Congratulations! You are getting MARRIED!
While it may take some time to get used to that new bling on your left hand -- and using the term 'fiancé' (I swear I still said 'boyfriend' for like a month) -- and the champagne bubbles settle and you begin planning your big day, one of the first vendors we secured was our photographer.
At first, I was a little hesitant about doing engagement pictures... but I quickly learned the importance and value behind it, plus it was FUN. Duh, no wonder everyone does them and have been doing this for years! First and foremost, it was really good preparation and practice for the wedding day. This time allowed us to actually meet our Photographer in person, learn more about the way she operates and how she shoots. You spend A LOT of time with your photographer on your wedding day and they are typically there for all of the intimate and emotional moments. This was a great warm up and chance to get to know each other better!
It was also good to learn a bit more on how to interact with each other and get comfortable kissing and 'frolicking' in public and in front of a camera (yes, even though Alex does that for a living LOL). Our photographer was super helpful in giving us direction on where to look, where to put your arm, how to pose naturally, and how to capture those 'cute' intimate looking moments with your fiancé.
This was also a valuable time to test out different looks and styles in pictures. What necklines look good on you and fir your frame? Which styles, sleeves, materials etc. not only look good in pictures but feel good and are practical. Silk and 95 degree weather aren't BFF's so don't force it for the pictures. Also, use this for a GLAM trial. From hair and make-up to spray tan, nails and accessories this is a great time to test these things out and see how they look in photos. I ended up changing my hair stylist afterwards since my hair did not hold.
Deciding what to wear was a challenge for me! A few key notes and tips for you:
- don't overthink it and overcomplicate it (easier said than done I know) but that will only had stress
- stay away from trends or styles that will not be 'in' years from now
- these should be timeless and 'evergreen'
- you don't have to wear white
- I had 3 outfits (white, floral, and sage green) I wanted a mixture of 'bridal', a summery look, and then something more fall since our wedding was the end of August
- you set the tone for formality (no such thing as too fancy or not fancy enough)
-ensure your spouse's looks align with yours in terms of color and formality
Have FUN with this and don't take yourself too seriously. No one 'knows' what they are doing and it is fun to just soak up this time and celebrate your engagement and all the fun that is ahead! We made a date night out of it and went to dinner afterwards!
We used these photos for our Save the Dates and added them on our wedding website! We will always cherish them!
White dress: @caminyc
Blue floral dress: @reformation
Silk skirt + top set: @aliceandolivia
Shoes: @schutz
I did 3 looks! Kept it simple for my groom, he wore white pants and a white linen button down and 2 different jackets.
In summary, my tips:
-use this time to get to know your photographer & how they operate (you’ll spend a lot of time with them on your wedding day)
-get comfortable in front of the camera (where to put your arm lol & how to look somewhat cute while adult frolicking in public)
-test out certain necklines, styles, materials, sleeves etc. and see how you feel in them and in pics
-hair, make-up, spray tan, nails etc. = glam trial run
-HAVE FUN! I almost didn’t do engagement pics but looking back so glad we did
-make it a date night and celly afterwards! (you only do this once)
-we used these pics on our wedding website and save the date
XOXO
Gabbi