Scheduling
This is step one of the process. Let’s get the date set and scheduled so you can move on to preparing for the fun day! When thinking about what day and time to plan for consider the following.
• Light! This is probably the most important thing to consider when scheduling your shoot. Quality Light can make the photographs and poor lighting can ruin your favorite poses. I like to schedule engagement shoots around 2 hours before sunset giving us plenty of time to get some great images with good natural light without feeling too rushed and then you’ll still have time to go get dinner or some ice cream afterwards!
• Be on time- for the sake of light first and allowing you to have a stress free session. We don’t want you to feel rushed and we want to give us all enough time for breaks and time to try new fun things.
• Think about the traffic and how long it will take you to get ready
Prep for your Session
• Guys, it’s a great idea to get a nice clean haircut a few days before your session
• Coordinate outfits beforehand for easy prep on the day of your session
• Take the day off work if need be so that you have plenty of time to get ready and travel to the location.
• Clean your ring! Most Jewelers with do this for free for you at the place you brought your ring and it will sparkle for you beautiful photographs
• Gals, get your nails done, use this as an excuse to treat yourself! Also, consider getting professional makeup and hair-test it out for your wedding day
• Some of you might not be overly excited to take photos for 90 minutes, because you don’t have an expectation of what’s to come and why it’s so important to your partner. Take fifteen minutes to educate and empower each other. Tell your partner why you chose me as your photographer, and express to your partner how much it means to you to capture these memories during this season of your life together.
Trust me, once they know it’s important to you they’ll light up the camera for you! Let them know there is no pressure. I want, as I’m sure you do, for them to be themselves and have fun!
What to Bring
Makeup to touch up
Hairspray
Water
Friend to help hold your things and have a good time with you
A second outfit (optional)
What to Expect
• You can come expecting to have fun, blush a little, and be prepared to share some of your love story! I will help pose you and give you prompts that will help us create some natural candid photos
• Come with an open mind and ideas of your own, not all the poses we try will be your favorites, but you might be surprised that your favorite image at the end was a pose or prompt you didn’t come to the shoot expecting to do.
• We will have a little downtime to help you relax and enjoy the experience
What to Wear
First of all, you’ll want to think this out ahead of time and I am more than willing to help you plan out your outfits so feel free to ask for help.
Don’t overthink it, here are the main points when choosing clothing for your session:
• Make sure you’re comfortable
• Pick clothing that you feel confident and pretty in
• Don’t overdo on accessories and layers, you don’t want the outfits to distract from the people in the photographs (We’re here to document your relationship with each other)
• Dressing for the same occasion. You both want to look like you're dressing for the same event. A good rule of thumb is to dress as if you were going out on a nice date, not super dressy but not your day to day outfit.
• Layers on men look great on camera, even when it’s hot outside so keep that in mind
• Long pants and closed-toed shoes are the most sophisticated and masculine looks for men
• When choosing colors for your outfits, it’s recommended choosing lighter shades and more muted tones. By avoiding neon colors or ultra-bright, bold colors, it will help bring all the attention to your faces and let the eye focus on the way you feel about each other. The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown and white. That softer color palette fits beautifully into almost all natural outdoor environments.
What not to Wear
Here are a few things to avoid:
Ladies
• Anything that shows straps or tags that have to be fixed frequently
• Shoes that are uncomfortable/difficult to walk in
• Tiny patterns with a lot of bright contrast
Men
• Shirts with logos/emblems or Branded clothing
• Baggy shirts
• Flip-flops or sandals
• Tennis shoes/sneakers with White Socks
• Cargo shorts/pants
• Baseball caps or Sunglasses
Other things to Consider
• Turnaround time: allow me up to 2 weeks to edit your photos individually giving you the very best gallery possible!
• Printing also takes time so allow yourself time to select your favorite images to get printed for your reception and guestbook.
• Announcements, If you would like me to design your announcement or guestbook I’d be more than happy to. Let me know as soon as you can and I can work on that simultaneously with your images
• Weather: remember to book your session giving you enough time to reschedule if weather is poor, as we all know Utah weather can be bipolar.
Checklist
1. Set date, time and location with KATIE
2. Review style guide for tips
3. Schedule hair and makeup appointments
4. Choose your outfits
5. Get your nails done
6. Clean your ring
7. Pick a fun post-session date night spot
8. Pack a bag with:
• Flats or flip-flops for walking between photo spots
• (Optional) Outfit two (including shoes and accessories)
• Touch-up makeup
• Water bottle (for warmer sessions)
• Coat or cover-up (for colder sessions)