Preparing For Your Engagement Session

By Mike Staff

Preparing For Your Engagement Session

Besides being an opportunity to get some great photos of you two, an engagement session lets you practice loosening up so you can be yourself around your wedding photographer. This is a great opportunity to share your creative vision, practice some fun poses, and get ready for close-ups on your big day!

Best of all, an engagement session is an expression of your personality. Choose a location that tells something about the two of you. First dates, proposals, favorite hangouts, all of these can make great spots for the engagement shoot.

Important note: Please confirm photography permit or availability with your preferred location. Many properties will only allow photography with advance permission if your ceremony and/or location are not on the property.

How it Works

Contact Mike Staff Productions when you are ready to schedule your session.
Engagement sessions are generally done during weekday afternoons or evenings.
Your engagement session will be one hour long.
Select one or two locations.
Plan for two outfits: casual and formal options.
Props are encouraged, but not required.
Relax, this will be fun! The best images come from having a good time.

What To Wear

Choose simple patterns or solid colors that complement each other.
Medium to dark shades create a timeless look.
Soft shades enhance lighter backgrounds.
Long-sleeved shirts are best since short sleeves can be distracting and sleeveless tops can look too casual.
If you want to wear a sleeveless shirt, bring a sweater or jacket for some of the images.
Select small accessories that do not detract, such as simple earrings, pins and necklaces.
Your shoes will show in some of your images, so it might be best to leave the old sneakers behind.

Cosmetic Tips

If your makeup artist for your wedding day offers a trial run of your wedding day makeup, consider doing so for your engagement session. If you’ll be doing your makeup, you may want to amp it up a bit.

Playing up your eyes is great for photos so going a little heavier with your shadow or using false eyelashes can be a great look.
Glitter products and mineral wear makeup may unnaturally reflect light so you might want to use them minimally or not at all.
Lip gloss is great until you’re outside on a windy day. Choose your lipwear carefully.

How to Personalize Your Engagement Session

When you book a wedding photographer with Mike Staff Productions we allow you to choose a wedding photographer to suit both of your personalities by watching video profiles of our team! Once you’ve chosen a wedding photographer, you can book your engagement session with that same wedding photographer. This allows you to get comfortable, before your big day. Your photographer will work with you to find a special and personal location and help to include any engagement photo prop ideas you have in the shoot to make your photos uniquely you!

Whether your photos reflect your hobbies, favorite sports team or your furry friend — here are some of our favorite ways to add props and personality to your photos!

Most Popular

Engagement Photo Locations in Metro Detroit

For the Sports Fanatic

Your engagement session allows you to truly show your personality, and be less formal than your wedding day photos. Are you a sports fanatic? We’ve seen it all! Photos with the Tiger outside Comerica Park? CHECK! Photos at the Big House in Ann Arbor? CHECK! Photos on Ford Field? CHECK!

You probably won’t be rocking a football jersey at your wedding, so what better time than your engagement session?

For the Romantics

Counting down the days until you say “I do?” Bring a sign with your wedding date to your engagement session! This also comes in handing if you are planning to use your engagement photos for Save-The-Dates or invitations.

You could also bring other personalized signs like something with your new last name, the dates you met and got engaged, or even your favorite love quote.

Seasonally Sweet

Luckily, nature provides some of the best props for your engagement session! Embrace the weather and the season in your photos. One of our favorites is the sweet photo of the engaged couple’s hands holding a leaf or snow, showing off that stunning engagement ring.

Furry Friends

Pets have a special place in our hearts, we get that, which is why bringing your furry friend to your engagement session is always welcome!

If you choose to include your pets in your engagement photos, keep this in mind when choosing a wedding photography location. You’ll want to choose somewhere not too busy and that welcomes pets!

Local Landmarks

Have a lot of Detroit pride? Visit some of the historic venues or art-filled alleys. Is the place you first met a special memory? Visit here for your engagement session. Your engagement session allows you to tell the story of you. READ MORE: Instagram Worthy Wedding Photography Locations

What to Expect After Your Engagement Session

2 Weeks After Your Session

You will receive an email link to your online digital proof gallery. You may share your link and password with family and friends if you like.

All proof images from your online gallery will be included on your flash drive. The files come with full personal copyrights for you to share, print, and use the files as you wish. If your wedding photography package includes additional engagement products or you choose to add them on before your engagement session, our design department will contact you with further information.

Engagement Session Inspiration

Mike Staff( Founder, CEO )

Mike Staff is the founder and CEO of Mike Staff Productions, Metro Detroit’s most awarded wedding entertainment and media company. Since founding Mike Staff Productions in 1996, Mike has led a team that has served over 25,000 couples across Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, and Washtenaw counties — providing wedding DJ, photography, and videography services at hundreds of Metro Detroit venues. Under his leadership, Mike Staff Productions has earned recognition as one of the top wedding companies in the country, with consistent five-star ratings on The Knot, WeddingWire, and Google. Mike pioneered the Team Approach model — coordinating DJ, photo, and video under one contract — to eliminate the stress and coordination gaps couples face when booking vendors separately.

