ENGAGEMENT GUIDELINES
WHAT TO WEAR + HOW TO PREPARE
YOU DO YOU
I want your photos to reflect you as a couple, your quirks, your love and all the in-between; to make your session as much a reflection of your love as possible. Instead of opting for your city's stereotypical photo locations let's do something that's meaningful to you as a couple. LOVE hiking? Let's adventure! Crazy into whiskey or wine? Bring a bottle along. Prefer to stay at home with your cats? Let's do an in home session with lots of kitty snuggle time. Have a travel destination in mind, let me know! I'm sure we can work something out!
For Example: Kelly + Jeff spend a lot of their time boating on Long Lake in the Adirondacks, so we spent a sunrise with them on the shore + in their boat.
Selecting your location can be a bit overwhelming, so if you need some suggestions, let me know! I have a ton of favorite spots in the area, and also love finding new locations near you. I'm kind of an expert at internet sleuthing locations and finding the perfect spot for you.
LOW KEY, NO PRESSURE
It can feel really daunting to pick what to wear for photos + to not know what to expect during your shoot but you probably know my vibe by now and the main goal is NO STRESS.
PLEASE, keep in mind: these are only guidelines, not rules! You can show up wearing a taco costume for all I care.
GETTING STARTED
I’ve put together a few guidelines so you guys can be sure to look and feel hella good, while still making sure the images are focused on your love, not what you’re wearing. Full disclaimer, I am no fashion expert (you'll usually find me wearing jorts and a pocket tee), so there’s a good chance you’ve got better style than I do. These guidelines are what I’ve found to work best from trial and error from past shoots.
Ultimately, I want you to look like and feel like yourselves.
A lot of people try to go shopping for new clothes for the shoot beforehand – IF you’re planning to do that, give yourselves time. Make sure the things you buy are something you’ll wear regularly and reflect you. I'm a big fan of showing up in items that are staples of your closet. Wear something that you're comfortable in. If that's a long flowy dress, awesome! If its a favorite ring neck tee and ripped jean, great! Or bring both to get the best of both worlds.
COLORS + PATTERNS
I usually recommend sticking with neutrals and earthy tones. This doesn’t mean you have to wear a big ol’ pile of gray. There are neutrals of every color! Navy, burnt orange, mustard yellow, olive green. These colors tend to mesh well with any environment.
Try to stay away from bright, florescent colors. These will distract from your lovely faces and tend to not look the best in most locations. However, if fluorescent colors are your thing, let me know and we can make sure to pick a location that will work for that vibe.
As far as patterns go, I normally recommend keeping it simple and balancing each other out. Competing or clashing patterns can cause the photos to look a bit hectic. So if one of you is wearing a pattern, make sure the other is wearing a solid.
Pro tip: iron or steam your clothes before the shoot. Wrinkles are the worst.
One hard and fast rule for clothing, NO super thin, close together stripes. They warp in camera and create a weird, dizzying effect.
ASK FOR HELP
Feel free to send over options or ask questions. I'm happy to help you pick. Or you can bring a few options to the shoot and decide in the moment, or wear both!
OUTFIT CHANGES
I usually recommend narrowing it down to two outfits. A lot of couples choose to do a more formal look and a casual vibe. For example, a long flowy dress for the first part of the shoot and then changing to jeans and a sweater. Also, just know that depending on where we are shooting, you’ll most likely be changing in the back of your car or a public restroom. Just so you are prepared for that!
ACCESSORIZE
I love when people bring hats, sunglasses, scarves, jewelry, etc because it’s nice to pair them with different outfit options. Decide if you want your watch to be in your photos. If it's a smart watch, I'd say probably not. If its a cool fancy watch, go for it!
I recommend having your hands free throughout the session, so I prefer to not have you carry extra clothing, a purse, drinks, or anything else. If we happen to be doing more of an adventure session where going back to the car isn't an option, feel free to put your change of clothes, water bottles, or any other items in a backpack and I can wear it for the shoot.
MOVEMENT
Make sure that the materials you wear will keep you comfortable during the shoot, not only for temperatures but also for being able to move around. If you're wearing a tiny lil dress, keep in mind that will restrict the movement poses we can do – which are a HUGE part of how we get that unposed vibe. Please try to wear something you can run, spin, and dance in. You’ll be glad you did.
I recommend bringing clothes that are "broken in" so that you'll be as comfortable as possible. I also love when people bring clothing or accessories that can show movement by catching wind, because it adds energy to the photos and looks freaking gorgeous!
WEATHER + TERRAIN
Think about the conditions and locations we are going to be shooting in and plan around it. If we are going to be hiking around the mountains, bring shoes with good grip and you won’t twist your ankles in. If we are shooting on a sandy beach, consider going barefoot.
Be as comfortable + prepared as you can be!
HAIR + MAKEUP
I HIGHLY recommend you stick with your normal look. This isn’t the time to try something crazy + new. If bold is your thing, please do it! However, if you’re getting your hair and make-up done by a pro, please do a trial run. I don’t want to waste precious shoot time while you wipe off caked on make-up and take down an up-do you aren’t happy with (yes, we’ve seen this WAY too many times).
Pretty please don’t fake tan right before your session, if you regularly tan, go for it, but give your skin time to adjust. Skintones are something we don’t want to be correcting in post.
PROPS
To be honest, when I think of “props” for photo sessions I tend to flash straight to all of those cringe-worthy Pinterest photos of cheesy chalkboards and overdone hobby lobby décor. Let’s not do that – instead let’s make this as YOU as we can.
Eat a lot of pizza? Let’s order dominos + do a picnic!
Have some amazing cats you want photographed? Let’s do an in home session involving some kitty cuddle time.
Other things we love? ACTION props, campfires, boats, cool cars,
blankets to snuggle in, etc. If you want to incorporate something, let’s plan it and keep it cool, not cheesy.
BEHIND THE CAMERA BASICS
Your engagement session is a chance to chill out, kick back, & have some fun. It's super important to me that your engagement session captures your personalities and relationship as a couple. Portraits are best when you are being yourself - so I absolutely encourage that. PLEASE don't feel like you have to act like someone else just because you're getting your photos taken. I'm confident I can make you look great while you're both being yourselves!
I strive to capture an "unposed" or candid feel to your photos, but that doesn't mean I don't give you any direction. I'll guide you through the process and give you plenty of direction along the way. The most important thing for you is to remember to not take things too seriously and have fun with it!
THAT'S IT!
If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to let me know. I can't wait for your shoot!
