Engagement VS Proposal Photos | Las Vegas Desert Proposal

It’s time for Corbyn and Madison’s sweet sunrise proposal! These lovebirds are self-proclaimed concert junkies from Nashville, Tennessee, and met at work. Corbyn says, “What I love most about her is her heart. I am so blessed to have her love me unconditionally.” (Are you swooning? ‘Cause I’m swooning.) But one question that came up in their inquiry was what is the difference between a proposal and an engagement session?

To be as blunt as possible, a proposal session captures the PROPOSAL plus some celebratory portraits, where an engagement session is a totally separate portrait session to celebrate AFTER you’ve popped the question.

Proposal sessions are candid, documentary- or journalistic-style photography, where the subject (the one being proposed to) is usually completely unaware of my presence or our real reason for coming together. An engagement session is more planned beforehand with BOTH members of the couple. Doing your engagement photos separately also means the proposee is absolutely certain to be thrilled with how they look (trust me, this is a common snag when planning a surprise proposal!)

Because the question has already been popped and the proposal accepted, an engagement session is more formal and often includes more guided posing for the whole shoot, while proposals capture the proposal, the immediate authentic reaction, and all the emotion-filled aftermath — plus some romantic portraits right after! While no part of your session will ever feel stilted or overly posed, I will walk you through some classic poses and more freestyle prompts.

Why choose one over the other? Some couples value privacy to the point that they’d rather save the moment for the two of them, then celebrate after once all the big (usually tear-filled) emotions have settled. On the other hand, many proposers are looking for some extra help with setup and planning and find that choosing a proposal package makes all the difference when going all-out for their partner.

I hope that helped clear things up on the difference between proposal and engagement photoshoots! If you still have questions, use that funny little box right there to send me a message and let’s chat!

Amber is a Las Vegas Elopement Photographer who is available for travel for elopements and weddings. Send in a contact form through the link above to schedule your free consultation.