Greetings from Beijing! I'm traveling for work, and let me tell you, it is Cold here (with a capital C), and that's coming from someone that lived in Chicago for two years! About a month ago, my fiance and I had our engagement photo session with the enormously talented Shang Chen. I'm actually lucky enough to know Shang in real life (we went to business school together), so the shoot was even more fun! We walked around the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers and Golden Gate Park, on a stunningly beautiful fall afternoon.

I'll admit, I was a bit obsessive about outfits, and brought three (yes, three) pairs of shoes to our photo shoot. If you're unsure, your photographer is an amazing resource for advice on what will photograph well. We sent Shang photos of our outfits ahead of time, and she had some really excellent feedback.

Source (all photos): Shang Chen Photography

I highly recommend taking engagement photos, particularly with your wedding photographer. They are a great time to build rapport, and to work out any of the kinks with your photographer before your big day. Shang is amazing at what she does, and her blog is a great source of inspiration to me.

Have you had your engagement photos taken yet?