Engagement Archives - Page 7 of 10 - Krista Photography Blog

Posted on June 23, 2011June 17, 2014 by Krista Guenin

Engagement Session FAQs: What to Wear?

Well, I am officially in the middle of Engagement Session season! Spring and early summer are always full of engagement sessions, and rescheduling engagement sessions due to rain, while I tend to have more weddings in late summer and the Fall. I get a ton of questions every year around this time, so I figured I should continue with my Engagement Session FAQ series!

Up next: What do I wear for my Engagement Session?!

Tip #1: BE COMFORTABLE!

Wear something you can breathe in, walk around, sit down, or jump around in. No matter what we end up doing for your engagement session, I can promise you we’ll be walking around. I wouldn’t put it past me to sit or lay you on the ground or on some random steps. If you want to do something active, dressing comfortably is doubly important. So, comfortable clothes and comfortable (or at least bearable) shoes are key! Nothing too tight, or itchy, or anything that will make you any more uncomfortable than having a camera in your face already does ;)

Tip #2: YOU’VE GOT TO LOVE IT

Wear something you love – something you know makes you look good! Every girl has that outfit that they totally love, they wear it all the time because it just makes them look and feel fabulous. That’s the one you want to wear! The outfit that makes you feel totally confident. No buttons are going to be popping open, you’re not going to tell me after the pictures come out that those jeans make you look fat, none of that! Look at yourself in the mirror and look for things that might drive you nuts in a photo later… if it drives you nuts, pick something else! If you’re super fair, avoid white. If you’ve got red hair, maybe skip red. If you need some tips watch a few episodes of What Not To Wear – or better yet, ask your fiance what he thinks makes you looks awesome! I’ve had too many brides pick out an outfit in a hurry and tell me later that they hate what they were wearing, which makes the photos way less fun, believe me. So, choose something that makes you feel GOOD!!

Tip #3: DRESS FOR THE OCCASION

No matter where we go, or what we end up doing, you should dress for the occasion! If you’re going downtown for some fun, urban shots – maybe dress up a bit. If you’re going for a hike in the woods… maybe skip the silk dress and the heels, and opt for jeans. If it’s November and snowing, you should plan on wearing your coat, so pick one you like. If it’s going to be 100 degrees and sunny, keep that in mind. If we’re going to be doing something messy, don’t wear anything toooo nice… You get the idea.

Tip #4: REMEMBER, THERE’S SOMEONE ELSE WITH YOU

You want to make sure you look good, but you also want to be sure you look good together, right? You should try to neither clash, nor be too matchy matchy. Patterns and colors are GREAT! Just make sure they look good side by side. And, you should aim to be at about the same level of dressyness or casualness. If he’s in jeans and a wifebeater and you’re in a hot dress and heels… you may have bigger issues than your photos ;) – either way, the photos will definitely look weird. Now, if you two are polar opposites on a lot of levels, including fashion, it could be fun to do some photos that mark the contrast. But most of them should be somewhere in the middle, finding your common ground and focusing on that.

Tip #5: GENTLEMEN

Gentlemen, let me encourage you with a few tips just for the guys…

I know most of you aren’t really into the whole engagement session thing in the first place. I promise, it’s going to be fun though!!! Even if you’re not super excited, put a little effort into it anyway. It’ll make your bride happy, and it will pay off in the end when you’ve got some awesome photos of the two of you. A little effort goes a long way and when I’ve tagged all these pics of you on facebook, you’ll be glad you made the effort to look your best :)
Ask your fiance what she thinks looks great on you – and wear it!
Wear clothes that fit! I’m begging you guys… enough with the saggy pants! Wear your least saggy pants, and a shirt is neither skin tight nor 4 sizes too big. I mean, if your girl is wearing the saggy pants too, then go for it. But if she’s dressing it up a bit, non-saggy pants will really kick your outfit up a notch ;)
Your shoes matter. There’s a pretty good chance I’m going to get your shoes in the photos… there may even be photos OF your shoes. So, keep the shoes in mind and don’t try pairing up Air Jordans with slacks, ok?
Get a haircut. And maybe even shave? You want to look like YOU, so don’t do anything crazy like grow a mustache that week ;)
Follow Tips 1-4 as well
HAVE FUN!!!!

