Thanksgiving is one of the biggest proposal days of the year. The whole family is already in the room, everyone's dressed up, and the ring comes out after dinner - and suddenly you're engaged, with a hundred decisions ahead of you.

Here's the order that works: venue first, photographer second.

Your venue sets the date, and the good ones go fast. But your photographer should be right behind it - not months later, when you're choosing from whoever happens to still be free. Good photographers book out early. If you wait until a few months before the wedding to book one, your first choice is usually already taken.

I already have 26 weddings booked for 2027. That's not a sales line - it's just how wedding season works here. The couples who book early get their first choice of everything. The ones who wait end up compromising on the things that matter most.

There's a line in When Harry Met Sally that fits here: "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." Once you've found the person, you don't want to wait - and the same goes for booking the people who'll photograph your wedding.

So if you got engaged this Thanksgiving - congratulations. Enjoy the moment, show off the ring, and then, in the next week or two, lock in your venue and your photographer. Your future self will be glad you did.

If you're looking for a photographer for 2027, I'd love to hear from you. Take a look at my weddings page and get in touch - tell me your date and I'll tell you if it's still open. You can also call me at (518) 253-5056.

Happy Thanksgiving Surprise Engagements! Thanksgiving engagement Albany, NY wedding photographerEngagement portraits surrounded by the intricate stonework and grand architecture of the Million Dollar Staircase inside the New York State Capitol in Albany. Photography by Studio Lana.