When it comes to engagement photos, mountain peaks are cool and all, but have you tried staying comfy in your own home?

At-home engagement sessions are becoming the new thing, and I am here for it!

If you’re a person who’d rather rock some slides and lounge in your robe with a good book and a glass of wine (what!? this sounds amazing), then intimate engagement photos might be your thing. 

Pros of an At-Home Engagement Session

I think I’ve already hinted at this, and honestly, I don’t see many downsides, but let’s dive in. 

Get Comfortable

You get to stay in the comfort of your own space. I mean what could be more magical than that? 

If being in front of the camera, or being the center of attention in any capacity, makes you want to disappear, I get it. But booking a photo session in your own home gives you a kind of “home advantage,” right?

There’s less to get used to here. Yes, there still will be someone with a camera in your face, but being in the comfort of your own home will likely take the edge off a bit. 

Highlight Your Space

This is your real life. And you get to highlight that. 

You’re not jet-setting off to a place that has very little meaning to you just for the ‘gram. You’re looking for real photos, intimate photos, ones that you’ll look back on and feel genuinely connected to. 

Being in your own home will allow you to showcase who you are. You’ll get to highlight your curated space in a way that will contribute to even more meaningful images. 

Stay Put

I don’t think I can emphasize this point enough – you don’t have to go anywhere. Isn’t that the ultimate luxury? You’ll get the coziest images right from your own living room. 

And if you or your partner aren’t a fan of engagement photos, maybe this will be the thing that turns it around. 

Cons of an At-Home Engagement Session

Might Be Limiting

Although laidback home engagement photos are (in my opinion) amazing, they aren’t for everyone. 

Coming off the pandemic, being at home might feel like a considerable comfort or massively limiting. You may be dying for an adventure or at least something a little new for your photo session. 

If that’s the case, you may want to consider something else for your engagement photos. 

Top Tips to Rock Your At-Home Engagement Session

If your homebody self is throwing up the praise hands because a home engagement session sounds like the miracle you need, then let’s figure out how to do this thing right!

Natural Light

Of course, this is the key. If at least one area of your home doesn’t get natural light, then you may have to pack this idea up, friend. 

Your whole house doesn’t need to be all windows with glowy, indirect light, but you need to find somewhere in your home that has that. 

If you’re unsure whether your space would be a good fit, get in touch with your photographer, and they’ll be able to guide you in the right direction. 

Decor

Of course, with an at-home engagement session, you’re going for real-life photos, right? But we’re not talking real life. 

Pick an area of your home (or a few areas) and clean up! You don’t want the kind of realness that is dirty laundry and an overflowing sink. That’s not how we want to remember ourselves, okay. 

Take the time and really look at your space. Style it a bit. Think about how it looks now and how you’d like it to look in the photos.

That may mean shifting furniture around a little (especially when you’re trying to take advantage of light), or it may just mean adjusting some art. 

Try not to go overboard with this, though. We still want it to look like you. Just a little… elevated, yea?

Do Something Together

This is always a good idea for engagement photos. If you’ve got something to do, you’ll look more natural and feel less nervous. 

It’s a win-win. 

Anything from board games to video games, cooking or baking, to a soak in the hot tub. And for more sensual photos, you can even hint at some other activities you like to do together (blush). 

Trust Your Photographer

This leads me here – trust your photographer. 

This will always be a valuable piece of advice, no matter what style of a photoshoot you’re doing. But if you’re going to try for something a bit more risqué, you’ll want a photographer that you trust. 

Start by hiring someone with photos you just drool over, and then talk with them. Communication is critical, so express your expectations ahead of time. 

Also, if you find a photographer you love and trust, you’ll relax far quicker, and that will inevitably lead to beautiful photos. 

Get Your Clothing Right

This one is up to you. Go glam or dress it down…or do both!

A typical at-home session highlights casual clothes, but it’s essential for you to feel good in what you’re wearing!

Know what you’d like to get out of the session, and plan for that. If that means a little black dress, then rock it. 

If that means a little less than a black dress…do your thing. 

Be You

Ultimately this is your engagement session in your space! Don’t get so caught up in the right or wrong way to do things. 

Nothing is too much or too little if it feels right to you. Talk with your partner and think about how you both want to see yourselves years from now when you look back at this moment. 

Then do that.