You know I love you guys! Just trying to help you out :)

Tip #6: LADIES

Ladies, here are a few tips just for you too…

Hair… wear it however you like it best! You want to look like YOU, so I don’t recommend going too fancy. Your engagement session day is not the best day for a test run for your wedding hair. We’ll get pictures of that hair-do, plenty! We want the engagement photos to look a little more natural than that. Consider getting a blow-out at your salon if you want it to look extra nice. Just keep in mind what we’ll be doing together, and what the weather’s going to be like. I’ve got super curly hair, and if you’re like me, you do not want to try straightening your hair before a shoot on a super humid day!
Make-up… again, go fairly natural. That is, natural for you. If you like a lot of make-up, then go for it! Go all out! If you’re the girl who never wears make-up… maybe consider having it done or at least putting a little on yourself. A little cover-up, lipstick & mascara can go a really long way to make your features pop in photos!
You might want to do your nails – at least file them and make sure there’s no chipped paint on them (toes and fingers). Cleaning your ring might be a good touch as well. I focus a lot on hands…
Don’t bring your purse with you! You won’t need your purse, or your cell phone, or anything like that while we’re shooting – and if you do, we can always go back to the car for them. I shoot a lot while we’re walking, so if you’ve got a ton of stuff, it’s going to be in the pictures (or I’m going to end up carrying it along with all my gear ;)

Tip #7: WHAT TO BRING (and leave in the car)

A change of clothes, if you want to go for another look later in the shoot
A blanket if you don’t want to get your butt dirty if we need to sit in the grass or something
Bug spray & sunscreen or a scarf & gloves, depending on the time of year
A ponytail holder… you never know when you’ll want to pull your hair back. Right, guys? ;)
Props… if you want. A lot of folks are doing themed engagement sessions these days. I’m totally up for that, if you are. We can think up some stuff ahead of time.
Your sense of humor! Engagement Sessions are totally strange for most people, so be prepared to laugh and enjoy a little awkward quality time with your fiance ;)

Ok, those are my tips! I hope this helps!!! No matter what you wear, we’re going to get some great photos of you! These are just my suggestions for getting the best photos we can :)

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Krista Guenin

Engagement Session FAQs – Do we really need an engagement session?

I get a ton of questions from brides and grooms every day, so I thought it might be helpful to start answering some of them in a series of blog posts. First up, Engagement Sessions…

Do we really need an engagement session?

Um, YES! Wedding coverage with Krista Photography always includes an engagement session. It is SO helpful on the wedding day for us to have worked together before, that I practically make them mandatory :) It’s such a great opportunity for us to get to know each other better – for you to see how I work and for me to see what you guys are like in front of the camera. It’s really awkward for most people to be photographed, I know that. So, it’s great to get all of the awkwardness out of the way before the wedding. The first 15 minutes, it’s weird and you don’t quite know what to do. And then we keep going, we laugh through the strangeness, and we find that you become much more able to be yourselves and enjoy it. And then on the wedding day, you’re like a couple of pros who don’t have to worry about it at all!

One bride wrote me after their engagement shoot to say:

“We had *so* much fun shooting with you … and on our drive back today we were talking about how it actually kind of felt like a (v. non-traditional) date! We’ve been kind of bogged down with work and wedding planning stuff … so it was a really refreshing and much-welcomed break. I can’t wait for the wedding!!”

Another great benefit to the engagement sessions is that you get to see what YOU will look like in my photos. So many people come in after seeing all these gorgeous people on my blog and say things like “oh, well we’re not that photogenic” or “hopefully you’ll be able to get some nice photos of us” and all sorts of crazy things like that! What they don’t realize, what you don’t realize, is that every couple on my blog is a real couple. I don’t do a lot of work with models, I work with real people. Real people have flaws. Real people feel weird with someone photographing their every move, sticking a camera in their face, and following them all over the place – in public no less! It’s not about having someone gorgeous to photograph, it’s about finding out what makes each couple beautiful and bringing that out! So, the engagement session really seems to encourage most brides. When the photos come out, they see how great they look in them, and they can finally really picture what their wedding photos will look like. And I think that makes brides even that much more excited for the wedding!

It also is a great opportunity for feedback. Most women are insecure or uncomfortable with something about themselves – be it their nose, chin, neck, arms, that one freckle, whatever! I only keep the photos of you that I think are awesome, and that I think you look beautiful in – but not every bride agrees with me on when they look beautiful. (In the same way I don’t think my friends are always right about what photos on facebook are “great’ of me ;) It’s helpful for me to know what you like and what you don’t like so I can make adjustments at the wedding!

I had a bride call me once after the engagement session, very upset because while she thought the photos were beautiful, she didn’t like how she looked in them. I happened to catch her in profile quite a bit (this happens when you’re looking at your fiance a lot, I must warn you), and she was self-conscious about her chin. The LAST thing I want is a bride calling me crying about her wedding photos! So, it was great to get the feedback after the engagement session. At the wedding I was able to focus on catching her from different angles, and helped her to pose in ways that were more flattering and accentuated what she liked over what she didn’t like. And she was way happier with the wedding photos than she would have been if we’d never done an engagement session!

Plus, I think it’s great for you to have some really awesome photos of the two of you in your natural environment. You’ll get some fabulous natural photos on your wedding day, of course, but that’s a fancy version of the two of you. This is the “real” thing! It’s nice to be able to show your engagement photos to your kids one day and say – this is what we were like before we were married, this is what our life was like. I love that!

