Planning a wedding with your person is kind of really fun because you get to learn the awesome new skill with your very favorite person that you never get to use again (like programming a universal remote. Does anyone remember those?).

Thankfully, I go to weddings almost every weekend, and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, and I’m here to help carve out a fun bit. So hello, let’s talk about planning for your engagement session and wedding day a little easier (or at least entertaining).

Before you plan for photos, you’ll want to choose a photographer, and I have an entire interview based on what choosing a photographer looks like to get you started!

I want to preface all of these little bits of writing and advice with the idea that, while these articles are here to help get you started, a lot of what I’m here to help you with before your wedding day is talk through the wedding day timeline with you and discuss lighting concerns.

We can go over the best time for glowing sunset portraits and make sure you’re spending time on your wedding day the way you want. So if your goal is to spend cocktail hour with your guests instead of taking photos, we can make that happen and find a time to take portraits at other times during the day!

This day is yours and should be about the two of you and showing what your love looks like. And I’m just there to photograph it all.

Sessions

  • 01 1800

    LIFESTYLE SESSION

    Two hour excursion; a hike, multiple locations, or extended time together

    Additional hours are $500. Up to 4 hours total.

  • 02 1200

    ENGAGEMENT SESSION

    1 hour engagement session

    Travel included up to 1 hour from Baltimore MD

  • 03 700

    MINI SESSION

    30 minutes of couples portraits in Baltimore, MD

    Estimated 25 photos. Any one location in Baltimore MD. Only available on weekdays.
  • sugarloaf mountain hike
  • How to plan for engagement session
  • autumn exploration
  • Sunset hike
  • Bride and groom laughing together outdoors, groom in a rust-colored jacket
  • Couple lying close together face to face in an intimate quiet moment
  • couple walking at sunrise in fells point
    sunrise in baltimore
This session is about you.

Planning Ideas

Let’s plan a session that feels like you. Making coffee around your house, a hike, a morning stroll, or just a place that feels inspiring.

I’ll share this here because I have a few ideas on how to plan for a session I’ve written in this article –

Session Planning Guide

But we can always just talk about your session. Give me an adjective. Tell me about an outfit you want to wear. A feeling you want to show. I’m always happy to share sessions from previous clients for inspiration, but more than anything, I’d love to hear about what you want to get from your photos.

  • Do you want to do a session walking to your favorite bar or cafe in your neighborhood?
  • Would you like some photos of the two of you making breakfast together in the morning?
  • Do you want an outdoor excursion; a hike, a boat ride, or a swim?
  • What would a rainy day with boots and umbrellas feel like to you?
  • Does a picnic on the beach or a rooftop feel like your speed?
  • What’s your favorite date outing on a sunny day?

Your Engagement Session

FOR A BIT OF PRACTICE, HAVING A SESSION TOGETHER IS LIKE A TRIAL RUN BEFORE THE WEDDING DAY.

When to Book

For engagement sessions, when we book might be dependent on what you intend to use the photos for.

Save the Dates are pre-invitations usually sent out at least 4 months before the wedding. Since the average edit time for engagements is 4-6 weeks, I recommend scheduling your session at least five months out from your wedding day for Save the Date purposes.

If your plan is to order a guest book or an engagement album to display at the wedding, I recommend scheduling the session at least two months before the wedding; this will include the 4-6 weeks for me to deliver the images and still give you enough time to design and print with a consumer level book printer, if you choose to do so!

If these photos are just a chance for us to get to know each other, for you to get some pre-wedding day practice in, or a chance to get photos done in a non-wedding get up, then you get to choose anytime of the year that works best for you!

If you wanted to incorporate ice cream cones, that would work best on warmer spring or summer days, while bundled plaid layers are best in autumn, and beach and campfire sessions are perfect for warm summer nights.

What to wear

I trust everyone’s judgement and also, I’ve written additional tips that I give both couples and families for clothing choices

Session Planning Guide

And if you’re a visual learner, when in doubt, go to Pinterest. So I’ve put together a board of inspiration for you!

Clothing Inspiration

Think of wearing outfits to the “same event.” Make sure your kids are the same level as dressed up as you. Think of how the colors go together; I LOVE primary colors as a pop, but dressing everyone in warm colors or in cool colors can be a nice way to create visual cohesion.

And of course, feel free to send photos! As a part of our planning process, we’ll also discuss location ideas together, work through conceptual ideas for the shoot, and decide on something that perfectly suits portraits for everyone.

Black and white or color?

Oh don’t make me choose. I deliver every single image in both black & white and color.

I love the warmth my processing brings to photographs of families, but I also feel like there’s something special about taking all the distraction of color away from the photos and just focusing on you, light, shadows, and emotion in the images.

My favorite part of this is that once you finish looking through all of the images of you and your loved ones in all of your warm colorful bliss, you have an entirely new gallery to view with a monochrome filter.

Some of my favorite images present themselves to me once I see them in black and white.

 

FAQ & Answers

  • Will all of my images be edited?

    All of the images I deliver are print-ready. They’re edited for exposure, contrast, sharpness, and color tone. My goal is for the final result of the session to feel the way love feels: warm and comforting

  • What is required to reserve our session?

    Whenever you’re ready to book your session date, I’ll send you an online contract for you to fill out online. Both the signed contract and $450 payment are due to secure your session date.

  • What are the payment options?

    I accept checks and cash and will send you information about the best way to make payments along with the contract. The session fees are split into two payments; <strong>$450 due with the contract to reserve your date</strong> and the final amount is due on the day of the session.

  • What if there’s inclement weather?

    For local clients where travel isn’t involved, I usually will recommend rescheduling if the weather is calling for 60% chance of rain or more the day before our session. At least a 24 hour notice is needed for us to make other arrangements if cancellation or a reschedule is necessary. Simply overcast days give really brilliant, soft light, but we have some options for rainy or snowy days like:

    • An indoor rain plan (a coffee shop, a museum, an in-home shoot)

    • We grab some umbrellas and shoot anyway (Pacific Northwest style) I want you to love everything about your photos and your experience working with me, so if reschedule we must, reschedule we shall!

  • How long before we see our photos?

    Your portraits will be posted in an online gallery in 4-6 weeks for you to share with family and friends to view and buy prints! I’ll also send download instructions for your high-resolution files for you to print from, share, post on Instagram and Facebook, etc. I’d love for you to share your images, but you are only asked to please not edit or modify them or use them for commercial purposes. I also love seeing your favorites if you don’t mind tagging me @nessakphotography!

  • How many photos will we receive?

    Portrait sessions average about 80-100 images while 2 hour events are 140-200 images.

  • Can I see a full gallery before I book?

    Yes! Let me know if you’d like to see a completed gallery online – I love sharing full sessions to give you an idea of what a full session is like!

INFORMATION AND WEDDINGS

Inquire

Set up a photo session

"*" indicates required fields

© 2026 Nessa K :: Site by 2NDST