So you just got engaged? Congrats you two! Once all the excitement has sunk in a little you are going to start thinking about your engagement photos!
Engagement shoots have become widely popular among newly engaged couples, and almost all of them want something different and unique. The best way to achieve that is to make it personal and have fun. That is when the best and most creative photographs are taken. Creativity doesn't necessarily come from cooking up something brand new - sometimes all it takes is doing what you love.
For many engagement photos are valuable when it comes to sharing the experience of your engagement with not only your friend, but future family. Children especially love to look at these photos, seeing how their parents used to be and how much they were in love during the early stages of their relationships.
If you are serious about having great wedding photos we would seriously consider having an engagement session done. Reason being is that you will get a chance to see how you look being professionally photographed and become way more comfortable in front of the camera. If you're nervous about having your photos taken on your wedding day, it will show on your prints. You'll get past that doing an engagement session.
Here are “Top 10 reasons" to have an engagement session:
1. Complimentary engagement session included in most of our packages
2. We see how you photograph best in a relaxed setting
3. You get comfortable with us
4. Holiday greeting cards Save the Date announcement cards
5. Gifts for family and friends
6. Holiday greeting cards
7. Custom Sign-In book
8. Display a beautiful framed photograph at the wedding in a slide show
9. Test your makeup
10. A great reason to go shopping for new outfit!
Design/portrait consultations before the actual shoot
We offer a pre-session consultation to all our clients. It will take place over the phone, via email, Skype. We will decide on a location for your session and talk about details such as outfit suggestions and your vision for the photographs and how you intend to use them. What is the story you want to tell with your images? We welcome any suggestions and can answer all of your questions during our consultation.
Location
As far as locations, pick a place you both love and mean something to you. Whether it be the proposal place, where you met, and/or your favorite coffee or ice cream shop. Basically make it personal and all about the two of you.
Photo Type
One of the most important parts of picking your outfit for an engagement photo is to think about the type of photos you plan on getting. Regardless if your photos are going to be romantic, candid, posed, natural, formal, casual or comical, you need to match your wardrobe to the photo mood.
Style
Most couples chooses semi-casual or casual garments for their engagement photo wardrobe since they know they'll be wearing formal clothes for the official wedding pictures. This way you get a nice balance of formal and casual photos. Remember that the style of clothes you both wear speaks volumes about your personalities. Stick with styles that truly represent the both of you and are pieces you feel comfortable wearing.
It's important for couples to coordinate their wardrobe styles for engagement photos. You absolutely do not want matching outfits or you'll end up looking like a set of boy and girl dolls. However, you do want to choose outfits that compliment and coordinate each other. You both need to dress in one of the styles to create sharp and cohesive photos.
In general, you should bring at least two to three different outfits to the shoot and we can help you decide what would be most appropriate.
Color
Color-coordinate outfits without being match-matchy. In other words, make sure you have colors in the same tone as your fiance(e), not necessarily the exact same colors.
Regardless of the type of photo you're taking, avoid wearing single-color outfits or garments with bold patterns. It doesn't matter if the photos are black-and-white or color, a sharp pattern or person dressed head-to-toe in a single color will throw off the balance of the photo.
Accessories
Always limit your accessories when choosing a wardrobe for engagement photos. Large quantities of flashy jewelry disturb the photo balance and composition. A pair of attractive earrings with a matching necklace will always photograph better than a pair of flashy earrings with several different necklaces. A slim man's watch will also photograph better than a wide and clunky watch.
Props
Props help showcase your personality. You want a few, but not so much it takes the focus off the two of you.
Footwear
May we suggest to ladies SHOES SHOES SHOES, grab a pair of standout shoes, something that make the eye POP! Don’t be scared of Color.