While you’re in the middle of planning your engagement photos – you’ve got your ring cleaned, you’ve picked the perfect outfit (read ideas about that here), you’ve got your main squeeze – but what about your furry best friend? Read on to find out how to prepare to have the best engagement photos with your pets!

In a world where Pinterest is one of the main sources of inspiration for all things but especially engagement photos – it’s fairly easy to come across pictures of happy couples with their pups. This has inspired SO many of my brides to want to include their dogs too! As a wedding photographer & a past veterinary nurse I am happy to share some tangible takeaways that can make your photos featuring your pets ones you’ll cherish forever!

• Early Bird Gets the Best Photos – Make sure to arrive to your session at least 15 – 20 minutes early. It’s very unrealistic to show up to your engagement session and expect your pet to be as picture ready as you are. Let them sniff around and get acquainted with the new place for a little while. This will make you feel so much less frustrated when the actual photos start being taken. 

• Treats Please! – This one seems like a no brainer but seriously DO NOT FORGET your dog’s favorite treats! They are my biggest trick to making sure I get photos where pets seem to be interested in the camera! Sometimes this can mean their favorite toy too – whatever gets them the most excited at home – will work just as well in a session too!

• Bring a Helper – This is another nonnegotiable for an engagement session with pups. Bring some help! This one was super tough for me when Hunter and I lived separately but now he is usually my go to treat holder/dog sitter on engagement sessions, just ask a friend for help! While you’re at the engagement session, have the helper hold the treat directly over your lens. Not your head, not to the side of you, right over your lens. Make sure to tell your helper that they are welcome to get all up in your space for this, if you feel a little weird about that, it’s okay – they might feel that way too! Having the treat right over the lens will help so that you have images where the pup is looking right at the camera!

• Puppy See, Puppy Do – No matter how your pet is acting – nervous, excited, happy, DO NOT get upset at them. Dogs can sense when you’re nervous or upset, and that in turn will make them upset. If you stay calm and happy, they are much less likely to become distressed! The very worst case scenario when dog based sessions happen is that you may have more lifestyle photos, which are photos of you two interacting with your pup, than you will have photos of them looking at the camera. Just remember that it is totally fine! Pups aren’t humans – they are pups! Just have fun and love on those furry babes!