Hi SMP brides, I’m so thrilled to share my engagement photos today, as well as some tips for you own engagement shoot! As a wedding photographer myself, I knew a little bit more about what to expect from our engagement session, but I was still nervous and excited for it. Spring weather had finally arrived and my lovely friend Kristina agreed to drive up from Orange County, because we thought it would be meaningful to do the shoot in the Bay Area where we got engaged and where we now live.
The weather forecast for the day of our shoot was clouds and rains, so we were feeling pretty anxious it might not happen at all. On the morning before our shoot, we looked outside and saw that it was bright despite being the sky being entirely gray. We took a chance that it wouldn’t start raining yet and hopped in the car at 11 am. I usually schedule engagement sessions within 1-2 hours of sunset, so already this was going very differently than planned! I had to totally re-set my expectations from that golden glow-y light, and at first I was feeling a little cheated by the weather. But once we were at the beach I felt so calm, and we ended up loving the muted and moody light, especially with the foggy coastal setting. For us, it was a great reminder that things work out if you just go with the flow.
As a digital photographer up until now, I recently bought a Pentax medium format film camera. I used to shoot film in college, and it has completely reignited my passion for photography. So I was thrilled that Kristina would be shooting our engagement session primarily on film.
Since we are getting married in Italy, I wanted our engagement session locations to have a totally different look and feel from the Tuscan countryside, so we chose a mix of the beach and the city. Daniel and I once made an itinerary for an afternoon in the city and we were on our way to a museum, but we got so caught up in talking when I suddenly noticed we were on the Golden Gate Bridge! We laughed, and decided we would go to the beach in Marin and read all afternoon. This is one of the things I love most about our relationship, we make a plan and then throw it out the window when a new adventure presents itself.
City Lights Bookstore was a must on our list of places to visit during our shoot. Daniel once told me he wanted to visit all the greatest bookstores in the world together, and City Lights was the first one we crossed off our list. And I had seen a photo of the exterior of Wayfare Tavern and was completely smitten. It looked like just the sort of place that Daniel and I would stop for a glass of wine after a day of adventuring.
Planning your enagement session? Read below because I’m sharing a few tips that’ll help make you feel a little more prepared to step in front of the camera! I’m so happy to be sharing my wedding planning journey, from inspiration to planning tips, and all that goes into throwing an intimate destination wedding (which reminds me I really need to start looking for a caterer…)
5 Engagement Session Tips
Choosing your locations
I encourage my couples to choose engagement session locations that are emotionally significant to them or that reflect what they might do on a perfect weekend together. You should feel comfortable and relaxed at the location you choose. You certainly don’t need to go to a wide open field to take romantic engagement photos. I love when couples choose to take photos in their neighborhood, at one of their favorite cafes, or the site of an important date or the proposal. Just check with your photographer to ensure there is enough beautiful natural light.
Think like a stylist
If you spend some time thinking about how your outfits fit with the environment of your location, the images will be stronger. I wanted to get a little more dressed up, because I think the engagement photos are a way to mark this special time of our lives! I also knew that our engagement photos would go on our wedding website, so I wanted our outfits to fit the tone of the wedding, fancy but not fussy, formal but fun. I worked with my friend Rebekah of A and B Creative to choose dresses, which was such a fun shopping experience! We looked at pictures of the coast and pictures of San Francisco city streets to think about the colors and styles that would work best.
Prepare your partner
Most guys I know are like “what’s an engagement session?” and most women I know read Style Me Pretty long before they even get engaged! So it makes sense that you need to prepare your groom before the shoot so he knows what to expect. Show your groom some engagement sessions your photographer has shot in the past. Whenever I was looking at an engagement shoot that I really liked on SMP, I would show my fiancé Daniel, so he got a sense of the poses and the kinds of photos we might take. I just told him that he had free reign to wrap me up in big hugs, hold my hand, and kiss me on the forehead, and suddenly he didn’t mind the idea of being photographed quite as much.
Bring thoughtful props
Props or activities can help tell a story, but be warned, props can look real cheesy real fast. I’m averse to anything that looks too Pinterest-y when it comes to engagement photos. I knew for sure, no chalkboards with our wedding date and no balloons. Since we were going to City Lights Bookstore, I thought that it would be sweet if I brought the book Daniel bought for me there. Inside he had written to me “Your eyes are even more beautiful when lost in thought”. When I read that note I knew immediately that he loved me, even though we hadn’t said it yet. And we brought the leather journal with our initials that Daniel gave me when he proposed. Coffee, ice cream, a picnic spread, and cocktails can make for fun editorial detail shots. It can also be sweet to snuggle up in your favorite blanket, or incorporate details from your surroundings, like a rowboat at a lake or a cute basket on a strawberry picking expedition.
Trust your photographer
Often when couples show up to their engagement shoot, the first thing one of them will say is that they are not photogenic. Don’t worry! Helping you to feel comfortable in front of the camera is your photographer’s job. Yes, it can feel awkward at times, but trust that your photographer will find naturalness within the posing. Pretend you’re on a date, relax and interact with each other, and just enjoy being close and snuggling up together, because then the photos will reflect the authenticity and depth of your love.
Follow Nicole’s Journey down the Aisle
Meet the Bride | How to Elope Without Offending
Photography: Kristina Adams | Blogger Bride : Nicole, Sorella Muse | Blush Dress: BHLDN | Emerald Dress: Badgley Mischka | Film Developing : Richard Photo Lab | Gown Sourcing : Rebekah Carey McNall, A & B Creative | Wedges : Toms
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