ENGAGEMENTs
ENGAGEMENTS
WE ARE SO STOKED TO BE ON THIS ADVENTURE WITH YOU.
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what to wear guide
KELSEY & TALON
You've got the fiancé, you've got us.
Now you're ready to take engagements, but don't know exactly where to begin.
We've got you covered!
Here are some tips and tricks about how to make your engagements the best ever!
Let's start here – your engagements can look & feel however you want them to.
THE PROCESS
We'll send you our engagement questionnaire & this guide. Your answers will help us to pick locations that feel like you! You can go here for tips about when you should schedule.
01. QUESTIONNAIRE
Once we receive your response, we will start scouting & picking out locations to send you a curated list of options to choose from, along with any potential venue fees. We will need all answers to your questionnaire no less than a week before your engagement shoot date in case we need to reserve or scout the location.
02. CUSTOM LOCATION OPTIONS
Once we have a location & vision confirmed, we’ll finalized the date & a time that fits best with the location and everyone's schedules. We can also help finalize your outfit options!
03. FINALIZE DATE & TIME
We’ll send you a final confirmation of date, time, and any necessary information for the location (where to park, if there’s a fee, where to meet us, contact number, etc.).
04. SHOOT WEEK
We all meet up for the engagement shoot! We recommend bringing at least 2-3 outfit options, but feel free to bring more and Kelsey can help style you day of. We also recommend bringing water, walking shoes. and makeups for touch-ups. You can find more seasonal recommendations below.
05. ENGAGEMENT SHOOT DAY!
After our shoot, you'll receive your gallery 4-6 weeks after our shoot together! You will receive the high-res images on an online gallery.
06. GALLERY DELIVERy
WHAT TO WEAR
Timeless & True
We like to use nature as our inspiration: soft whites to contrast the greens we may be shooting in, blue to bring out the color of your eyes, etc. Avoid neons, and keep in mind any bright clothing you wear could reflect onto your face. If you want to wear a pattern, choose a smaller pattern. The larger the pattern, the more distracting it can be – we also generally recommend avoiding stripes for photos. If you wear a pattern, we recommend having your partner in a solid.
WEAR CLOTHES THAT are comfortable & FEEL LIKE YOU.
EARTHY COLOR TONES.
Don't wear clothing you feel uncomfortable or insecure in. If you have to be standing perfectly still and can't move, it's not a good fit for your engagement shoot. Avoid anything outfits that are uncomfortable, too short, too low, or doesn't fit well. We want you feeling confident and like the best version of yourself! If you're feeling uncomfortable, or insecure, you won't feel relaxed or at ease enough to really be yourself.
COORDINATE, DON'T MATCH.
There are rare cases where matching works in our opinion (like everyone in all white, or everyone in all black – something that makes a statement). But, we don't want both of you wearing jeans and a white button up a-la-90s-family-photos. Instead, with each outfit, opt for a color palette of around 3-5 colors and choose clothing in that palette.
While we love seeing trends come and go, we don't want you to look back on these wonderful photos and think, "what was I thinking?!". So, if it's a style of clothing that's not in your normal repertoire, maybe pass? Or, make sure at least one of your outfits are timeless!
AVOID ANYTHING SUPER TRENDY.
MOVEMENT MAKES IMAGES MORE VISUALLY CAPTIVATING.
USE THE LOCATION AS INSPIRATION.
Consider your location & the season/weather. If we're going on a hike out in West Texas, stilettos are not the right shoe choice. If we're shooting somewhere windy (like sand dunes), choose an outfit that will enhance the flow of the wind to create beautiful movement. If we'll be near a river, do you want to wear a long, flowing dress that will trail in the river behind you or swimsuits to encapsulate a fun, summer date day? If it's going to be 20° outside, your sundress won't be the right vibe! We also recommend looking at the colors and factoring in how your outfits can compliment the color palette. If you need further help, we are happy to source some options for you based on your engagement location.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST,
ALWAYS TRY ON CLOTHES BEFORE YOUR SHOOT.
