engagement prep
Now that you have picked a date, a photographer and probably a venue as well, you can celebrate! Those are some of the toughest decisions in wedding planning and you can cross them off your list! Yay!! Now on to the fun stuff.... like your engagement session! We include engagement sessions in The Wedding Experience because we believe that they are a VITAL part of the entire process.
During your engagement session, you’ll have the chance to get to know us, experience how we shoot and how we handle posing etc. This session will make a HUGE impact on how the wedding day flows. We’ll arrive on your wedding day already knowing how you two interact in order to document your day in a genuine way! What we will learn about you during your engagement session is invaluable!
Your engagement session can be scheduled anytime before your wedding day. We normally suggest booking it at least 3-6 months in advance to avoid stress. Because our weekends are filled with weddings, we shoot engagements on weekday evenings, normally from 5-7pm depending on the light and the time of the year. In the winter months, 3-5pm is a normal time.
As you start to plan for your session, you will need to start brainstorming about location ideas. We love locations that are special or sentimental to you! If you can’t think of anywhere specific that you would like to shoot, we can help you decide on a location! We shoot at farms, campuses, downtown alleys and even junk yards! Totally serious!
Do not shy away from crazy ideas! The more creative, the better!
Now that you have picked a date, a photographer and probably a venue as well, you can celebrate! Those are some of the toughest decisions in wedding planning and you can cross them off your list! Yay!!
Now on to the fun stuff.... like your engagement session! We include engagement sessions in The Wedding Experience because we believe that they are a VITAL part of the entire process.
During your engagement session, you’ll have the chance to get to know us, experience how we shoot and how we handle posing etc. This session will make a HUGE impact on how the wedding day flows.
We’ll arrive on your wedding day already knowing how you two interact in order to document your day in a genuine way! What we will learn about you during your engagement session is invaluable!
Your engagement session can be scheduled anytime before your wedding day. We normally suggest booking it at least 3-6 months in advance to avoid stress. Because our weekends are filled with weddings, we shoot engagements on weekday evenings, normally from 5-7pm depending on the light and the time of the year. In the winter months, 3-5pm is a normal time!
As you start to plan for your session, you will need to start brainstorming about location ideas. We love locations that are special or sentimental to you! If you can’t think of anywhere specific that you would like to shoot, we can help you decide on a location! We shoot at farms, campuses, downtown alleys and even junk yards! Totally serious!
Do not shy away from crazy ideas! The more creative, the better!
OUTFIT GUIDE
Don’t try to MATCH...try to pick outfits and accessories that COORDINATE. If everyone wore the same exact color at their session, how boring would those images be?
Don’t be afraid to be BOLD! Accessorize and make your outfits your own! Fabulous shoes are always welcomed.
MOST PATTERNS are actually ok.... however, graphics are not favorable for portraits. If you’re wearing a pattern, make sure it’s not overwhelming or distracting.
Empty your pockets! Literally. You don’t want to have key chains or phones showing through your pockets. (This is for the guys especially)
Clean the ring! I love to shoot a few rings shots while you change outfits! The cleaner the better.
Most often, couples like to have one casual, everyday outfit and then one outfit that is dressier! This will give your shoot two totally different “looks”. I recommend beginning with the dressy outfit first.
Make sure you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing. And ladies, if the top is super low cut, that will limit the amount of angles I can shoot from.
BE ON TIME! The sun is only out for so long ! The later you arrive, the less time we have to shoot! And nobody wants that.
Relax! You don’t have to be a pro at this! I’m going to help you along the way and it’s going to be a blast! Enjoy this time together and make a date out of it! Plan dinner afterwards and celebrate.
Don’t try to MATCH...try to pick outfits and accessories that COORDINATE. If everyone wore the same exact color at their session, how boring would those images be?
Don’t be afraid to be BOLD! Accessorize and make your outfits your own! Fabulous shoes are always welcomed!
MOST PATTERNS are actually ok.... however, graphics are not favorable for portraits. If you’re wearing a pattern, make sure it’s not overwhelming or distracting.
Empty your pockets! Literally. You don’t want to have key chains or phones showing through your pockets. (This is for the guys especially!)
Clean the ring! I love to shoot a few rings shots while you change outfits! The cleaner the better!
Most often, couples like to have one casual, everyday outfit and then one outfit that is dressier! This will give your shoot two totally different “looks”. I recommend beginning with the dressy outfit first.
Make sure you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing. And ladies, if the top is super low cut, that will limit the amount of angles I can shoot from.
BE ON TIME! The sun is only out for so long ! The later you arrive, the less time we have to shoot! And nobody wants that!
Relax! You don’t have to be a pro at this! I’m going to help you along the way and it’s going to be a blast! Enjoy this time together and make a date out of it! Plan dinner afterwards and celebrate!!
formal pinterst inspo
preparing your partner
If you’re a little anxious about how your partner is going to react to this whole “picture” thing, you’re not alone. I receive so many emails from brides that are worried that their partner won’t be into it and I have great news for you.... you both are more photogenic than you think!
Couples are constantly surprised by discovering their hidden modeling skills and the most common response from our Colleen Bies Couples are “That wasn’t as bad at all! It was actually fun.”
Boom! Mission accomplished! When the bride/groom says that taking pictures was FUN....then we’ve done our job! Your engagement session is supposed to be fun and relaxed and not forced or awkward. As you prepare for your shoot, there are a few things that you can do to help know what to expect.
First of all, I highly recommend sitting down with your guy/gal and showing them 2-3 of your favorite engagement sessions that we have photographed.
Spend some time together scrolling through a few blog posts, this will allow you both to gauge what expectations should be. We also recommend that you allow for plenty of time to get to your shoot! There is nothing worse than when a couple shows up late and they have been arguing in the car! That is definitely going to put you both in a bad mood! Last but not least, remember to have patience with each other and don’t assume that s/he’s not going to have a good time... I think you’ll be surprised how much you will both enjoy your session.
If you’re a bride that is a little anxious about how your groom is going to react to this whole “picture” thing, you’re not alone. I receive so many emails from brides who are worried that their groom won’t be into it and I have great news for you.... you both are more photogenic than you think! Couples are constantly surprised by discovering their hidden modeling skills and the most common response from our CLM Grooms is “That wasn’t as bad as I thought! It was actually fun.”. Boom! Mission accomplished! When the groom says that taking pictures was FUN....then I’ve done my job! Your engagement session is supposed to be fun and relaxed and not forced or awkward. As you prepare for your shoot, there are a few things that you can do to help your groom know what to expect. First of all, I highly recommend sitting down with your guy and showing him 2-3 of your favorite engagement sessions that I have photographed. Spend some time together scrolling through a few blog posts, this will allow him to gauge what his expectations should be. I also recommend that you allow for plenty of time to get to your shoot! There is nothing worse than when a couple shows up late and they have been arguing in the car! That is definitely going to put your groom in a bad mood! Last but not least, remember to have patience with him and don’t assume that he’s not going to have a good time... I think you’ll be surprised how much you will both enjoy your session.
