i try to prepare my couples for our engagement session. this takes the stress away from them and me! there are SO many different people telling you what you need and what has to happen for your engagement session to be successful…let’s not blame Pinterest though 🙂 I know my brides are going to hear it from someone…so why not be the one to inform them?? 🙂 so i always refer them to an idea board!!

people are very visual. i can tell my clients until i am blue in the face, “pastel colors, soft colors, flowy outfits, those all work best with my shooting and editing style and they photograph beautifully on film”. do i sometimes get people that show up in fluorescent colors…yes. do we make it work…yes. however, they want the light filled and bright fun images that i show every day on my blog and post to my instagram! so i know that i need to coach them into finding those perfect outfits!

the best way to have it stick in their brains is to show them. like i said, people are very visual. it’s one of the easiest ways for me to remember something…to visualize it. so i send an email out before my couple’s engagement shoot and i show them my Pinterest board that is specifically devoted to engagement outfit ideas. there are also a few pose ideas in there as well 😉 pretty sneaky, huh?

a few things to remember when planning your outfits for your engagement session…

1} choose your outfit FIRST! – if the bride knows what she wants to wear…finding the groom’s outfit will be a piece of cake!

2} pick something with complimentary colors – please please please do not match!!! i’m okay with the same colors…but please don’t twin it for your engagement session! 🙂

3} avoid small, busy patterns – i love a good pattern. but it needs to be a larger pattern. something that isn’t going to go crazy on a photo. if you choose super small gingham plaid…when i blog those images, it literally looks like your pattern is dancing on the computer screen. it’s never a good look.

4} think about your location… – will you be sitting a little, standing for everything? is it in a field, maybe you should wear wedges instead of those stilettos….take all of this into consideration!!!

5} ACCESSORIZE! – i cannot stress this enough. there is a huge difference in an image of a couple where they’re madly in love, snuggling close…and a couple that is madly in love, snuggly close, with an amazing scarf flowing in the wind…or a nice watch complimenting the groom’s outfit. it is sometimes the detail that makes it look a little more high end.

6} bring a dressy casual and a dressy outfit – heck…go formal! i love a great suit and bowtie! it’s always nice to have some casual pictures…but this is your engagement session!!! go all out 🙂 you’ll thank me later on in life!

7} find something you are comfortable in! – do you prefer to wear toms under your floor length formal gown?? do it! no one is going to know… 🙂 except for me!