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Planning the Perfect Fall Engagement Session

I’m sorry, did you say something? I couldn’t hear you I was busy smelling pumpkin. Sidenote, if you are one of those angry people that “hate” pumpkin and feel the need to let all of us normal pumpkin loving friends know about it… I would like to let you off the hook here. There is no need for you to be spreading that kind of negativity around here, keep your angry, anti-pumpkin comments to yourself. This means you, Ed Breyer. 

Alright, now that we’ve settled that, let’s chat about all things fall. This clearly is the best season of all time. It’s also the shortest season of all time. This simply proves you have to eat as much pumpkin/apple/cinnamon (only in apple things)/ in a short of time as humanly possible before it all goes away and it’s no the longer cute season. 

It’s the season of cute clothes, great food, cozy temperatures (but not yet hypothermia), good smells… it’s a GOOD time. 

Because of this many, many, couples love the idea of photographing their engagement photos in the fall and this will give you a few tips to keep in mind when planning for those photos. I chatted about planning for your Spring sessions here and Summer engagement sessions here which all have their merit but, there are lots of things to note with fall, so let’s jump in!

5 Things to note when planning your fall engagement session in Cleveland, Ohio

  1. Plan Ahead. This may seem obvious but when I say you’re not the only one in the midwest who’s thought of a fall engagement or wedding I’m definitely not exaggerating. Because of this our calendar books out extremely quickly. Because we only photograph engagements during the week (because we have weddings on weekends) you might need extra notice to call off of work as well. It’s not uncommon that we’re scheduling engagements months and months in advance and our fall weddings are booking out a year to two years before the event. So if you’re feeling fall! Let’s chat about it right away! 
  2. Dress in layers. Although this isn’t the coldest time of year none of us are really used to it yet and because of that, we’re all kind of wimpy. Your engagement session should be a blast, filled with laughter and fun. But if you’re shaking from the cold that can put a damper on it ever so slightly! Dressing in layers, and making sure you have more outfit options than you normally would this time of year can be really helpful. 
  3. Lotion!! Ahhhh, welcome dry season. Whether you have light or dark skin, DRY skin can be SUCH a challenge this time of year. Personally, my hands age about 30 years in the fall, so keeping your hands moisturized looking like they’re from the decade you were born and not ashy if you’re a woman of color, is a priority. Especially for those close up photos and ring shots. 
  4. Schedule professional hair and makeup. This is something I think is important no matter what the time of year but having a professional craft your look will help you feel like the most stunning version of you. I can’t recommend it enough. Again, it’s a wonderful opportunity to get a feel for vendors you may want alongside you on your wedding day. But do plan ahead, the really great ones book up quickly!
  5. Remember the light and the weather. Because it’s going to start getting darker earlier we’re going to have to photograph earlier. Depending on whether you have a Natural Engagement Session or a Styled Engagement session we’ll be looking at more of a 6:15 pm or 4:30 pm respective start time. Obviously, those are approximate but it gives you an idea that it’s much earlier than those late summer nights we were taking advantage of just a few weeks earlier. You also need to have a little sense of humor about the weather. We can push through a lot but if it’s dumping rain we will most likely reschedule because we can, whereas a wedding day we’re going to need to make it work (which we can do no problem) but the general idea is: why fight the elements if we don’t have to. This is supposed to be such a fun time, not a… wet one! 😉 

Fall engagement photos can be everything from fall colors to campfires, orchards to cozy picnics and sweet moments with that golden fall light. It really is one of the most beautiful times to get married or photograph engagement photos. But like I’ve said before, no matter the time of year, your engagement should be beautiful and full of lots of laughter. It’s a wonderful time to get comfortable in front of our cameras and focus on the two of you. 

Hope this was helpful! You know I’ll be excited about your fall anything (with my fall coffee in hand). 😉 

 

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