The MacMeekens Photography
locations, timing, prep and styling
YOUR ENGAGEMENT SESSION HAS BEEN SCHEDULED! HOLY COW IT'S GETTING REAL, Y'ALL!
Thank you again for choosing to work with us and please don't hesitate to let us if you have any questions at all! We are here to help!
xoxo Christina & Will
IT'S ENGAGEMENT SESSION TIME BABYYYY! Getting to share these Dallas, Fort Worth Engagement and Adventure Engagement Session Locations, outfit ideas and pro tips is just the beginning of this epic journey we are about to embark on together and WE. ARE. STOKED.
Obviously, we are big fans of engagement sessions for a few reasons. Not only do they allow you to get comfortable in front of the camera, they also give you the opportunity to showcase your personalities in a more casual setting that is significant to the two of you. We've created this entire guide dedicated to outfit tips, Dallas-Fort Worth and adventure session location ideas, timing considerations and more!
The fun is about to begin and we can't wait to finally capture your love for the first time!! In this guide you will find tons of info to help us prepare for your session. We will also talk about this info together to discuss your aesthetic & personalities in more detail so that we can fully customize this experience to you guys too.
These are just some of our pro-tips and suggestions. As with all wedding things, this is ultimately YOUR day. If you have ideas outside of this guide of course throw them our way. We are always open to considering new ideas that might help tell your unique story even better.
dinner & after session experience
style guide: what to wear and what to avoid
timing & logisitics: sunset, lanscape, weather
location list: our favorite places
post-production: what's next
Location List
Names with asterix ** require permits and/or admission fees.
Over the years, we've been able to work at a wide variety of locations. When picking a location, there are a few things to keep in mind:
1. The overall aesthetic you would like your photos to look like (urban, forest, garden, etc)
2. The season of your session- summer lakeside session vs. autumn nature preserve/state park session
3. Your personalities & how you spend your time together. Do you enjoy playing video games and nerding out? Let's find a vintage arcade! Are you a couple who enjoys hiking and adventuring together? Let's take you guys to a nearby state park and do just that! The world is your oyster and we are along for the ride!
With that in mind, check out the below list for some ideas and let's narrow things down from there. We love when possible to get a great mix of elevated and casual. Typically our couples end up choosing two session styles they like and we suggest locations for them from there. For many of our couples this looks something like:
1) park or nature preserve
2) urban setting of some sort
3) one or two creative concepts after we hang out for a bit
You can wear the same outfit at each location or different outfits for each place. Below you will find a list of some of our all time favorite session locations. Please note that if it has an asterisks next to it, there are either parking, permit, admission or travel fees involved. Please do not let this deter you from using these locations. They are often the BEST and sooo worth it if you are open to a little extra planning and research before hand.
9) Philbrook Museum of Art *
8) Guadalupe River State Park *
7) Palo Duro Canyons State Park *
6) Monahans Sandhills State Park *
5) Sam Houston National Forest *
4) LBJ Grasslands- Piney Forest *
3) Palo Pinto Mountains State Park *
2) Beavers Bend State Park *
1) Tyler State Park *
12) Stone Creek Park in Flower Mound
11) Thompson Bookstore in Fort Worth
10) Hop & Sting Brewery in Grapevine
9) The Keller Pointe in Keller
8) Rockledge Park in Grapevine*
7) Murrell Park in Grapevine
6) Grapevine Botanic Gardens
5) DFW Airport *
4) The Fort Worth Water Gardens
3) Fort Worth Botanical Gardens *
2) Trinity Park in Forth Worth
1) The Modern Art Museum/The Kimball *
12) Little Elm Beach Park
11) Las Colinas Canals
10) Grandscape in The Colony
9) Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano
8) Reverchon Park in Highland Park
7) Lakeside Park in Highland Park
6) Prather Park in Highland Park
5) Deep Ellum in Dallas
4) White Rock Lake in Dallas
3) Meyerson Symphony Center *
2) Dallas Arboretum *
1) Nasher Sculpture Center *
*: Requires admission, photography permit and/or travel fee
some of our favorite places
Adventure LOCATIONS
Fort Worth Locations
Dallas Locations
Dallas Fort Worth and Adventure Session Location list
- Layers are your friend when the season is cooler. Having sweaters and scarves that we can take off add additional looks and variety in your final gallery.
