For some couples it's what outfit to wear, for others it's getting over being stiff in front of the camera while for many the hardest part about planning their engagement shoot is picking the best location and backdrop.

Being a wedding photographer in New England, the most popular setting I find for engagement sessions is a wooded landscape or partial view. So many couples focus on the background as the key feature of a photograph to make it worth investing in professional photography. I'm hear to tell you that it couldn't be further from the truth!

For Cait and Meredith's engagement photos in the Portland, Maine area, we had the choice of epic seascapes, world-famous landmarks and urban cityscapes. With all these options right in front of us, it was overwhelming for them. I assured them that focusing on the moments they shared together - revisiting locations with meaning to them as a couple - would make the most cherished and loved photographs.

Because as a photographer, the background is quite important but it is always second to the people in it! Choose a location that may not be the most visually stunning but is where you first met, had your first date, decided you were going to spend the rest of your lives together and so on... This always brings to light the true feelings you have for each other out in the images bring the focus of the photo back to what is important, you two sharing your love.