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So you’ve booked your Lake Como photographer, and now you’re wondering what actually happens on the day of your engagement session. It’s a fair question. Engagement shoots are a different kind of experience than the wedding day itself: no guest list, no timeline pressure, just the two of you, the lake, and a couple of hours to feel comfortable in front of a camera before the big day arrives.
Here’s a real look at what to expect.
Why book an engagement shoot at all
Beyond the beautiful images, an engagement session serves a practical purpose: it’s your first real working session with your photographer. You get comfortable being directed, you learn how to move together naturally, and by the time the wedding day arrives, posing in front of a camera won’t feel like a foreign experience anymore. Couples who’ve done an engagement shoot are almost always more relaxed on the wedding day itself, and it shows in the photos.
It’s also simply a lovely thing to do together. Lake Como in the golden light of early morning or late afternoon, with no one else to think about, tends to bring out a version of a couple that’s harder to capture amid the noise of a wedding day.
Choosing a location
This is usually the first conversation. As a wedding photographer Lake Como couples work with regularly, I tend to suggest locations based on the mood you’re after rather than just the most photographed spots. A quiet promenade in Varenna feels completely different from the grand staircases of Villa del Balbianello, and both feel different again from a private boat drifting mid-lake with the mountains behind you.
Some couples want their engagement photos to double as a preview of the wedding venue itself, arriving early to walk the grounds together before the big day. Others prefer somewhere entirely separate, a spot that’s just theirs, with no connection to the wedding logistics at all. Both approaches work well, and this is very much your call.
How the session actually runs
A typical Lake Como engagement shoot runs one and a half to two hours, though this can flex depending on how many locations you’d like to cover. We’ll usually start with a bit of easy movement, walking, talking, getting used to having a camera nearby, before settling into the more intentional shots. I keep direction light rather than rigid: small prompts and adjustments rather than stiff, posed instructions, so the images feel like you rather than a catalogue shoot.
If a boat is part of the plan, that typically happens around golden hour, when the light on the water is at its best and the lake traffic has quietened down. Boats can be arranged directly through your venue or through a local operator, and I’m happy to help coordinate the timing so it lines up with the best light of the day.
What to wear
There’s no strict formula here, but a few things consistently photograph well against Lake Como’s backdrop: flowing fabrics that move in the breeze, tones that complement rather than compete with the greens and blues of the lake, and at least one outfit change if you’d like a mix of dressier and more relaxed shots. If you’re planning to bring a second outfit, a smart casual option pairs beautifully with a boat session, while something a touch more elegant tends to suit the villa gardens and lakeside promenades.
Timing and light
Lake Como’s light shifts dramatically through the day, and this shapes most of the scheduling advice I give. Late afternoon into golden hour is usually the sweet spot, soft warm light, fewer crowds at the popular spots, and the lake itself often turns a deeper, richer colour as the sun drops. Midday sessions are possible but tend to need more shade-seeking and careful positioning to avoid harsh overhead light.
What you’ll receive afterwards
Once the session wraps, you can expect a curated, edited gallery of your favourite Lake Como engagement photos within a few weeks. These aren’t just outtakes from the wedding planning process, they’re a genuine set of images worth printing, framing, or sharing as your save-the-date. Many couples also use a handful of shots for wedding websites or as the imagery for their formal invitations.
Making the most of your session
If there’s one piece of advice that makes the biggest difference, it’s this: build in time to actually enjoy the walk between locations. The best images often happen in the moments between the “official” shots, when you’ve both relaxed and stopped thinking about the camera entirely. As a como wedding photographer who’s spent plenty of afternoons on this lake, I can say with confidence that the couples who arrive without a rigid shot list in hand almost always leave with photos that feel the most like them.
If you’re planning a wedding in the region and haven’t yet booked your engagement session, it’s worth building into your trip early, ideally the evening before or a day or two ahead of any other pre-wedding events, so you’re not rushing between commitments. Get in touch to talk through locations, timing, and how a session with your Lake Como photographer can fit into your visit.
