There’s nothing more beautiful than fresh fallen snow in northeast Ohio! And if you’re recently engaged and thinking about taking winter engagement photos, you’ll want to think of a few things before you book your engagement session!

First, truly ask yourself (and your significant other) if you like being out in the cold. It sounds great at first, but if you get grumpy when you’re cold, then that will come through in your photos. And no one wants that! Next, you’ll need to check with your photographer and make sure you can plan your engagement photos around the unpredictable snow fall. This means your photographer (and you!) will need to be flexible in terms of scheduling! That also means that you’ll have to be ready to potentially take a day off from work depending on the timing of the snow if it’s during the week. With the early sunset, sessions need to take place before 4pm for the best light!

If neither are an issue and  you decide that you’re down for snowy photos, then consider the following tips to make the best of your time outside!

1. Dress for the weather: Wearing layers and cozy coats and accessories make for adorable photos! Wearing a cute sweater underneath your coat will allow you to get some photos without your coat off and give you more variety in your final gallery! Cute hats and scarves can really elevate your photos and if you’re looking for a great small business to support, Little Birdie Design Studio has the cutest handmade accessories that you can coordinate with your outfit! Also plan to wear waterproof boots that can withstand the elements! I know once my feet get cold, I’m ready to come inside! So make sure you wear fuzzy socks and bundle up! You can also buy a few packs of hot hands to put in your gloves and boots to help keep you nice and toasty!

2. Consider both an outdoor location and indoor location: My engagement sessions last for 90 minutes, which gives us plenty of time to get to know each other and go over my posing so you’re pros by the time your wedding day arrives! But 90 minutes outside in Ohio in the winter time isn’t too appealing! Instead, consider doing cozy photos inside your house or at an indoor location that’s special to you! (Ex: the place you had your first date, a favorite coffeeshop or brewery.) Then you can head outside for the second half of your session for your snowy photos! It’s a win-win!

3. Bring props to help keep you warm: If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing better than a hot cup of coffee (or hot chocolate) after being out in the cold. Bring along a thermos and cute mugs so you can not only use them as cute props in the photos, but you can sip on it to help keep you warm! Bringing blankets is also a cute way to incorporate a prop, but also useful for wrapping yourself up when you’re walking between locations!

If you follow these tips, your perfect winter engagement session dreams will come true and you’ll get adorable snowy photos like the ones below! Keep scrolling to see my favorite photos from Brittany & Joey’s winter session!