Engagement Shoot Tips: Maine Wedding Photographer
Couples have been taking engagement photos for years. The photos used to be much more stiff, and mainly for the sake of the family announcing the engagement of their children. Today’s engagement shoots are really fun. They are a great way to get to know your photographer, to see yourself in images, and to use for guest books or save-the-date cards. Engagement photos give you the perfect opportunity to splurge on yourself and spend some quality time with your fiance—get dressed up and enjoy it!
From the photography standpoint, engagement photos sessions give the photographer the opportunity to be more creative, as there is generally no time crunch, and we can really get to know you in photos as well as you can get to know our shooting style and what our hand signals mean for poses.
Stylized shoots are becoming very popular. The idea behind this is often themed. A stylized shoot is a staged engagement session—almost like a little mock wedding party. Usually several vendors will coordinate to create this session. You may have or use your makeup/hairstylist, your caterer (for a neat desert), a great venue, your florist, and the photographer who will then provide these images not only to you, but also to the vendors involved in the stylized shoot. What’s neat about these is that it is a way for your personality to shine though. I’ve seen stylized shoots around a movie, a venue, location, an ideal like a picnic, and even created around a style, like modern or country.
Choosing an engagement location is important. The more creative the location, the more interesting the photos. The location also gives you an opportunity to let your identity as a new couple shine. An engagement photo session also lets you take portraits in places where you won’t be able to on your wedding day.
Some tips:
- Think of places the two of you like to hang out, where you got engaged, or even think of things you like doing together.
- Go out at a time of day when the light is beautiful, either early in the morning or just before the sun dips in the evening.
- Play around! Make sure that it is a location in which you can swing each other around or actively engage with each other, like eating ice cream for example.
- Make it a date. Pretend it’s your first date when you get ready and get all dolled up. He is excited to marry you and he might even find the picture thing isn’t so bad.
- Wear fun clothing like polka dots, bright colors, coordinate outfits, or have him wear a tie that you can playfully tug on while shooting the session.
- Go into it with the idea that this is going to be a piece of art, get dressed up to show what you two like to do, be silly if your personalities are silly, each photo should be a representation of the two of you together.
- Choose a location with a variety of backgrounds to shoot with so that not only can you have a bunch of different poses but you can also have a bunch of different settings.
- Props and details really add variety to your shoot—they help you interact with each other and forget that the camera is there.
- If you are getting married out of state or in a destination location, use one of your trips out there for planning as an opportunity to shoot an engagement session with your photographer. You can also use one of the days before the wedding if you are at a destination. Those photos will help to tell your story.
- Be sure to talk everything over with your photographer, and remember, they know the lighting best. Relax and have fun!
Bridal Shower Ideas: Maine Wedding Photographer
Kate was obsessed with Anne of Green Gables as a kid, so her sister Kelly threw her a surprise bridal shower with that theme in mind. It was in the back yard under a tent, and everything was classic china used for tea. It looked like an event in the UK with the ladies in dresses and hats. There were scones, tea, colored chairs for the kids, vintage dresses, and tea pots as shower favors. Beautifully done, I would recommend this Martha Stewart tea party to anyone throwing a bridal shower.
Engagement Photos Colby College, Waterville Maine: Maine Wedding Photography
Kate and Nate have been together for almost 15 years. They began dating as freshmen in high school…through college…then long distance…through jobs, graduate school…and now they are finally getting married :) These two were meant to be together. We did their engagement photos in Waterville, Maine which is very near to where they went to high school together. Looking forward to their August wedding!
Choosing a Wedding Photographer: Maine Wedding Photography
As I was looking through Elle magazine today I stopped on an article about the fashion guru editor Candice Rainey and how much she hates photos of herself. As she goes on to talk about how much she dislikes posed images of herself and candid images of herself…she said this “Despite my terrible track record, I have a wedding photo of my own that is similarly blissfully and nostalgic. Its a black and white taken by a friend of mine with a vintage Leica, and my dad is laughing twirling me around the dance floor in my strapless floor sweeping dress. My eyes are closed but I’m smiling too, looking pretty and unaffected. When I glance at it mid workday I get the urge to pick up the phone and call him. Its a little blurry….but its a potent tangible memory that I think my future kids might like to frame.”
This got me thinking….most brides select their wedding photographer based on a portfolio of amazing detail shots…that is what they want to look at when they are planning their wedding. I am the images they will want to look at after the wedding. What I photograph is a moment in time, a unique bond between people, a feeling…a look that can never be recreated again except in your memory every time you look at my images. While the formal shots maybe the ones you frame on the wall, the in-between shots, the shots taken while you have no idea there is a camera on you are the ones that show the true emotions and connections shared on your wedding day. I photograph everything, the details, the formals, the bridal party poses…but what is really important in a wedding image is does it move you? Do you feel like you there, are you looking into their hearts and sharing that intimate moment with them. That is what my images do. In some cultures they believe that a photograph steals a part of your soul…in each of my photos I leave a piece of me. Every time I click the shutter there is an intention, there is something I am trying to portray about these people, this event, their unique and amazing story. So when you consider wedding photographs, remember to look past the details, the set up scenes and think about the photographers who can share these moments with your future children through just one image. Select a wedding photographer whose photographs move you…one who you can capture one image when you view your images after the wedding that will bring you the smiles and the tears of happiness you shed all over again.
