Style Guide: how to prep for your engagement session
What you need to know!
I am beyond excited to shoot your session. Wether it is a family session or capture a major event in your life I am so honored that you have chosen me to work with! I have created this style guide to help answer all your questions and prepare you for your session.
Before we dive in, I want to say that I do not want you to feel pressured to go out and buy brand new clothes just for your session. This guide is meant help inspire you and give a few bits of information for you to consider. The only real requirement for your session is to be 100% you!
Choosing a date (& time)
I absolutely love shooting in natural light and truly believe there is no better light source. The best time of day for outdoor sessions are up to two hours before sunset. This time of day is called golden hour. The light from the sun casts a beautiful and soft golden hue to your photos. Another great time is starting around sunrise to achieve a similar feel to your images. When picking a date for your session, consider the time of year. The sun sets and rises change drastically throughout the year.
Another quick note to make is that you should plan to arrive at your session a few minutes early. This is especially true for sunset/golden hour sessions.
Your location selection
When it comes to location, the choice is completely up to you! Most of my clients choose an outdoor location. Some of the best locations are ones that mean something to you. Like a beach or park you frequent together or maybe where you two got engaged! These places during golden hour can be completely breathtaking! Whether I have photographed a session there or not, I am always up for a new adventure (who knows maybe it'll be a new favorite locations!)
Don't be afraid to think of a unique location that I would not normally have access too. Maybe you know someone that can get grant you permission to use their airplane hanger, a boat, a private estate, brewery, library, etc. the possibilities are endless. If you are truly stuck on a location idea (even Pinterest can't seem to help) do not worry, I have a few favorite locations that I can suggest for you as well.
Styling: for her
When it comes to your session, don't be afraid to be a little more fancy. Always wanted to wear a flower crown, tulle skirt, or a beautiful dress? Now is your chance! When it comes to portrait sessions, there is no such thing as being too fancy!
Another thing when picking out an outfit, is to think about dresses or skirts! These pieces tend to flatter the female body. When deciding on the length of your dress or skirt, think about who will be in the photo session with you. If your pets will be with you, there is a higher likelihood of sitting or kneeling on the ground to interact with them so a long dress or skirt would be more ideal. If your outfit has movement as it will add a little extra something to your photos.
A little reminder depending on your session length, you can pick multiple outfits! If you so choose, I always recommend one outfit being on the casual side and the other having a "awe" effect.
Choosing your color palette
When deciding what colors to incorporate in your outfits consider soft, muted, and lighter tones. These color tones will give your photos an airy and more romantic feel and bring all the focus to your face. Think light pinks, baby blues, and earth tones. When you pair these colors with cream, light grey, and brown it adds an extra bit of sophistication to your photos. These colors tend to compliment colors naturally found outdoors. If you opt to use a pattern in your outfit make sure only one person is wearing a pattern. Too many patterns and colors can quickly cause a lot of focus issues for the eye. This would pull the eye's focus from your face to your clothing.
Think of your flattering features
Every woman has an area of her body that she is a little self-conscious about. When choosing your outfit, think about this area. An example is if you are self conscious about your arms, opt for full length sleeves. This sleeve length tends to give a slimming effect to the arm as a strapless dress has the complete opposite effect. Another cute idea is adding a cardigan, blazer, or jacket to your session.
Hair & Makeup
To ensure a completely stress free day, considering booking an appointment at your local salon for hair and makeup. It always looks amazing on camera plus why not treat yourself! It could be as simple as a blowout, lash extensions, or completely having your hair and makeup done. Plus who doesn't feel even more confident after getting their hair and makeup done? Another idea is to have you wedding makeup or hair trial this day.
Styling: for him
A man can never go wrong with a long fitted pant and closed-toe shoes. These bring the most sophistication and masculinity to your look. When choosing your outfit consider passing on shorts or baggy pants for a fitted dress pant. A solid color like navy or gray tend to look best on camera and compliment most outfit choices. Avoid wearing crazy patterns, logos, or graphics as if pulls the attention away from your face in your photos.
If you choose to wear a blazer or jacket of some sort, think about picking a color that is different from your pant colors. For instance white pants and a navy blazer. This add visual interest into the photo without pulling focus. Don't shy away from layering up. Layers are timeless and always look amazing on men. Adding an extra layer adds dimension to your photos and makes it easy to add a pop of color with a tie!
How to get him ready
In my experience most men aren't the most excited about getting their photo taken. This is usually because they don't know what is to come or why it is important. Take a few moment to tell him why this session is important to you and why you chose me as your photographer. Show him some of my work and explain why your session is important to him. Trust me, once he knows how much this session means to you, he will be camera ready.
I have witnessed many times I man show up for their session with no will to be there. But by the end they explain how much fun it was to actually get their photos taken!
Bringing it all together!
As you are figuring out how to coordinate your outfit with your fiance, keep in mind that outfits in the same color palette are more cohesive. You do not want to match, instead think of complimenting each other. This adds visual interest and allows each of you to show their own personality. When planning your outfits think of a main color, this will be the color you see most in the outfits. Then pick a few accent colors. Keep in mind that soft colors are recommended over bright and bold color but don't be afraid to add some variety with the shades of color (ie. different shades of blue).
An example of this would be if you chose to wear a flowy white dress with brown buttons down the front. Pair that with some brown booties and some sage green earring for a little pop of color. Your fiance could wear a white button up shirt with a brown pant and shoes (potentially even a sage green tie), if you have a pet joining, they could wear a cute sage bandana or collar bow tie.
"When will I get my photos?"
This is the number one question that people ask after their session is over. Here is my average timeline for portrait session.
5 weeks
Your online gallery with all your high resolution images will be ready! For engagement sessions, you can expect around 25 images. After your session, we will schedule your reveal session around the 3-5 week mark.
During the reveal you will see your images for the first time (minus a sneak peek!) This is also your opportunity to purchase any albums, prints, or wall art!
A quick reminder that you receive 20% off ALL pre-purchased print products prior to your wedding date! This can be an album of your engagement photos that guests can sign on your wedding day, wall art from your wedding day, or anything in between!
I will see you soon!
With all this being said, at the end of the day the session is completely your own. So do what make you and your heart happy! If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me below. I look forward to seeing you soon!
