Including Your Furbaby in Your Engagement Photos

Being the animal lover that I am, it makes me SO happy when my couples include their furbabies in their engagement photos. 🙂 Maybe it’s because I have a little furbabe of my own (my little maltipoo, Lily) but to me, she’s family, and she always gets included in photos whenever possible. So I always encourage my couples to include their pups if it’s feasible!

It can definitely be tricky to get our four legged family members to be perfect models during a photo shoot, but I’ve got some tips and tricks to help set up for success when including your furbaby in your engagement photos!

• Make sure we choose a location where pets are allowed! This might seem obvious, but you’ll want to make sure we choose a location for your session that allows pets! Usually this information can be found on the location’s website!

• Include your furchild in a portion of the shoot. Sometimes pups will come for the whole shoot, but most of the time they’ll come for only a portion. It can be a lot for your furbaby to spend the full hour and half to two hours at your engagement session. Having them take part in just a part of the shoot helps them not get as tired out.

• Get them a fresh groom or bath! You want to look your best for your engagement photos, and same goes for your pup! It’s a good idea to schedule your pet to get groomed a couple days before your session. That way they’re ready for their close up too!

• Extra hands are helpful when we’ve got extra paws! 🙂 I always recommend to have an extra set of hands (family member or friend) to help out when your furbaby takes part in your session. This comes in handy to help get your That way you don’t have to worry and your dog can walk around and take breaks from the camera and hang out with another human friend while we shoot some photos of just you and your fiance!

• Simple props work best. Sometimes my couples will bring some simple props for their furbaby, like a flower collar or bowtie, or a sign that says “My Humans are Getting Married!”. No need to go crazy thinking of props for your pup, simple touches like those work best!

• Come prepared! There are some helpful recommended items to have on hand when you bring your furbaby to your engagement photos:
  • a nice looking leash/harness
  • your pup’s favorite toy or some treats just in case we need to do some enticing to get their attention
  • doggie waste bags – just in case!
  • lint roller – if your four legged friend is the shedding type
  •  a water bowl & water…modeling is hard work!

I hope this helps you prepare to bring your sweet little furbaby to your engagement shoot! I think it’s super special to capture these “family” photos while documenting this season of engagement! I can’t wait to meet your little love and get some puppy snuggles while we’re at it!

xoxo Jen

If you liked this post, you will probably also find this post helpful: “5 Easy Ways to Take Your Wedding Day Details to the Next Level”.