LGBT Wedding Photographer | Lesbian Engagement Photos | Lesbian Weddings | LGBTQ Photographer
What to look for when doing lesbian engagement photos, plus inspiration and tips
LGBTQ Engagement Photos
If you’re having your engagement photos done soon and want to prepare as best as possible, these lesbian engagement photos and tips on what to wear will help get the ball rolling!
I’m an inclusive wedding photographer and photograph LGBTQ+ couples all around the USA and world. Though I’m based in New York and California, my couples will fly me all over to capture creative and gorgeous photos of them in a safe, welcoming setting.
While of course many women couples don’t call themselves lesbians, couples who do identify as gay or lesbian often search for LGBT-affirming photos or lesbian engagement photos—and as an LGBT wedding photographer, I wanted to share photos and tips of some of the amazing couples (and occasional throuples!) I’ve photographed over the years.
Lesbian Engagement Photos – Inspiration
Lesbian engagement photos are often the first time couples meet me in person (especially these days, phone calls and Zoom meetings are the norm), so creating a fun, safe, and creative environment is what I do for anyone I’m photographing.
In all my years of business, I’m lucky that my couples and I have never encountered anything more than smiles from passers-by–or occasionally, slight confusion. In fact, the only negativity we’ve ever come face-to-face with was from LGBTQ+ couples’ own families, who occasionally choose to argue rather than stay quiet or simply not show up.
That said, anyone is allowed to go anywhere (permits withstanding), but if you’re shooting at, say, a place of worship, then you may want to check twice as to whether all people are accepted there.
Tips & Poses for Lesbian Engagement Photos
If you’re a couple, this advice may be interesting for you. And if you’re a vendor or fellow photographer, these engagement photo tips could be helpful for you and your clients.
– Before we meet, I get to know my couples via email, questionnaires I send out, our calls, and more. I review this information before the engagement session so it’s fresh in my mind. It doesn’t matter if I’m meeting a couple, a family, or a musician, because having things to talk about throughout your photos is a whole lot better than silence. I don’t do silence! Heck, who wants awkward silences?!
– The minute we meet, I make sure to make the people I’m photographing feel comfortable. Goodness knows I feel awkward in front of a camera, so immediately making people feel at ease is #1.
– My style is very natural, candid, and creative, so I don’t do the typical corny prompts that many photographers do. I focus more on getting my couples laughing, doing something they enjoy (Roller blading? Boating? Petting kittens?), or hiking, for example. No touching foreheads or tracing a line down the person’s body here. For our photos, we do a lot of chatting, running around, being silly, and having adventures. This is why my couples pick me to photograph them in the first place!
– For any engagement photos, picking a great location is the best place to start. What do you love to do/see/eat? Do you want to walk around a park? Get hot cocoa and go ice skating? Play board games with your pup? Have me show you around a unique museum? Whatever it is, pick a place that’s either cool or sentimental—or one of each.
-When capturing lesbian engagement photos, I use all the information I gathered when we originally spoke, where we are, and how I see the couple interacting with each other. There’s no need to make the taller person the caretaker, or to peg one of the couple as the leader or “more masculine one.” I just watch their body language and figure out what makes them feel like themselves, and comfortable. This is true no matter how my couple identifies!
What to wear for your engagement photos?
- In general, you do not want to match. You also don’t want to wear clothes that are close, but just off by a shade or two—say, a maroon shirt and a red shirt.
- Wearing more vibrant colors helps you stand out against one-note backgrounds like winter weather or architectural photos. I always recommend jewel tones like emerald green, rust, deep red, royal purple, etc.
- Bring outfit choices and layers! You can each have a less formal outfit and a more formal outfit. If you want to stick with pants, you can do jeans for informal and slacks or a pantsuit for more formal. If one or both of you want to be dressier, you can change it up with shoes, blouses, skirts, or a sundress. Mixing and matching is absolutely fine, and your photographer (LINKKKK) can help you figure out what looks best
- Want to go with clothing prints? Go for big, bold prints rather than small ones. Why? Small, cute prints like flamingoes or lollipops tend to look like splatters or particles from far away. For that reason, solid colors or bolder prints work better.
Where to Search for an LGBTQ Engagement Photographer/LGBT Wedding Photographer
Google, LGBT-specific websites and publications, Instagram with hashtags, and referrals from people and vendors you trust are all good starting places. I’m an experienced LGBT destination wedding photographer and am currently booking folx for 2023 and 2024 engagement shoots, elopements, and weddings! You can contact me by filling out my simple form here, by scrolling down to the bottom of this article, or by emailing me directly with your details to info@KathrynCooperWeddings.com.
My vibrant, candid, fun style isn’t for everyone, though, and it can be hard to find inclusive wedding photographers around the globe.
That said, if I’m not your style and you’re looking for someone with a dark and moody or light and airy style instead, here are a few awesome sites to reach out to—all of whom specifically support couples, throuples, all ages, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and more.
Offbeat Wed (which recently rebranded from Offbeat Bride to be more inclusive)
Facebook Groups such as LGBTQ+ Wedding Planning and Advice
LGBTQ-forward wedding planners such as Anything But Grey Events (Los Angeles, California); Rainbow Weddings by Sara (Sacramento & Bay Area, California); RSVP by B (Hudson Valley, New York); and so many more
It can be hard to find images you relate to in a digital world overcrowded with cis, white models who’ve got lip injections and Botox up the wazoo, but there are TONS of couples out there who deserve the same awesome, customized photos that adorn magazines and billboards.
Enjoy this lesbian engagement photography inspiration for 2023. No matter how you identify, I hope this mini guide and following photos helps you with your next project. And wherever you area or are looking to do celebratory photos, feel free to reach out to me for any help, or to book me as your engagement photographer/wedding photographer~
Such gorgeous, creative shots!
These are great tips for everyone to consider, and to help be more inclusive.