sweet root

We can hardly believe that the Spring season is upon us! With the warming of the weather and the livening of nature, we are starting to schedule
all sorts of engagement sessions during these warmer months. We are often looked to for input on how to prepare for a session.
What should I wear? Do I need to bring anything? Where should we go?
So we wanted to address some of these concerns and offer our best tips and suggestions for how to make the most of this
time you get to spend with the one love and the photographer who will be capturing one of your biggest days!

There are a fair amount of things to consider when choosing outfits.

1. Coordinating
First, you aren’t just dressing yourself. There are two people to consider! Don’t worry about being too
matchy-matchy, but definitely be sure to coordinate and certainly don’t clash!

2. The Ever Important Shoe
Often times you can design your entire outfit based off of your shoes. So let’s start there! Ladies, wearing heels might not be the best idea if we climbing mountains for your session, but if we are strolling down a boardwalk or through a hip city street, then go for it! We are all about bright colored shoes for added interest, and you can also stick to your neutrals if you are unsure (brown, black, grey, white). Gentlemen, be mindful of the color socks you wear|if there is a chance of them making an appearance in your photographs.

3. Fashion
Feel free to be as creative and trendy in your wardrobe choices as you want! We love love love fabulous patterns, dramatic colors, and bold statement pieces. But also consider the timelessness of your photographs. Classic pieces that will be trendy forever could be your best bet, and then build some interest with beautiful jewelry, accessories, sweaters, and shoes.

4. Comfort
Be sure that no matter what you wear, that you are comfortable in it. If you don’t FEEL comfortable, then you certainly will not LOOK comfortable in your photos! Also, the more skin on your body that you cover with clothing, the more attention your face will draw in the final product. Wear items that really suit your body types remembering that dark pants are wonderfully slimming!

5. Patterns and Graphics
We do not recommend wearing graphic tees or patterns that will create a moiré pattern in photographs. Not our favorite thing. Some patterns are great though! Soft florals, small polka dots or argyle. You can supplement your bold pattern cravings with awesome textures!!

6. Layer up
Especially during cooler times, having layered outfits, with different pieces for interchanging will really mix up the look!
It is preferable to have at least two different outfits with potentially two different “looks” so that you end up with a great variety of photos for a variety of uses!

7. Hands, Nails, and Rings
Don’t forget, ladies, that there will probably be photos of your ring, and often times on your hand.
So tidy up those nails and give your diamonds a cleaning for good measure.

Ladies, it is really amazing the difference that it makes to have your makeup done professionally. Doing makeup yourself is totally fine, but a professional knows how to best highlight your features to really shine through in photographs!

Another benefit is that you can kill two birds with one stone here. Your engagement session is a practice run for you and your photographer which enables everyone to be perfectly prepared for the wedding day. So why not schedule your consultation with a professional makeup artist the day of your engagement shoot? Often times you can get a great consultation price! Your makeup on your wedding day may not be something that you are even thinking about at this stage in planning, but makeup artist’s schedules fill up too, so it’s never a bad idea to get that worked out early! We HIGHLY recommend this.

There is no such thing as a right or wrong session location. BUT, here are a couple things that might help you get a little extra creative!

1. Locations
Most people want to explore fields, farms, city streets, or more popular tourist areas. This is all well and good and always makes for beautiful photographs, but we are 100% up for exploring new avenues and more unique and even simpler locations. How about your apartment? Your favorite coffee spot? The family home where you grew up?

2. Activities
We can even get creative with activities! You can skip the classic posed shots, or just add to them with a more natural, lifestyle approach. Making dinner in your home, apple picking, going out for a picnic, or a bike ride? We’ve even seen water balloon or colored chalk fights! How about a hot air balloon ride? Sky diving? Haha, okay you get the point. We love to have the opportunity to get creative along side you and to capture genuine moments or places and activities that hold more of a meaningful place in your heart than a farm field or DC monument.

Maybe you aren’t a natural in front of the camera. That’s okay! Most people are not! It can all feel a little staged with a photographer
following you about click click clicking. And it may seem cliché to tell you to be yourself, but that’s really the best advice we can give.

But perhaps not just your every day self, but the best self that you can be.
Be the person that your fianc(e)é fell in love with and the person they inspire you to become.

Just concentrate on having a great time – adventuring, hand in hand, with the love of your life.