5 Tips to Help You Prepare For Your Engagement Session

Fun, urban Engagement Session with Monica and Jhanisus at Angel’s Flight in Downtown Los Angeles

Engagement sessions are so much fun and we love photographing them because our couples are relaxed, they’re looking good, we’re at a fun location and the time we have together allows them to just be themselves and enjoy each other. Did I mention we get to have fun?!!

Kimi and Daniel in Switzer Falls for their adventurous, romantic engagement session

Tip #1: Why should you book your Engagement Session?

Yes, it allows you to get comfortable with us, in front of our camera and as nerve-wracking as it sounds, at the end of each session our couples always tell us how much fun they had. It’s also a really good time to test out your hair and makeup artist that you’re thinking of using for your wedding.

I may be getting ahead of myself, but if you think about it, most of our engagement sessions are finished by evening on a weekend so since your hair and makeup are done, you’re dressed fashionably casual, it usually makes for a really nice date night!

As with everything we do, whenever we photograph we look at our sessions and weddings like game days. We plan and prepare beforehand and then we rock it out and play as much as we can. We want you to look your best, feel the most joy and be blown away when we show your photos to you!

Silhouette of Sabrina and Leo for their wilderness Carbon Canyon Engagement Session

Tip #2: How should you use your engagement photos?

Sometimes couples ask us if an engagement session is necessary and I always let them know that a lot of our couples use their engagement session photos for Save the Date Cards to let their friends and family know ahead of time to set aside their wedding date. This always gets everyone really excited!

You can also use your engagement session photos for your wedding guestbook so everyone can sign in and leave their best wishes for you. This is always a good idea as you can use it as a wedding keepsake to look back on.

We’ve also had our couples create a canvas to use at the reception table and it also doubles as beautiful wall art to display in their home. If anything at all, we encourage engagement sessions to balance out their gorgeous wedding photos with some casual and fun engagement session photos.

Melissa and Adam in Santa Barbara for their romantic beach engagement session

Tip #3: When should I book my engagement session?

The best timeframe to book your engagement session is about 6 months before your wedding date. You can definitely book it earlier or later but if you’re planning on using them for Save the Dates you want to book your session at least 2 weeks ahead of when you’re planning on sending them out.

Jandy in her red dress and Wilson in Downtown LA for their urban engagement session near Vibiana

Tip #4: Where should we go for our session?

Ultimately we suggest booking your engagement session in a different season than when you’re getting married as it adds a different look to your wedding. If you prefer to use the same or similar seasons, we encourage you to think about holding your engagement session in a different location to balance your wedding day location.

Speaking of locations, if you ask us one of our favorite locations is in urban settings such as Downtown LA Art District, Downtown Fullerton, or Downtown Santa Barbara. If you love taking adventures, we can always head to the mountains or a wilderness vibe. And you can never go wrong with holding your session at the beach. Wherever you decide to hold your session we always encourage you to think about where you enjoy to hang out with your Love. Some might see us as being indecisive but ultimately, these will be your photos and we want you to be as comfortable as possible. You won’t be your best if we were to push a city vibe when you love walking barefoot in the sand. We want you to be as carefree as possible and just enjoy each other to the fullest so we can highlight your relationship in the best way!

Melissa and Adam at Arroyo Burro Beach in Santa Barbara for their beach engagement session

Before we give you Tip #5, check out more from Melissa and Adam’s romantic engagement session in Santa Barbara

Tip #5: What should I wear for our engagement session?

As far as fashion is concerned, we want you to look and feel your best. Think about what you would wear if you were going out to a nice dinner date. If a cute dress and heels are your thing while your love wears some slacks with a blazer then feel free to rock that out! If you like jeans and a cute top while your love is a collared shirt and jeans type, then show us what you’re working with! Haha! I think you know what we’re trying to say here. If you need some extra help, we always provide our Style Guide, so make sure to check it out once you book.

Lawrence just proposed to Melissa at the Hollywood Bowl Overlook in Los Angeles

How do I book our engagement session?

If these tips helped you out and want to check our availability for your engagement session, I encourage you to fill out the info below today and we can get the ball rolling for you.

We’re looking forward to highlighting your relationship and we’re excited for what’s in store!

Romantic engagement session in Pasadena with Michelle and Daniel

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Are you thinking about booking your Engagement Session?

Feel free to fill this out and get in contact with us to get the ball rollin’!

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Dana Point Wedding at Chart House Restaurant in Orange County | Kim and Jim

Last Fall, we had the privilege of taking Kim and Jim out to Shaw's Cove for their engagement session since that's where Jim proposed to Kim; right on the steps leading out to the beach. We couldn't be happier for them as their theme for their engagement session and wedding revolved around the beach, ocean and that sweet ocean breeze!

They held their wedding at Chart House Restaurant in Dana Point and couldn't have chosen a more beautiful location to have their wedding. The Chart House was perfect for their intimate, outdoor wedding ceremony and their secluded reception area provided for the best dinner setting for their friends and families. 

We're so excited for these two and make sure you give them your blessings in the comments below!

