Couple Decides to Have Nontraditional Paparazzi Style Engagement Shoot

You know the pictures. Crisp, fall days. Sunshine. A couple, him in a button-down shirt and slacks, her in a cute dress or maybe a cozy sweater. They're nuzzling each other in a field. Something they've never done before and will never do again. 

If you think about it, traditional engagement photos are really weird! They don't often capture the essence of a couple. Sure, they look nice and in love, but they also look like thousands of couples that came before them. Really, they look like stock photo participants. 

This is a stock photo. But would you be surprised to see your old friend from high school post this on her Facebook along with the caption, "60 days 'til forever"? No, you would not. It's a real regular engagement photo.

But MacKenzie Dias and her fiancé are not regular people. MacKenzie recently went viral on TikTok for sharing that she and her fiancé chose a different route for their engagement photos. "I don't want lovey-dovey engagement photos," the video starts. "Could you just act like you're paparazzi catching us about?"

And that's exactly what their photographer did. They captured MacKenzie and her fiancé (and sometimes, their dog!) out and about in the city, coming out of stores, strutting down the sidewalk, and smooching on a bench. And the photos are incredible.

What a good idea! TikTok thought it was a great concept too. MacKenzie's video went completely viral, racking up 1.7 million views and nearly 300,000 likes. 

It's just a really creative way to showcase a couple's love for each other. Not to mention, MacKenzie and her fiancé are extremely stylish and actually look like celebs in the photos.

"OK but I love this so much more than traditional engagement photos," one person commented. And I totally agree! It's a super cool way to showcase a couple's personality, and to me, they're more special than those sappy photos in a field.

"This is a trend I can stand behind," another person wrote in the comments. "So much better than the 'standing in a field and kissing each other.'" I mean, to each his own. If you and your partner love kissing in fields, by all means, go for it in your engagement photos.

But for a lot of people, that's not your reality. Many people want engagement photos that reflect their real life and the things that they love to do together as a couple. My husband and I had our engagement shoot in the woods on a little path where we like to walk. We took our dog with us and made sure to make a lot of funny faces. That was us. 

MacKenzie and her fiancé clearly love being out and about in the city, so the paparazzi style photos work for them. Maybe they will for you, too! Or maybe you have a whole different idea in mind.

The point is, don't be afraid to get creative. You want photos that you can look back at in 40 years and say, "That was so fun. That is totally us."