Wedding Mad Libs: Maine Wedding Photography
Wedding Mad Libs
Perfect for use at the hotel or salon on wedding day J
Be sure to use wedding words to make it more fun J
Guide to finding the Perfect Husband
Use these words that you write down to fill in the story below….
Article of clothing:____________________________________________________
Body part:_________________________________________________________________
Place:____________________________________________________________________
adjective:_____________________________________________________
verb:______________________________________________________________
verb:_______________________________________________________________
Noun:___________________________________________________________________
adjective:___________________________________________________________
Body Part:______________________________________________________________
Number:___________________________________________________________
Verb:_____________________________________________________________
Verb:___________________________________________________________________
adjective:___________________________________________________________________
noun:____________________________________________________
Adjective:______________________________________________________________
Adjective:______________________________________________________________
Verb ending in ing:___________________________________________________________________
Adjective:____________________________________________________________
Noun:__________________________________________________
Noun:___________________________________________________________
Adjective:_______________________________________________________________
Verb:_________________________________________________________
Be sure to wear _________________________________ and show off your best _____________________. Meeting your future husband is easy when you go to _________________________________________. Don’t forget to say _____________________ then you _____________________________. After doing __________________________________ you use ______________________ to your advantage. Make sure your future _______________________ husband has _________________________________ and a _____________________ dollars for _____________________________. When you want to ___________________________ tell him _____________________________________ or you will take away the ____________________________. Hopefully the two of you will make _________________________ babies. Remember to never act _____________________________ in front of his mother. If you do ___________________ he will think you are crazy so be sure to ____________________________ that __________________ habit. Remember the ______________________ objective is for him to propose. Always give a ____________________________ handshake to his dad. Finally never __________________________ on the first date.
Remember It could be worse
Person: _________________________________________________
Noun:______________________________________________________
Article of clothing: _________________________________________
Verb:_______________________________________________________
Person:________________________________________________
Verb:_____________________________________________________
Adjective:______________________________________________
Noun:_____________________________________________________
Noun:_____________________________________________________
Feeling:_____________________________________________________
Place:__________________________________________________
Word ending in ed:______________________________________
Article of clothing:_________________________________________
Body part:________________________________________________
Adjective:__________________________________________________
Adjective:____________________________________________________
On my wedding day _________________________ spilled the ________________________ all over my ______________________________. When my husband saw he ____________________________ the best man. This lead to _____________________________ getting excited and doing _________________________________ to the maid of honor. In the middle of the ____________________________ room. Then __________________________ ate the ________________________________ and got very ______________________________ in the ________________________________. When I finally ____________________________________ the wedding party was already removing __________________________________ from their ________________________________________. The manager was ______________________________ and decided to kick us all out. It cant get any worse than _______________________________________ wedding.
Dress Shopping
Adjective:_____________________________________________
Article of clothing:______________________________________
Noun:_________________________________________________
Adjective:______________________________________________
Verb: __________________________________________________
Number:__________________________________________________
Adjective:_________________________________________________
Adjective:______________________________________________
Noun:__________________________________________________
Adjective:_______________________________________________
Body Part:_________________________________________________
Rule 1: Always wear ___________________________ _________________________________ when dress shopping.
Rule 2: Never use _____________________________ because it could cause you to get __________________________________.
Rule 3: The best way to pick the dress is to __________________________ then count to ________________________ and walk _____________________________.
Rule 4: Mom has excellent ______________________________ taste in _______________________ so believe whatever she says.
Rule 5. If the dress looks like a blimp on the rack it will look ________________________ on your ____________________________ which is what matters most.
Bachelor Party:
Adjective:____________________________________________
TV show_____________________________________________
Noun:________________________________________________
Person:_____________________________________________
Verb:_________________________________________________
Food:_________________________________________________
Place:__________________________________________________
Adjective:_____________________________________________
Adjective:_____________________________________________
Noun:_________________________________________________
Verb:_________________________________________________
Verb:_________________________________________________
Don’t worry the _______________________________ men all stayed home and watched _______________________________ on TV. The problem was ____________________________ and __________________________________ started to __________________________________ while eating _______________________________________ in the ______________________________________. Those _______________________________ men are ___________________________________ unpredictable. Why are men so ____________________________________ disgusting? The always have to have____________________________________ and cant leave each others side when ______________________________. Good thing they only _________________________ when they are alone on the weekends.
