After years of running engagement sessions across the New York Tri-State area, I can tell you the sessions that turn out the best almost never come down to luck. They come down to a handful of decisions couples make in the weeks before we even pick up a camera — where we shoot, what you wear, and how you show up mentally to the session. Get those right, and the rest takes care of itself. Get them wrong, and no amount of editing fixes it.

I've photographed weddings across the New York Tri-State area for years now, and if there's one conversation I have with nearly every couple during planning, it's this one: should we do a first look?

The question I get asked most on planning calls isn't about lenses or editing style. It's some version of "how do we structure the day so we're not rushing through everything." And honestly, it's the right thing to be asking.