- Footwear should be cute while sensible. Avoid footwear that is difficult to be moving around in. (if heels are your fav, plan to bring a pair of shoes you can comfortably walk a longer distance between shots also.)
- Fashion sneakers are cool. Running shoes are not. Please avoid sandals. Many locations have grass spurrs, ants or local critters we want your toes covered from.
- Bold colors and vibrant pastels are your friend! They help you pop from the background and make you the real focus of the image
- Choose solid colors or non-busy patterns.
- Avoid earth tones and neutrals (green, tan, brown, black, grey and white are generally colors to avoid). If you choose any of the above listed colors, make sure to pair it with something vibrant that will help you pop from the background.
Wardrobe Styling
colors, comfort, and aesthetic
We quote 3 weeks for final gallery delivery for engagement and portrait sessions. Your gallery will be delivered directly to the email you have provided me and I will make sure to also shoot you a text as we are wrapping up so you know to keep you eyes peeled for it.
Gallery delivery
As we all know, Texas weather a be a moody queen. In the event of inclement weather showing her ugly face in the forecast...do not panic. We monitor the weather (rain, wind, etc) closely and make reschedule calls 24 hours before your session. Ideally, we will always change your location if at all possible before changing dates but again, these are things we will keep an eye on and communicate with you if the situation arises.
inclement weather
* Extra Pro Tip: This sunset info may be helpful in selecting your ceremony time. We can talk more about that a little later.
We photograph engagement sessions Mondays thru Thursdays. Session start times vary depending on the season but in general we try to start things off about 2-3 hours before sunset.
The term "sunset" is referring to when the sun literally is setting beyond the horizon. If you go online and search "sunset on 'x date'", Google will tell us exactly what time that is happening. What it doesn't tell you is that the available light can change depending on season and setting- ie, summer vs. winter & obstructions along the horizon (trees, buildings, mountains). For photographers, key times to monitor are "golden hour" and "blue hour".
The ideal time for us to capture portraits is actually BEFORE golden hour and finishing at the beginning of blue hour. This is why we typically aim to start photo sessions 3 hours before sunset.
The whole point of this shoot is yes, to give you epic photos of this milestone but also to have a great while getting to know each other more too. This is an important opportunity for us to become less like strangers you've hired and more like friends with a camera.
During an engagement session though we approach things a little differently. We will have you say silly things, do silly things and act....you guessed it....silly. At times you'll feel ridiculous but TRUST US, it will be worth it. Commit to the goofy like you've committed to forever person and lets have a damn good time laughing, loving and living our best lives together.
We haven't met many couples who just LOOOOOOOVE being in front of the camera. And hey, that's probably one of the reasons you've hired us- documentary wedding photography in about you guys being yourselves without us dictating your day.
scheduling
What does "sunset" actually mean
trusting the process
timing, sunset and trusting the process
inquire now
see real weddings
bold, vibrant, emotive
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR
fun spirited deep connectors
Monday - Thursday
Begin approx. 3 hrs. before sunset.
Photo Session Hours
Office Hours
Contact Us
Monday - Friday
9am - 5pm
social: @themacmeekens
web: www.themacmeekens.com
phone: 214-668-3939
email: info@themacmeekens.com
thank you!
for trusting us with your memories
We can't wait to start planning with you and getting to know you! If you haven't scheduled your engagement session yet, let's get that in the books. Feel free to email us any time at info@themacmeekens.com
If you have any questions or would just like to chat, we're here for you. We hope this guide helps make the process of planning your wedding details much easier and less stressful. We can't wait to see you soon! Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our guide!