So, all that to say, YES, you really do need an engagement session! They’re super fun, and helpful, so what have you got to lose?!

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Krista Guenin

Danielle & Jon Engagement Session – Borderland State Park

Since I’ve been so slack on blogging lately, I’m going to try posting a few shoots with fewer words… Words take me much longer to write ;) On that note, here are a few favorites from my engagement session with Danielle & Jon down at Borderland State Park!

We actually started at Jon’s family home nearby before going to the park…

Oh wow, look how pretty Autumn was…

I love how they make each other laugh :)

trees!

Danielle & Jon – thanks again for a fun afternoon, long ago though it may be! I’m super glad I had the chance to hang out and get to know you both a bit!!

Posted on February 12, 2011February 11, 2011 by Krista Guenin · 2 Comments

Faith & Ryan’s Rockport Engagement Session

I’ve known Faith since she joined my small group at our church in Chicago, back in 2004! We became good friends, and I was sad to see her go when she moved to Boston a year or so later. As it turned out, God had plans for me in Boston as well, and I moved her just a year after Faith. And wouldn’t you know it? My first roommate here hosted a small group at our house on Friday nights and who was in it, but Faith?! It’s funny how things work out that way :)

Flash forward a few years, and here I am in Rockport, photographing Faith and her fiance Ryan for their engagement session! I’m so happy that Faith has found the love of her life, and I cannot wait to shoot their wedding in a couple of weeks!!! Until then though, here are a few of my favorites from their engagement session…

It was a chilly day, but they were brave and climbed out on the rocks for me!

Rockport is such a cute town!

Faith & Ryan are pretty cute too ;)

And just as we were leaving, a storm came along… talk about great timing!

Faith & Ryan – I’m so excited for you two! I can’t wait to celebrate with you in just a couple weeks!!! :D

Posted on January 21, 2011January 18, 2011 by Krista Guenin · 1 Comment

Amy & Lawrence Boston Engagement Session

With Amy in Boston, and Lawrence in San Francisco, and them planning a wedding in just a matter of a couple months – we didn’t get a chance to do an engagement session very far before the wedding! In fact, we did it just 2 days before! In the midst of all of the final week of preparation, they took a little time out of their hectic schedule to spend some time letting me photograph them. It is so helpful on the day of the wedding for us to have all worked together before, that is really is important for us to do an engagement session. I’m so glad they agreed!

We met up in Boston and spent some time walking from the Public Gardens to the Harbor and back. It was a surprisingly warm Fall day and we ended up having a great time!

They’re so sweet together!

This tree is amazing!

Looking out across the harbor to where their wedding would be held just a couple days later!

Amy & Lawrence – thank you again for making time for this! It was great to spend the time with you and just get to know you both a bit, and I think it made the wedding day way more fun to feel like we’d gotten to be friends beforehand! :)

To view more of my favorites from this session, please check out the album on Facebook!

Posted on January 20, 2011June 10, 2016 by Krista Guenin

Katelyn & Evan’s Engagement Session – New York City

Until I moved here, I never realized just how close Boston is to New York City! It’s about as close as Indianapolis is to Chicago – and I used to make that trip a dozen times a year. I don’t seem to get to New York quite as often, but when I do get the chance, it’s always kind of exciting! I love road trips and visiting new places – so I try to check out a new part of the City each time I go. So, when Katelyn & Evan suggested we meet up in NYC for their engagement session, I was totally excited! And I was not disappointed – we had a great time, and I absolutely LOVE how the photos turned out!!

We started out in Central Park…

Love these next two!

As the sun was setting, we decided to walk towards Lincoln Center and get some images with more of the City feel. Love this one in front of Brooks Brothers!

Lincoln Center turned out to be the perfect spot for some night shots! They even had a little opera going on outside to keep us entertained!

Taking some inspiration from the boys at Avenna Studios – I decided to take a few big steps back… Love how they turned out!

After Lincoln Center, we walked over to the Apple Store. Dueling iPhones!

After that we just walked around town for a while

*love* this one!

Katelyn & Evan – thank you again for a fun afternoon in the City! It was so great getting to know you both a bit better, and seeing some new parts of town. And double thank you for the delicious dinner!! Next time I’m in NYC, or in Paris, I’ll be sure to go back :)

If you’d like to view more of my favorites from this shoot, please check out the album on Facebook!

Posted on November 18, 2010November 16, 2010 by Krista Guenin · 3 Comments

Jane & Jason’s Engagement Session – Boston

Before it got cold and gloomy, I met Jane & Jason downtown for their engagement shoot. We walked through Beacon Hill, over to the Charles and back to the Boston Public Gardens. It was a lovely evening and so fun to just get to know them and enjoy hanging out with them a bit!

