Obviously I am not a photo shoot expert but I thought I would share some tips for making your day just a successful as ours.
Photographer
I knew who I wanted even before we were engaged - there was no question. Hot Metal Studio.
Picking a photographer is just as important (if not more) than the venue. These images are going to live for decades to come, so you better love them! Sometimes memories fail us so having a nice set of photographs that showcase exactly who you were as a couple is a nice thing to have. There are lots of photography styles out there so creep on lots of photographers web pages - you will know when you see something you like.
Outfits
You definitely don't need to get matchy matchy but picking a color scheme is helpful. I spend everyday in an environment where color is a huge focus, it could totally make or break a photo. Ever wonder how much thought goes into a table of sweaters at your local American Eagle Outfitters store? A ton! The visual department of a retail brand spends quite a bit of time talking about color. I work side by side with a team who works to aesthetically please the customers eye by placing merchandise based on color, among a million other things! Placing a red sweater next to a neon green sweater would look awful, not as appealing to a customer or good in a photo hanging in your living room. Pick a few neutral colors as your base then add a some pops of color.
Like navy, gray and a bit of coral!
I started with these three colors in my mind then dug through our closets. Of course I had nothing to wear and headed to the mall immediately. Well, I picked boots, jeans and flats I already owned and Jake wore a few items he already owned but it was really an excuse for me to shop. I kept to items and fabrics we usually wear, you don't want pictures in a dress if you never wear dresses and feel awkward in them.
Here is where we landed - when I say 'we' I mean 'me', Jake would have worn a Notre Dame hoodie ...
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| You can't go wrong with stripes, polka dots and plaids - as long as you mix in some solids. |
Backdrop
I wanted the background to be neutral nature. I love fall but didn't want pictures of us playing in piles of leaves. I love the idea of snowy backdrop, bundling up in a cute fuzzy hat and puffy winter coat but a winter wonderland was not the look I was going for, this time! We decided on an early September day, and it rained all day long! It would have been adorable to wear rain boots and hold an umbrella but that's also not the look we were going for - plus I don't think Jake understands the rain boot look.
We ended up getting them taken on a very grey, mild, September evening. They turned out amazing, apparently gray is good when it comes to photo sessions outside. Less glare and no eye squinting.
End use
Keep in mind the end use, it will help you pick the color palette, outfits and backdrop.
We wanted a few nice pictures of us together in regular clothes, not at a wedding or at our wedding. Don't get me wrong I am excited to have wedding pictures but we are not really interested in plastering the walls with tons of photos of us all dressed up.
The only pictures we have of us together are pretty much all taken on iPhones, we wanted some good quality photos of us looking like we do on an average day.
I have plans to use the photos on our save the date cards, Christmas cards / gifts, a shutterfly book and for a few other fun wedding ideas. So a winter scene photo session for a wedding in August was not in the plan.
Props
I love a prop. Our wedding theme is 'tie the knot' so we decided to get some thick brown rope at Home Depot - it was the first time I had bought bulk rope, and it was an interesting experience. Apparently the heated razor blade is used to cut synthetic rope... an employee found me burning natural fiber rope with the heated blade, the aisle was filled with smoke. He laughed when I said I need the rope for engagement pictures. Don't let less crafty people ruin your vision - go with it - you know what you want!
I found a how-to for tying knots in a Martha Weddings magazine, we spent a few minutes tying a knot and quite some time sawing the ends with a hand saw.
So, rope fiasco aside we brought a rope knot, an old chalkboard, thinner white rope and some numbers formed out of rope glued onto wood blocks. I saw the numbers on etsy and loved them so much my parents and I are going to make numbers 1-25 and use them as tables numbers for the reception. We love a do-it-yourself job, especially when it deals with wood - my dads speciality.
All said and done, props are not necessary but they really helped draw attention to our theme, along with the photographers excellent eye for detail - they spotted all sorts of cool rope elements on our e-shoot.
Faces
Serious is not a good look for me, I'll remember that on my wedding day. If you are aware of any looks or faces that make you look crazy... try to avoid them.
Here are some of our favorites...
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