Couple photography in Montreal
I offer engagement photo sessions and couples photoshoots for folks who just want to treat themselves to beautiful photos with their partners. Your relationship deserves to be captured in an authentic way that reflects your life together right now.
Read on for everything you need to know to set up an engagement or couple’s photoshoot with me:
What is an Engagement session?
An engagement session is a relaxed couple’s photoshoot before your wedding. It gives you cute casual photos of the two of you. You can choose to take these pre-wedding portraits in a beautiful place you love to visit or a place you have shared many happy moments. You can also choose to highlight parts of your day-to-day life as a couple, things that are unique about you!
Casual couple sessions
Couples often contact me to plan a couple’s photo session with a professional photographer for a special occasion like an anniversary or a birthday. If you are planning a romantic getaway in Montreal, I am also happy to set up a vacation photoshoot during your stay here.
Engagement photos locations
Some of the most popular spots in Montreal for engagement or couples photos are Mount Royal, the Botanical Garden, Old Montreal and the Plateau Mont-Royal. While these places can be gorgeous, we can always get a little more personal by sticking to your own neighbourhood and going to places that are special to your own story.
Will we have to pose for couples photos?
My approach to couples portraits is really documentary and natural. This means that while I may guide you a little for some photos, mostly, you’ll just interact as you normally would. This lets your personalities come through naturally in your photos.
The best way to get great candid photos is to do something fun together during your photoshoot. This can be something you already love doing together or something new you’ve been itching to try. Feel free to treat your couples photoshoot as a fun date. And I’ll be your third wheel along for the ride, catching all the lovely moments.
Here are some activity ideas to get you inspired:
- going out for a coffee and bagels
- grabbing a drink at your favourite brewery
- revisiting the place you had your first date
- cooking together
- thrift shopping
- biking in the park
- playing board games at home
- sledding
- walking your dogs
- finding the best spot to watch the sunset
The important thing is to choose activity that’s truly something you enjoy doing together! Don’t just choose something “cute”, find something that feel like you! If you’d like to brainstorm together, feel free to send me a message.
During your photoshoot, I may suggest a few poses that will be action-based and you can feel free to make them your own. I’m taking so many photos during the shoot, that often your favourite ones end up being the ones in between the posed moments. What makes the best pictures are those moments when you are holding hands and laughing together and forget the camera is there!
What to wear for couple portraits?
When you’re trying to decide what to wear for your couple photos, imagine something you’d put on for a Sunday morning outing. Choose an outfit that feels like you: a favourite shirt you always wear, your usual mix-and-match combo, or something that’s comfortable but that still makes you feel like a million bucks!
You don’t need to have matching colours as a couple, but it can be nice to complement each other with similar tones. The easiest way to do this is to stick to neutral colours like beige, grey, black and white. But honestly, I love colours so feel free to get creative with your colour scheme! Break the rules a bit and go with what feels good!
When should engagement photos be taken?
Engagement photoshoots can be scheduled anytime after you get engaged and before your wedding date. I’ve even shot engagement photos a few weeks before a wedding. But in general, most couples plan for their engagement shoots 6 to 8 months before their wedding date.
We can do couples photoshoot in any season, but here’s some recommendations based on the Montreal weather by season:
- Spring: As soon as the weather warms up and the snow melts, you will probably be so happy to be outside after the long winter. To get couples photos outside with flowers blooming and fresh greenery, you should probably schedule for the end of April or beginning of May. Here’s a look at a springtime engagement shoot we did in Griffintown.
- Summer: June, July, August are all great months for couples shoots. Warm enough for all kinds of activities, from terrasses, to ice cream, to summer festivals, there are so many fun things to do in Montreal when it’s hot. With the longer summer days, the golden hour is usually beautiful and sessions can be scheduled in the evenings. Here’s a summer engagement photoshoot at Mount-Royal.
- Fall: September and October are when you can start to get cozy and layer your outfits a little. In October, the trees turn beautiful colours and it’s the perfect time for a fall photoshoot out in nature. We can even head out to a national park nearby for adventure-themed engagement photos. Here’s a fall engagement photoshoot at Mont Tremblant — we even got to see a wild deer!
- Winter: December, Jan and February are the best months for winter-themed photos. Fresh snow and crisp cold make it a beautiful but challenging environment for photos outdoors. But if you love winter, it’s totally worth it! This time of year there’s also a ton of beautiful lights out in Montreal (holiday decorations and light installations to brighten the dark evenings). The days are shorter, so sessions are scheduled earlier in the afternoons. And it’s important to dress warmly, with lots of layers to keep you cozy throughout your photoshoot. Here’s a look at a fun winter couples photoshoot we did in Old Montreal.
2 months we mostly stay indoors
While rainy day coupleshoots can be very romantic, if you want to avoid the most grey weather of the year, you might want to avoid planning an outdoor shoot in either November or March. You can still have very creative couples photoshoots indoors during these months (cozy at-home photo sessions are especially cool).
How long are couple portrait sessions?
Couples photoshoots usually last 1.5 to 2 hours. This may sound like a long time to be taking portraits, but since my photography style is relaxed, we spend some time wandering around, getting to know each other, warming up to the camera and walking to different locations for a variety of scenes. Setting aside a block of about 2 hours gives us plenty of time to not be rushed and to get natural photos of the two of you together.
What time of day is best for portrait photography?
For photos, the best light happens later in the afternoon when the sun starts being softer and golden. We can start a bit later to include sunset and evening photos. Otherwise, morning light can be beautiful too as long as we get an early start.
How much does a couple photoshoot cost?
For couples portrait sessions, I offer a package that is $595+tax (Canadian currency). It includes up to 2 hours of photography. I work in a natural non-posed style to create beautiful, relaxed portraits of you two. After the session, I edit the images and provide a collection of high-resolution digital files via an online gallery that can be downloaded directly to your computer.
How many photos are included?
For a typical 2-hour couple photoshoot, you can expect somewhere between 100-200 photos in your final collection.
Here’s what engagement photos are great for
You can use the photos for save-the-dates, your wedding website, and engagement announcements on social media. Many couples also use some favourite engagement photos to print out for decoration at the wedding or for a guestbook that their wedding guests can sign.
Casual couples portraits also have a timeless vibe
You can print up photos for your walls and share photos on social media. Because couples portraits are more casual than wedding photos, they can usually be used online even longer than wedding photos. One of my brides from 5 years ago is still using her engagement photos for her Facebook profile! 🙂
Engagement photos give you the perfect chance to get to know your photographer
Another advantage to the engagement session is you get to practice for your wedding photos: you become more comfortable with your photographer and how they work. If you haven’t picked your wedding photographer yet, doing an engagement session can be a trial run to see what the experience of working with the photographer is like.
Want to set up a portrait session?
If you’re looking forward to doing engagement photos and are excited to plan a photoshoot with me, let’s talk!