Table of Contents:

• What is an Anniversary Photoshoot?
• 3 Reasons You Should Book an Anniversary Photoshoot
• 10 Creative Ideas for Your Anniversary Session

I spend most of my time talking about elopements and microweddings, since that’s what I shoot the majority of the time, but obviously your love story doesn’t end once you get married—in fact, I truly believe it only gets better from there. I’m so unbelievably lucky to work with so many of my couples far past their elopement day, into their vow renewals, anniversaries, maternity/family sessions. . . what a gift. Anniversary photoshoots have easily become one of my FAVORITE ways to reconnect with past clients + capture them in a totally new stage of their lives! So today, I’m telling you all about why I think you should book an anniversary session + giving you 8 creative ideas to make your shoot totally unique, personal, and, well, you. 

What is an Anniversary Photoshoot?

An anniversary photoshoot is exactly what it sounds like: a shoot that takes place to celebrate your anniversary! While this is typically honoring a wedding anniversary, you could also totally do an shoot for the anniversary of your proposal, engagement, whatever makes the most sense for you + your love story. 

When should you do an anniversary photoshoot?

Anniversary shoots can take place whenever you want—you could make it an annual thing that you start on your very first wedding anniversary, or you could book a shoot for only the bigger milestones, like 5 or 10 years! I personally am obsessed with when clients turn every anniversary into a special occasion; it’s such an amazing way to have your relationship documented throughout the years as you go through different seasons of life. Plus, if you book with the same photographer every year, then you always know you’ll be working with someone who you feel really comfortable with, who you can trust, and who already knows the two of you + is familiar with your relationship. 

3 Reasons You Should Book an Anniversary Photoshoot

Now let’s talk about why I LOVE anniversary sessions so much, and why you should absolutely be booking one for your next anniversary!

1. It’s an opportunity to celebrate yourselves

Elopements and weddings give you the opportunity to completely focus on your relationship + celebrate yourselves, so why not do the same on your anniversary every year? You should never stop being grateful for one another and celebrating the journey you’ve had together, and as the years go on, you’ll have more and more to look back on—and your photos will become more meaningful every time. Your first anniversary is full of excitement and you probably still have those freshly-married vibes that you can’t wait to celebrate; your tenth anniversary is one that’s been a long time coming, and by then your relationship has seen SO much change + growth. So many things can happen within the span of a year, and you deserve to celebrate everything you’ve made it through together—the good, the bad, and the in between.

2. It’s a chance to reflect on your past, present, and future

Going off of that last one, anniversary sessions give you the chance to reflect on every aspect of your life, every part of your journey together: your past, your present, and your future. You can celebrate the past by looking back at wedding photos or throwing on your wedding attire for your session; you can celebrate the present by being super intentional, present, and focused on each other during your session; you can celebrate your future by popping a bottle of champagne, incorporating activities or props that symbolize an important part of your relationship, or holding your session in the home you just bought together. Every piece of your journey deserves to be loved and cherished, and there are endless ways we can do that during your anniversary session—more on that in the next section of this blog, where I give you 8 creative ideas for your anniversary photoshoot!

3. It’s the perfect excuse for a couples getaway

Finally, anniversary sessions are the perfect excuse for a little getaway! Think of your anniversary as another opportunity for a honeymoon—except one that you get to take every single year. Whether that’s a quick weekend trip to the next town over or a week-long stay in an international destination you’ve always dreamed of visiting together, anniversary shoots are an amazing opportunity to get in some quality time together, away from day-to-day life. 

Pro tip: If you haven’t gotten married yet, consider having your guests contribute to a honeymoon/anniversary fund that you can put toward your honeymoon + future anniversary trips for years to come, instead of a regular wedding registry.

8 Creative Ideas for Your Anniversary Session

Now that you know why I love anniversary sessions so much and why I think every couple should book at LEAST one (if not one every year), let’s go through some fun, creative ideas to help personalize your session!

1. Wear your wedding attire

I’ve worked with a lottt of couples who came to me because they weren’t happy with their wedding photos, they didn’t feel they truly reflected them, or they just wished they’d gotten MORE. If that’s you, then an anniversary session is the perfect chance to get your wedding attire back out for some fresh photos that feel like you and that represent your marriage where it’s currently at!

If your wedding was quite a while ago and you don’t love (or fit into) your wedding attire anymore, why not buy something new for the occasion? Go to a thrift store and find a secondhand dress/suit to wear for your anniversary session, or rent something from a bridal shop! There are SO many ways to find affordable wedding attire nowadays that would be perfect for an anniversary session if you want to really throw it back to your wedding day—or create entirely new “wedding”-esque memories together.

2. Go back to a place that’s meaningful to you

Let’s talk location: where should your anniversary photoshoot take place? If you want to make it super sweet and personalized, why not do it at a place that’s meaningful to your + your relationship? This could be the park where you had your first date. . . the restaurant where you had your first kiss. . . the place you got engaged. . . even your wedding venue or elopement location itself. Or maybe the spot you go every year for your family vacation, like a cabin in the woods that your grandparents owned.