They’re so cute!

Hahaha!

One of the best parts was wandering through the alleys and finding some great doorsteps…

The Charles just before sunset… love it!

hot!

On the way back, we had to stop for some Starbucks!

Then it was back to the Public Gardens for the last bit of sunlight

Jane & Jason – thanks for such a fun evening – and for my chai! :) I totally can’t wait for the wedding in March…. just a few months away! Wahoo!!

Posted on August 5, 2010 by Krista Guenin · 1 Comment

Rahel & Yitzi’s Engagement Session – Boston, MA

Last year I photographed the wedding of Shoshana & Andy and had such a fun time working with them and their family! Imagine my excitement when Shoshana’s mom called to tell me that Shoshana’s sister Rahel had just gotten engaged!! I am thrilled to be able to continue documenting this family, and to celebrate another marriage with them!

A few weeks ago I met up with Rahel and Yitzi to photograph their engagement session. These two met at MIT, so what better place to begin our shoot than on campus?

Being photographed can be totally awkward – but if you can just keep each other laughing, it helps a LOT!

After walking around campus a little bit, we decided to head over to the Charles River. The sunlight was just lovely!

I’m totally fascinated by the way people stand, and what they do with their hands & their feet. In case you were wondering why I always have random shots of people’s lower halves… :)

I love the sunlight this time of day!

Gosh, Rahel’s eyes are so beautiful!

At this point in the evening, we walked down to J.P. Lick’s for some delicious ice cream! (which is funny, since Shoshana & Andy took me there during their eSession as well) I don’t have photos to show you of this portion because I was a little busy stuffing my face ;) But after that we walked along the Esplanade for the sunset, and played in the park a bit.

I know the next 2 are a lot alike, but I couldn’t decide which processing I liked better!

See, laughter always helps!!

Our final view as we walked back across the bridge

Rahel & Yitzi – it was great to see you again – and great to meet you Yitzi! Thanks for a fun evening, and especially the awesome ice cream! ;) It was great getting to hang out with you both and get to know you a little better. I’m really looking forward to seeing you again in a few weeks for the wedding!! Hard to believe it’s coming up already, but it’s going to be a blast!!

To view more of my favorites from this shoot, check out the album on Facebook

Posted on July 24, 2010July 24, 2010 by Krista Guenin · 1 Comment

Mary & Gerard’s Engagement Session – Brookline, MA

Springtime and summer in New England can be a bit, um, rainy – as you saw in the last post. This can make scheduling engagement sessions a little tricky. Mary & Gerard were having the worst luck finding a time for their shoot and we ended up doing it just this past week. There are a bunch of shoots waiting in the queue, but I bumped this one up since they’re getting married one week from today! I like to make sure clients see their engagement images before the wedding so I can get feedback from them on what they like & what they don’t particularly love. Plus, if they love them (which clearly I hope they do!), they feel that much more comfortable on the wedding day! So, in light of that, here are a few of my favorites from Maria & Gerard’s session at Larz Anderson Park!

The sunlight was just perfect that evening!

It’s a beautiful park, and we only walked around a small part of it! I can’t wait to explore some more :)

You wouldn’t know that Gerard hates having his picture taken ;)

I was loving the checkered floor, and the columns, and the light coming in!

And then I looked up, and had to shoot the ceiling too! How cute are these two, by the way?!

feet :)

Mary & Gerard – thanks for a fun evening! It was great to see you, and to meet Gerard at last. I’m super excited for your wedding – 7 more days!! Have a GREAT week with your families and I’ll see you sooooon! :D

If you’d like to view more of my favorites from this shoot, please check out the album on Facebook!

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Krista Guenin · 2 Comments

Lori & Mark’s Engagement Session – Taunton, MA

I was so excited to head down to Taunton a few weeks ago to meet Lori & Mark at last, and to get to know them through our photo shoot! As I made the drive down, the clouds got darker and bigger, and the rain began to fall. By the time I got to their place, there was little hope of shooting outside. We made the best of it though, and had a fun evening grilling out, playing with their adorable and humongous dog, and just hanging out at the house! I love it when engagement sessions can capture a day in the life of a couple – a real day – and that’s exactly what we got!

These burgers were DELICIOUS!

Happy Family :)

We went out in the yard for a bit, but even the dog didn’t want to stand in the rain!

They’re cute :)

Oh, this dog is well loved!!

Just like at my house, real life often involves just hanging out on the couch ;)

Lori & Mark – it was so great to meet you both!! Sorry I couldn’t get the sun to cooperate with us, but I had a blast hanging out with you, and those burgers really were awesome! I can’t wait for your wedding – I just know the sun will be shining! ;)

If you’d like to see a few more of my favorite images from this shoot, please check out the album on Facebook!