip vs. hiring someone locally?
Holly & AJ: Getting to know your photographer during your engagement session is invaluable! It would be a total waste of money (even if it’s less money!) to hire someone else besides your own wedding photographer – local or not. Plus the whole reason we hired Paige is we trust her implicitly and are head over heels for her work! Why would we want to shoot with anyone else!?
Caroline & Kyle: We both thought it was important to get to know our photographer before our big day and the engagement session is the best opportunity to really understand how to work well together. We both felt like we could really connect with Paige rather than hire someone in Washington who’s work we are not familiar with. It was so so special to have this experience!
What was the best part about your destination engagement experience?
How did you land on your location? If you could have gone anywhere else in the world, what would have been your second choice?
How did you make the whole thing cost-effective and realistic for you?
If you had to do it all over again, would you still do a destination engagement session?
What encouraging words would you share with another couple who can’t decide whether or not to do a destination engagement session?
Caroline & Kyle: With cheap flights and Airbnb’s, it’s totally reasonable! We were able to pause wedding planning and really connect with each other in a different city. We both feel so happy that we can know and trust Paige with our wedding and to make us feel totally comfortable in front of the camera. It’s also something that we will have forever to remember this time of being engaged. These pictures are truly treasures that we will cherish for a lifetime!
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT