Important Wedding Advice: Donald Yeager Photography Shares Ways to Prep for Your Engagement Shoot
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Getting ready for your wedding day pictures is a snap, no pun intended. But what about the engagement shoot? Where do you go? How do you pick what to wear? Today one of our favorite wedding photographers, someone who is as wonderful to work with as he is great with advice, Donald of Donald Yeager Photography shares some good advice on how you can be ready for your engagement session.
Advice from Donald Yeager Photography:
One of my favorite things to do with couples is an engagement session—I value the time spent with them so much that I’ve made it a complimentary component of all of my wedding packages. The reasoning: engagement sessions are a great shared orientation between photographer and couple. For you, you get to become more comfortable in front of the camera, with posing, and with being spontaneous for your images. For me, it allows me to get to know you two on a more personal, intimate level before your wedding. I’ve prepared a few tips I think are helpful as you’re preparing for your session.
Planning + Foresight
It’s important to think of a few things when you are planning your session. These are basically set into a few subcategories:
Time of year:
Most couples want to do their sessions in spring or fall. Because of this, pick a few dates spread out over a few weeks to account for if others are seeking the same dates. Also, plan for the fact that in spring the weather can be volatile (it can rain at the drop of a dime or be unseasonably cold) and in fall cold weather may hit without forwarning. Try to avoid extremes—if you’re really cold, you will have red noses and cheeks. Cute if it’s a wintery wonderland session. Not so cute if you’re in you sundress. If it’s blazing hot, think about sweat and attire—usually you’ll want to wear less in hot weather, but the look could be too casual.
Location:
Make a list of locations and use these 2 categories:
- NOSTALGIC/PERSONAL: maybe your first date location, or your favorite picnic spot
- COOL/ARCHITECTURAL: places that you think would make for a great backdrop
Come up with at least three for each category. That way you have lots of options and you can talk it over with your photographer in advance. As tempting as it is to go with “Nashville staples”—consider other destinations so your engagement pictures don’t look cookie-cutter and are unique
Attire/Look:
Coordinate outfits with your fiancé so that you guys are in sync. Avoid bold patterns and stipes, and be careful with color—too much can look too busy. I usually say to aim for three outfits: One casual/laid back, one a bit more dressy, and then one that is totally YOU. You can dress to the theme of your wedding if you want, which always makes for fun pictures, or come up with a new theme (like the engagement session where the couple had ZOMBIES—that’s right- Zombies!)
When you are planning, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask your photographer about their opinion or thoughts. I’m always willing to share feedback about destinations and attire, just because I’ve done this before and you probably haven’t—no question is too big or small.
In-Session
Relax:
I can’t tell you how many times I encourage couples to relax—believe me, I know it’s awkward standing in front of a camera having your picture taken. But the more you don’t pay attention to the camera and try to just be yourselves and have fun, the more fun you’ll have during the session. Location and attire will help with this too—if we start at a place that is special to you, you’ll feel more at ease, in an outfit that is comfy and not too dressy. Think of it as more of easing into the pool as opposed to jumping right in!
Posing:
Keep in mind that during an engagement session, you’re naturally going to have more posed and set up shots. This is because a)we have the time and b) poses tend to lend themselves to solid engagement images. We’ll still do candids and fun stuff like that, but we will do some posing. At first, this will feel weird (especially doing things like kissing your fiancé on the neck or laughing “spontaneously”) but just try to have fun with it. To me, you’re superstar models in love, so just live that image out in your head
Thank you, Don! To enjoy more from Don's wedding portfolio, visit his website at DonaldYeager.com. For more great wedding photographers that we love, don't forget to check out our handy list!
About the Author:
Tabitha
Blogging is something I’ve enjoyed doing for years. My interests lie mostly in lifestyle related topics like fashion, style, design, food and weddings. When I heard Ashley was looking to bring on new members to the ABG team, I jumped at the opportunity - I can’t think of a better way to stay involved in weddings than to write about them and to stay in touch with the trends and new ideas. Lucky for me, Ashley likes my blog and trusts my experience to bring me on and so far, it’s been a blast.
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Posted on August 30, 2011 |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Photography
