There is something I love about an engagement session that gives us two completely different looks, and Nick and Carrie understood the assignment.

We started with a more relaxed, romantic look, with Carrie in the prettiest blue and white floral dress and Nick in a tan suit. Between the greenery, huge trees, and gardens, this part of their session had that classic Southern feel that photographs so beautifully in Columbia.

Then came the outfit change, and the entire session shifted.

Carrie changed into a short white dress with white heels while Nick went with a classic black suit, giving us a much more polished, editorial look. The clean architecture and columns were the perfect backdrop and made these feel almost like a little preview of wedding-day portraits.

That is one of the reasons I love encouraging couples to bring two outfits to their engagement session. You don't have to choose between casual and elevated—or romantic and editorial. We can create both and give you a gallery that has variety while still feeling completely cohesive.

Engagement sessions aren't just about getting a pretty photo for a save-the-date. They're also one of the best opportunities for us to work together before the wedding.

You get comfortable in front of my camera, learn how I direct and pose, and (probably most importantly) realize that you don't actually have to know what you're doing. That's my job.

By the time the wedding arrives, we've already done this together once. And that makes stepping in front of the camera on your wedding day feel so much more natural.

Nick and Carrie gave me the perfect mix during their session: classic portraits, movement, laughter, a little romance, and some of those more editorial images that I absolutely love creating.

I cannot wait to have these two back in front of my camera for the wedding!

If you're recently engaged and looking for a Columbia, SC engagement photographer or South Carolina wedding photographer, I'd love to help you plan a session that feels like the two of you, and gives you photographs that will still look like you years from now.