Getting Married in Metro Detroit?

Check to see if we have a photographer, videographer, and DJ available for your wedding!

      Excellent rating  
 Based on 3066 reviews 
    
  
 
 
      Excellent company that gave a list of DJ’s to pick from. Their response time is fantastic and they ask many questions to make sure you get what you paid for! DJ Troy provided excellent guidance on my husband and I’s special day! We had many questions and were unsure of certain decisions and DJ Troy was very helpful and thorough. He kept the dance floor full and the vibes right. He also worked great with myself and the photographer to make sure the reception went smoothly. I highly recommend this DJ and company!
     Amber D 
 1 October 2026
 
 
 
 
    We had a great experience with Mike Staff and especially our DJ, Tevin! He did an amazing job handling both our ceremony and reception and helped everything flow smoothly from start to finish. Tevin really listened to what we wanted. He followed our requests and playlists while also mixing in classic wedding songs that kept everyone involved and the dance floor going. He did a great job reading the crowd, keeping the energy up, and knowing when to switch things up. He was timely, professional, and made the music portion of our wedding completely stress-free. Everything flowed exactly how we hoped, and we were able to just enjoy the night without worrying about what was coming next. We would absolutely recommend Tevin and Mike Staff to anyone looking for a DJ who will listen to what you want while still knowing how to keep the party going!
     Julia L 
 30 September 2026
 
 
 
 
    I had the most amazing team for my wedding! I am so beyond happy that I chose the Mike Staff team for photography, videography, and DJ. Everyone was extremely coordinated and super nice, I felt like I was in great hands the entire day. I loved having everyone under the same company, it made everything so much easier. Also, their communication was 10/10! Highly recommend!

Huge shoutout to DJ Ron, videographer Nic, and photographer Dennis! Thank you for making our day perfect.
     Savanna C 
 29 September 2026
 
 
 
 
    Absolutely amazing team to work with. From day one to after my wedding was nothing but great. Dj, photographer, and videographer. Mike staff made my wedding an absolute joy and I will forever be grateful for the moments they captured. ~ Hannah
     Hannah E 
 24 September 2026
 
 
 
 
    Randy was the best DJ we could have asked for. He was such a great time, listened to all of our needs, and is extremely professional. He even had my 93 year old grandpa up dancing! When a family member requested a song on the do not play list and I told them they could play it, he came out to find me and make sure it was ok. Totally not a big deal and I appreciated him so much for triple checking with me!! We had an absolute blast at our wedding and Randy was a major part of that.
     Rachel G 
 24 September 2026
 
 
 
 
    DJ Derrick is by far the best DJ in the entire world! He got the whole party going WILD and had the absolute best mixes. We were so picky on our music and he delivered. Would highly recommend Derrick!
     Vanessa A 
 16 September 2026
 
 
 
 
    DJ James was our DJ this past August in Detroit and just exceeded our expectations in every way. First, the communications with the staff at Mike Staff was excellent. Booking was easy and prices were clear and fair. DJ James arrived prepared, lead us as the Emcee through the grand entrances, speeches, first dances, and even did some shoutouts we requested during the reception. He was professional and knew exactly what he was doing, what a weight off my chest!! I would highly recommend DJ James from Mike Staff Productions again. He was the DJ at my sister’s wedding and she couldn’t reccomend him enough; I’m so glad I took her advice!
     Maeve M 
 15 September 2026
 
 
 
 
    Ron, you were amazing! Thank you for your help with our wedding! We had such an amazing time, and it went better than we ever expected. God bless you. Highly recommend!
     J 
 14 September 2026
 
 
 
 
    I can’t say enough good things about the absolute pros my husband and I worked with to create a memorable wedding with our loved ones. But I will try.

We appreciated the intake process, how much the Mike Staff crew thought through the details beforehand. There was no stone left unturned in their willingness to understand our style, story, and needs. Both  vendors took their time in getting to know us and how to collaborate on such an important day. It was easy to talk to them and fun to plan with them.

Ron, our DJ, brought so much energy and professionalism to that dance floor and building the musical story we wanted. I am a huge music lover so every song had to have its moment. Ron ran with our ideas and orchestrated transitions seamlessly, especially during the ceremony. Motown cocktail hour was cool and groovy with the Detroit Zoo’s penguins torpedoing and marching around in the background. Dance floor had a bit of everything. First dances were magical, and I loved that conga line.
     Sarah C 
 13 September 2026
 
 
 
 
    Booking Ron for our September wedding was one of the best decisions we made for the wedding. He was extremely personable and helped us throughout the whole planning process and kept the dance floor absolutely packed all night long! He played a perfect mix of songs that the older folks of the wedding loved, but kept the dance floor alive with more modern music as well!! We highly highly recommend Ron if you are looking for a DJ. Thank you so much Ron for an amazing night! ❤️
     Kimberly D 
 7 September 2026