Engagement Photos With Dogs
If you are a dog lover and are considering getting your engagement photos done with you pup then this post is for you!
But first…
Let me introduce you to our fur boy Thor.
Or as we like to refer to him as ” The Mighty Thor.”
Thor is 5 years old and is a Yorkie Pomeranian mix. He has his summer cut right now but during the fall and winter, he tends to be a real fluff ball! We got Thor when he was about 6 weeks old. He was the biggest of the bunch and the cutest! The Mighty Thor has made himself part of the Beasley clan and I couldn’t imagine doing life without this furball by my side.
Our couples LOVE their fur babies!
Their love runs deep for them and incorporating them in their engagement session is a request we are used to getting and a request we LOVE!
If you are interested in bringing along your dog for your session we will always say a Big YES to this! Incorporating your baby will not only add variety but capture the important ones in your life at this special time.
Isn’t Max just the cutest?
You can see him and his human’s make an appearance on Daily Dog Tails!
Sometimes couples are a little nervous about bringing their dog to the engagement session because they are not sure how they will react. After 7 years of being wedding photographers, we have some experience under our belts with how to deal with all the things including our four-legged friends!
Here are some tips to consider when we are shooting engagement sessions with dogs:
- Treats! Treats are everything! Heck, I even respond to treats for good behavior! lol. Bringing some doggy treats and letting us hand them out will help the dog trust us and even calm down some for delicious doggie treats.
- Doggy Sitter! Bringing along someone to help hold the leash when your pup is not getting their picture taken is such a big help. For engagement sessions, we usually bring our crew which includes the 3 Beasley kids. They LOVE helping out with the dogs and you can always enlist them to help!
- Patience! Most dogs are not models. There is a lot going on and they are excited to meet some new friends. Getting them to sit and look at the camera takes some patience! Also, they might be just too excited for that and that is why we do a lot more candid interacting with the dog. This helps take the pressure and stress away and just invites more fun and relaxation into the session.
Regarding their experience here is some great advice from our own brides!
We used our dog in our engagement session and I was so happy we did! Your kids did a great job entertaining him while we did solo pics. I love having those pictures and now our son loves looking at them! We didn’t have Roscoe at our wedding, I don’t think he could have handled all the excitement, and once our wedding had to be moved inside I’m sure they wouldn’t have let him in the church. -Heather
See Eric & Heather’s session with their baby Roscoe Here!
We love love love our dogs– literally crazy obsessed dog parents over here! I’m so glad we brought them to the engagement pictures! We had our friend clay come to “handle” them when we had solo pictures and it worked out well and then they were with us for some family photos! We chose not to have them at our wedding and I am very happy about that. It was a hard decision but I am so thankful we didn’t have to worry about them and could focus on just us and our day! Remember, we are crazy, so we chose to incorporate them by naming our signature cocktails after them! We had a sign displayed and Jack drew the pups (very accurately) and that made us feel like they were with us! –Lacey
See Jack & Lacey’s Dog filled session here!
If you’re on the fence about bringing along your dog to your photo session we say go for it!
We love love love all the dogs! We know they are part of your story. So bring them along and we will find a way to manage!
Cannot wait to meet you both and your fur babies!
If you are engaged and would love to know how to plan for your engagement session you can visit here!
More amazing engagement sessions below!
[…] you are a bride thinking about including your dog, you can check out some advice that I shared on this very topic! It might not be for every couple to bring their babies along but when you can we will always so go […]
[…] Did you know we wrote a whole blog post on how to incorporate your dog into your session? Read it HERE! […]