what's the magic behind an engagement session? well being chill for one. your vibe is probably the most important piece of the puzzle. if you're chill, your photos will be chill. if you're not, it'll show. engagement sessions don't require a scientific equation to make them look great. get your hair and makeup done, pick up a couple of cute 'date night' looks, and just hit the streets. its as simple as that. kelly and brian happen to live in the most creative neighborhood in atlanta, so their industrial streets were lined with murals and texture and mood galore. also incorporating meaningful locations is one of my favorite ways to shoot my couples. kelly and brian wanted to stop at their favorite bar, the one they go to every friday night, the one where they hung a dollar bill on the wall (everyone puts one up), the one where they have a tab and can drink a bloody mary and tell the bartender they'll be back later to pay for it and he's like 'ok'. bringing what makes you, YOU, to your engagement session is what makes this time more about preserving memories than just snapping a few pics.

a lot of times your wedding isn't always exactly you. its you in party form. it's not your authentic story, its a celebration of it. its a venue that was available (sometimes on a random date) and a menu that can easily feed 100 people rather than your most favorite entree of all time. 

but your engagement session, darling that is 100% all you. you can incorporate anything you want that authentically you. your favorite hole in the wall, your home, your things, your dog, anything. you can control your entire narrative with a little creativity. so what story do you want to tell? how will you tell people who you are?

for everyone wondering if they should do an engagement session, i say yes. don't shy away from it, embrace it. tell the coolest story you can think of, and have fun with it. you get to take awesome pics in your regular clothes just being you, no stress involved.

also a super awesome engagement session tip for my brides: if you have a wedding makeup trial to use up, use it on the day of your engagement session. it will give you an actual reason to have wedding makeup all over your face + you'll get to see what you'll look like in your images on the big day. killin 2 birds with one glittery stone over here.

now check out kelly and brian's chill engagement session plus all the dogs kelly met around their hood.

All images taken by Kelley Raye, Los Angeles Wedding Photographer + Atlanta Wedding Photographer.