Engagement photos

For couples planning a destination wedding in Brazil, the session often happens on the planning trip, when you fly in to see the venue in Trancoso, Búzios or Paraty. Doing it then serves two purposes: the save-the-dates show guests the place they are being invited to, and you learn how the light, the heat and the wind behave there before the wedding day. Photographing in a different season also gives a second set of pictures, so a winter engagement session in Gramado looks nothing like a summer wedding on the Bahia coast.

Timing follows the stationery. Save-the-dates for destination weddings go out earlier than for local ones, because guests flying to Brazil need time to book flights and rooms, so the session usually falls six to twelve months before the date. One outfit suits 30 minutes, so choose the one that matches the tone of the invitation. If your wedding venue is the location, ask its coordinator in writing whether an outside photographer can work there on a non-event day.

The session is also practice. Couples who have been directed once are easier to photograph on the wedding day, because they already know which side they prefer and how it feels to be asked to walk, stop and look at each other. If no wedding is being planned, the couple session is the honest choice and costs less; if the wedding has already happened, the honeymoon session is the one to book. The engagement gallery is delivered within 7 days.