If you're taking couples or engagement photos, you'll want to read my bullet proof guide to looking your best and getting awesome photos!
Before Your Session
Think about your relationship. I know that may seem weird but, really! Every relationship has a story. So, think about how you two met, what your favorite activities are, inside jokes, etc. Think about your journey, and how you want to portray that in your photos.
Next, don't be afraid to reach out to your photographer and tell them, because they can use this information and translate it to your photos to make them uniquely YOU.
Here are some questions to consider:
- Does your story with your significant other have a theme? For example, my husband and I really LOVE music and have grown our relationship through that and it is something that is woven deep into who we are as a couple.
- Do you want to incorporate props to help tell your story? During my pregnancy, I was OBSESSED with water. I dreamt about it, drank it incessantly, even my baby's due date was in March which meant he would be a Pisces! So for my maternity session, we incorporated a mini sail boat.
- Do you want your location to help tell your story? I bet you can guess where we did our maternity session...THE BEACH!
What to Wear
You can also use what you wear to help tell your story! For my engagement shoot, my husband and I wore crowns on our heads because we had this inside joke that he was my "African King", and our theme was Royalty, so I wore a huge tutu!
Layers, layers, layers! Because you never know what the weather will be like, and it will give your photos diversity (especially if you don't want to pay extra for an outfit change). You can add cardigans, jackets, scarves, sweaters, blazers, vests and even a hat.
Ladies make sure your hair and make-up are on point! And Fellas make sure your hair and beard are to your liking. Funny story: The day before my baby's newborn session, my husband asked me to cut his hair (which I had never done before) and I accidentally nicked one side. We didn't have time to fix it and we thought "maybe it won't show up in the pictures and if it does the photographer will edit it out." NOPE! The pictures we got back with his head turned to that side were un-postable to say the least!
Think about color. Not only do you want to color coordinate, but you want to POP from the background. For example, you don't want to wear green if you're taking photos in a green field or garden. Blues, neutrals, whites, and reds will look great for most backgrounds! You'll also want to avoid too many patterns or prints.