A good test run never hurt anyone. This is to be sure you like the fit, it's not see-through, you have the right undergarments, and to confirm if it's the perfect look for engagements.
CHRISTY DAWN
MADEWELL
SHOP DOEN
EVERLANE
THURSDAY BOOTS
REFORMATION
STAG/DAUGHTERS
FAME & PARTNERS
REVELRY
SEZANNE
OUR FAVORITE RETAILERS
NEED MORE IDEAS FOR WHERE TO LOOK?
Do you have a place you've always dreamed of having your engagement photos taken? Let us know! We can always provide a custom travel quote or try to figure out a way to make it happen! Our destination shoots tend to be a little longer in time, just to fully embrace the facets of the location where we're shooting! Every year we have a few spots (like Colorado) that are always on our list, so reach out if it's something you're curious about!
WANT TO GO ON AN ADVENTURE?
Let's Dream
Since it will be hot, we recommend guys wearing an undershirt and/or bring an extra shirt to wear while we are hiking so your photo shirt doesn't get too sweaty. It's also helpful to bring a towel along to wipe any sweat! I would add an additional extra outfit to your bag in case we need to do an earlier outfit change.
BASED ON THE SEASON
What to bring
SUMMER
WINTER
If it's supposed to be cold on your shoot day, bring along a jacket to wear while we move from location to location. Thermoses with hot drinks, blankets, or hot hands are also great things to bring along!
VENDOR
RECOMMENDATIONS
Think of your engagements as a concentrated two hours of quality time.
LOVING EACH OTHER IS YOUR ONLY RESPONSIBILITY.
prop ideas
Brainstorming
We don't recommend bringing too many props (like signs, letters, etc). But there are a couple of things that can add a unique element to your engagement shoot, if they embody normal parts of your relationship.
A PICNIC SETUP
BIKES/MOTORCYCLES/COOL CARS
A BOUQUET (THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO DO A TRIAL WITH YOUR FLORIST!)
CANOES IF WE'RE AT A RIVER
YOUR PUP (IF THEY ARE FINE IN PUBLIC WITH OTHER DOGS)
HATS
CHAMPAGNE
If you love champagne pop images, you'll need to bring 2-3 bottles of champagne & some champagne glasses. Get a cute, simply designed bottle of plain (NO flavoring), cheap champagne. We'll be shaking all these bottles up, so you don't want to waste an expensive bottle of champs!
CHAMPAGNE POP
How to
Rest assured, we will never charge for postponements relating to the weather. You can't choose the weather for your wedding day, but you can choose it for engagements! Keep in mind, these percentages are based on typical weather in Austin and may adjust for other cities! If you really don't want a cloudy day, let us know and we can try to reschedule based on the projected cloud cover.
RAIN POLICY
rain, rain, go away
0-40% - IT PROBABLY WON'T RAIN, BUT MAY BE CLOUDY. WE KEEP THE DATE.
40-60% - MAY BE CLOUDY, MAY BE SUNNY. WHO KNOWS! IT'S UP TO YOU!
60-100% - WE RESCHEDULE FOR ANOTHER DAY UNLESS YOU WANT TO SHOOT IN THE RAIN!
PACKING LIST
2-3 OUTFITS (IF YOU'RE NOT SURE, FEEL FREE TO BRING 5-6 OPTIONS AND KELSEY CAN NARROW DOWN ON THE DAY OF)
WALKING SHOES
WATER
OPTIONAL PROPS
MAKEUP & MAKEUP WIPES FOR TOUCH UPS
TOWEL (IF WE'LL BE RIVERSIDE OR IF IT'S SUMMER)
SUMMER - BACKUP SHIRTS OR OUTFIT
WINTER - JACKET AND HAND WARMERS
If you want to send out save the dates, you should schedule your engagement shoot 6-9 months before your wedding date. If you won't be using them for save the dates, but want them in time to print for the wedding, then you should schedule at least 1-2 months ahead of the wedding.
WHEN SHOULD WE SCHEDULE?
SET A DATE