Wedding Venue: Chart House Restaurant Dana Point

Wedding Preparation Hotel: Ayres Suites Mission Viejo

Wedding Florals: Lynne Lucente

Wedding Officiant: Jeff Tackett

Acoustic Guitarist: Chris Wooley

Wedding Gown: Stella York

Wedding Belt: Vera Wang

Wedding Shoes: Lauren Lorraine

For more info on Chris Holt Photography, please contact us via our Contact Page. We'd love to set up an appointment for you to meet us and see our albums. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Il Garage Wedding in Orange County | Ioanna and Dimitri

We are so excited to start our wedding season for 2016 and we couldn't be happier to see Ioanna and Dimitri tie the knot this past weekend at Il Garage Ristorante in Orange County. Their wedding has been a long time coming and to see their friends and family celebrate with them made it that much special. 

There was so much love and happiness throughout the entire day, and Ioanna's smile was uncontainable. When we photographed their engagement session, we knew their wedding was going to be a beautiful and intimate celebration. 

Enjoy the highlights from their wedding and make sure to wish them many Congratulations!

I hope you enjoyed these as much as we did photographing them! If you, or you know a friend or two who is planning on getting married and you want us to meet them, feel free to share this post with them. Or simply fill out the form below and we'll be in contact with them. 

You absolutely rock!!

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Best of 2015 - The Weddings Part I

As 2016 starts to ramp up, I wanted to put a Wedding Year in Review as it was a pretty awesome year overall. We had so many couples that trusted us with photographing their wedding and we are extremely grateful to be able to do what we do. 

I've mentioned it in a few places on social media (in case you're not following be sure to follow our wedding and engagement updates @thechrisholt) and on our Best of Engagements for 2015, but we are so grateful to each and every one of our couples for their support for our Wedding Wire Couples' Choice Award for 2016! 

We're so happy to provide our creativity and talent to highlight our couples' weddings. Every time a couple chooses us to work with we are humbled with gratitude as each and every wedding is an absolute privilege. 

Enjoy Part I of our Best of Weddings for 2015 and stay tuned for Part II. 

Also, as you know, we only had a small hand in creating these beautiful images for our couples. If you know a friend or two that you would like us to meet, go ahead and share this post with them or you can easily let us know by putting their name and info in the form at the end. 

Enjoy and Thanks So Much!!

I hope you enjoyed these as much as we did photographing them! If you, or you know a friend or two who is planning on getting married and you want us to meet them, feel free to share this post with them. Or simply fill out the form below and we'll be in contact with them. 

You absolutely rock!!

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Three Reasons to Hire a Professional Videographer

There are so many emotions and elements that go into a wedding. These emotions and elements happen while wedding planning as well as during your wedding day. The emotions, elements and events actually become necessary, inevitable and uncontrollable before and during your wedding as they become part of your unique story.  

Many couples may feel like a professional wedding film is unnecessary to invest in, but as photographers that have been a part of many wedding celebrations, I can't begin to tell you how many couples have told us they wish they had hired a professional videographer to document their wedding! 

As a photographer, I may be a bit biased, but the images and moments from your wedding are irreplaceable. Your wedding should be able to be relived the same way you remember it, if not better than you envisioned. One of the qualities that we believe is in making sure our work is timeless, genuine and filled with emotion. 

time·less: tīmləs/ adjective

not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion

With that, I've put together three reasons to hire a professional videographer. 

1. Most people don't remember the majority of their wedding day as it unfolded. Your wedding film is one of the best ways to relive each moment in a cinematic and artistic form
2. Your wedding is part of your unique story. Most newlyweds say they highly recommend a video of their wedding to experience the highlights of the beautiful and memorable moments that created your day
3. You can include friends and family that weren't able to celebrate feel like they were a vital part of your wedding story with a tasteful and cinematic approach to your wedding

I also want to present you with a few wedding filmmakers that we have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know. These two featured professionals take a lot of pride in their craft and I couldn't be more privileged to introduce you to their awesome work. Check out the previews below and be sure to visit their website for more of their work!

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Brian and Candice from Ace Wedding Videography are two awesome wedding filmmakers that are truly dedicated to their work. 

Can you say live stream weddings?! 

Ace Wedding Videography | www.aceweddingvideography.com

And if the three reasons I mentioned above are not enough, here are a few more benefits that set them apart: 

1. Flexible and accommodating. We have packages for guidance, but we strive to make each video a unique experience tailored to our clients 
2. We strive to be the least intrusive to our clients' special day. We want clients to remember their wedding day, not their videographers
3. From our initial consultation to the final delivery. We will be there with clients every step of the way

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Erica and Laura, from The Vision Field, are two of the most artistic and creative people we have ever met. Their positive attitude and openness to try new things are what makes them truly unique. 

The Vision Field | www.thevisionfield.com

“We are intuitive and transformational people who are well rounded in many areas and have travelled to many countries and connect well with people.”

— Erica and Laura

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I hope this helps you in your wedding planning and especially on investing in how you will want to remember your wedding. 

If you're in the middle of planning your wedding and want to meet us for a quick chat about your wedding details please let us know by leaving your email address below. We'd love to serve you and create some awesome images with you!