Golden Hour LGBTQ Engagement Session

Earlier this spring I got a message from a long-time Instagram follower who was really familiar with my work wondering if I would consider documenting them and their partner’s upcoming wedding later this fall. Though I have mainly worked with families on newborn/maternity sessions, hearing about Roma and Josie’s love, there was something pulling deep down inside of me telling me I had to do this. It felt truly serendipitous.

We messaged back and forth and I finally decided to document my first wedding, and that wedding was going to be Roma and Josie’s. They added an engagement session to use for their Save the Date cards, so we got to planning this session first. Figuring out when and where as well as more about the two of them and their relationship so we could really customize the session to them and help make the photos show off their love for one another.

Because Roma is wearing a traditional Indian outfit for her wedding ceremony (which is red) she opted to wear this beautiful white dress for the engagement session as a nod to the traditional wedding dress. And I love that she chose to do this as it popped, especially against the scenic backdrop, making a really beautiful subtle statement. 

When thinking about outfits for couples or engagement photos, it always bodes well to think of pieces that go together but aren’t identically matching. It also helps to select pieces that are comfortable and allow you and your partner to move around, i.e. jog, dance, hug, and twirl. Pulling pieces from your own closet and mixing and matching them maybe with some new pieces really can bring a session’s outfit together without too much stress, hassle, or extra costs.

We split up the session into two locations for a couple of reasons. First, Roma and Josie spend a lot of time outdoors and love the rustic and earthy feel of my photography, so we made sure to capture their love in places that felt natural to them.

Secondly, when planning an engagement session it’s important to think of where you will be using those photos. Are they going on printed goods such as save-the-dates and invitations? Are you using them on your wedding website or registry? Are you printing them off and sending them to family members or using them in your home? If you answered ‘yes’ to two or more of these options, then splitting your engagement session up into two different locations can be really helpful.

By splitting up your locations and possibly even doing an outfit change (say a more casual outfit and a more formal one) you then are setting yourself up for variety. You will have way more options to pull from so you’re not using the same one to three photos for everything repeatedly. If you use a larger selection of photos it looks more natural and true to you as a couple of verses look like a marketing campaign.

With this in mind, Roma and Josie chose to split their session into two parts, the first being the Redwoods and the second being a coastline beach that allowed them to show their love for the outdoors and be comfortable and not rushed or heavily posed.

This engagement session really struck a chord with me as I watched the trust and love they had for each other and made me even more excited that Roma and Josie would be the first ever wedding I document. Truly, it is such an honor and a joy to be a part of these two’s story in this small way.