Engagement Photos

There is something about engagement photos that speaks right of passage in the wedding process. When I was talking to my fiance about engagement photos, he gave me the look of, “do we really have to.” Once we got “on site” and were taking pictures he was totally ok. Back to the engagement photo process though. Last week I let you in on my secret to finding the best photographer for your wedding. Now that you have your photographer booked for your wedding and engagement photos, it’s time to get down to business getting those photos taken. Wait though; where are you going to have them taken? What are you going to wear? What time of year do you want them taken? Do you want them outside or inside? The questions are endless and there is a lot to think about. I am here to smooth out that process for you and give you a bit of structure to ensure it all comes together exactly as you envisioned.

Engagement Photos…the Non-Daunting Steps to Perfection

1. Location

Location is everything for your photos. The location you have your photos taken says a lot about you as a couple.

Questions to think about:

• What kind of couple are you?
  • Outdoorsy
  • Artsy
  • Travelers
• What do you and your fiance do for fun?
• Are there any places that resonate more with you and your fiance than others?
  • A certain city
  • A park

Jot down thoughts as you think about the above questions.

My Thoughts:

My fiance and I are both outdoorsy, mountain loving people. My fiance grew up in Vail and we tend to spend a lot of weekends there skiing, camping and just enjoying life. Vail also happens to be my happy place. There is something about being in the mountains, taking in the fresh air that soothes the soul. Our decision of where our pictures would be taken was easy. We would have them taken in the Vail area. Our photographers were again super amazing and helped with the precise locations based on what we told them we wanted.

2. Season

This should be an easy decision. The two questions that should pass through your mind here are:

• What season do you and your fiance love?
• What season works best with your wedding date?

My Thoughts:

Fall and Winter happen to be our favorite seasons, but in the scheme of taking pictures we opted for fall with the beautiful foliage. Little did we know when booking our engagement photo date, but mother nature blessed us with snow in mountains the night before our engagement photos. We are so fortunate to be able to do a “snow” shoot and a “foliage” shoot in the same morning, incorporating our favorite seasons.

3. Outfits

After processing where you will have your engagement photos taken and what season you will have them taken it’s time for what I call the fun part. Outfits. Your engagement photo outfits need to compliment the location and season you are having the photos taken at/in.

Where to get inspiration:

• Pinterest
• Wedding Blogs
• Instagram

Tips:

• More neutral tones are better than super vibrant colors. You don’t want to be the only thing that sticks out in the photo.
• Choose outfits that flatter your body type and ensure they are the right size. Everyone has a little pushin for the cushion in spots and that’s the last thing you want showing in your engagement photos.
• Make sure you are comfortable. Don’t pick something to wear that you will be uncomfortable in, as this will show in your pictures.
• Choose classic pieces versus what is the “it” thing right now. You don’t want to look back years from now and question what in the world you were wearing.
• Your outfits should complement one another, they shouldn’t be the same thing. Example: Both wearing the same solid color.
• Let the outfit speak to who you are. Example: If you aren’t a girly girl, don’t dress like one in your pictures
• Limit your outfits to 2-3 maximum pending the time you scheduled for your photos. You don’t want to have to be changing every 5 minutes. I recommend picking a more “dressy” outfit fitting your style and a more “casual” outfit again fitting your style.

 

4. Posing

Having that amazing photographer is going to help the engagement photo process so much. Shooting engagement photos with your photographer lets them get to know you and your fiance and let’s you guys get to know them. One of my freaking out thoughts before we took our photos was: how do I pose for the pictures? Will they help us out? I hope they do or these aren’t going to be pretty.

I was super relieved to say the photographer helps you out. Before starting our shoot our photographers “briefed” us on the terminology they use as to how we should stand, tilt our heads, bodies, etc., so that during the shoot they could yell those terms and we could move as such. This again is why having a great photographer really makes a difference. It’s an art to be able to capture the light in such a way that makes those pictures glow.

Best of luck and congratulations!

XOXO

 

 

Dressy Outfit

Skirt |  Her Top | His Button Up Shirt | His Sweater

Causal Outfit

His Flannel | Her Flannel | His Vest | Her Vest

 

Cover Photo Courtesy of: Gillespie Photography