If you go back to a place that holds some sort of meaning to the two of you and your love story, it immediately adds sentimental value to your photos and brings some sense of nostalgia, romance, and gratitude for your journey together. 

3. Turn it into a vow renewal

I’m JUST as big of a fan of vow renewals as I am of anniversary sessions—yet another way to celebrate your love and memorialize your love story in a special, intentional way! This is a great idea for those bigger milestones, such as your 5, 10, 20, etc. year anniversary. It’s safe to assume that a LOT will have changed by the time those dates roll around, so if you feel like you want your wedding vows to reflect the current season of your marriage, you can write + exchange new ones!

If you’re considering having a vow renewal, here are a few questions to ask yourselves when writing your new vows:

• How have we grown since we got married?
• How have our lives changed since we originally wrote our vows?
• How can renewing our vows signify our growth & renew/refresh the love we have for each other?

You can do your vow renewal in private, or you can invite some guests. It’s all up to you whether you want to keep it casual or turn it into a whole, intricate celebration.

Love the idea of having a vow renewal to celebrate a milestone in your marriage? Check out my guide to Why You Should Have a Vow Renewal + 5 Unique Ideas. 

4. Bring your kids + furry friends

If your family has grown since your wedding day, or if you already had kids, invite them along to your anniversary session (this goes for furry children, too)! The most special way to incorporate everybody you love into photos you can look back on forever. After all, family is EVERYTHING, and it’s only right to include them in your photos! We can easily take photos of all of you together and of just the two of you, so don’t worry—you’ll have some time to yourselves, too.

Have you noticed the freaking adorable photos throughout this blog post? They’re from a hybrid family session/11-year anniversary session that we took RIGHT outside of the campsite they were staying at. I literally showed up, the whole family is eating hot dogs by the fire, covered in dirt! Devin and Matt were so stinkin ‘cute, rounding up their kids to get dressed, do a quick water face rinse, and run out into the field. We explored the river, skipped rocks, listened to Matt play the banjo, and experience one of the softest prettiest sunset over the mountains surrounding us.⁣

5. Incorporate your favorite activities

I think that was the perfect segue into this next one, which is to incorporate your favorite activities into your anniversary session. This is such an easy + simple way to really personalize your photos, and to turn your session into a full, unforgettable experience rather than just a photoshoot you’re posing for. If it just feels like a photoshoot, then you’re going to be worrying about what you look like the entire time, rather than actually being present in the moment with the person/people you love. This could look like a full-on picnic you bring to eat together complete with a charcuterie board and wine, or it could be as simple as skipping rocks along the river just like Devin and Matt did with their kiddos. If you’re doing something you love, you’ll be totally in the moment AND the photos will be so much more meaningful to look back on.

6. Make it a cozy in-home session

Anniversary photoshoots can take place anywhere, including your own home! I’m personally such a big fan of in-home shoots because they automatically make your photos feel so cozy, personalized, and special. When you’re in your own home, it’s a lot easier to feel totally comfortable in front of a camera, plus the photos will be extra meaningful, because they capture you in the place you’ve created together; the place you spend most of your time; the place you come back to at the end of a busy day, relieved to be back with the person you love. You could spend your in-home session snuggling up on the couch, reading books and drinking coffee like you do on the weekends, even playing your favorite games together! Do whatever feels normal for the two of you, and that’s what’ll help foster the perfect atmosphere for natural, authentic photos. 

7. Print + frame photos for your home

If there’s ONE thing you take away from this blog post, let it be this: PRINT YOUR PHOTOS. Just do it, y’all! I cannot overstate the value of having your photos printed out and displayed around your home, rather than just letting them sit and collect dust in the photo album on your phone. When you receive your photo gallery from me, it’ll be super easy for you to choose your favorite photos and print + frame them through a high-quality, professional printing company that I work with. I promise it’s so worth it to see your photos displayed in your home and have those memories be visible, instead of stored away in your iCloud forever!

8. Turn your photos into an heirloom album

Lastly, something I always recommend to my couples is turning your photos into a physical album—whether it be photos from your wedding, elopement, family session, anniversary session, you name it! Albums are such an amazing way to commemorate the biggest milestones in your life, from weddings, to births, to anniversaries, to family vacations. There’s nothing more special than flipping through a physical album on a coffee table, looking back at some of the best memories you’ve created on your journey together.

To learn more about heirloom albums and what it looks like to invest in one, have a look at my blog post all about Why I Want You to Buy a Physical, Personalized Album. That blog is specifically dedicated to wedding and elopement albums, but all of the information applies to albums for any kind of session.

PNW Anniversary Photographer

I hope you’re feeling excited about the idea of booking an anniversary session with your love—trust me, it’s one of the best things you can do in your relationship. When you’re ready to make it happen, reach out here and we’ll start planning how we can best celebrate + capture this milestone for you!

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If you haven’t tied the knot yet, here are a couple of elopement planning resources that I think you’ll find useful:

10 Ways to Include Family + Friends In Your Elopement

How to Plan a Meaningful Elopement: My Top 10 Tips