Your engagement shoot is an opportunity to practice posing for the big day, to get to know your photographer (and stylist :), and have a blast. It's a big deal, but it's also supposed to be fun. Please, let it be fun and easy.

Working with clients on their engagement shoot outfits is one of my favorite aspects of my job, and I thought I'd share a few tips that I've learned along the way.

1. Look like yourself... This is a big one. Before you even go down the Pinterest rabbit hole dreaming about what you want to wear, plan on selecting at least one piece you already own for your shoot. Before our engagement shoot, I went crazy sourcing dresses. I was thinking so far outside the box that I was losing who I am with regards to my clothing / style. At the eleventh hour, after trying on countless dresses, I scrapped everything, ordered a coat, and paired it with one of my favorite plaid dress (and snow boots!). The day of the shoot, Ashley and I agreed that what I chose was way more "me" than anything else we had talked about. Lesson learned; be yourself!

2. ...But take risks. If you're doing two looks, and you've got your true self happening in the first look, go crazy with the second look. That doesn't mean that if you're a jeans and t-shirt gal, you need to then wear a gown. No - let it happen organically. Visit your photographer's website and pin a few images that inspire you. Google your style icon, breakdown their outfit, and go on a google-ing spree for similar pieces. Just make sure to plan in advance - sometimes the reality of an outfit doesn't always work out (the point is to try!).

3. No matchy matchy. Do not look at your fiance's outfit and say, "Okay, s/he's wearing blue, so let me also wear blue." Noooo! Don't do it. Coordinate with your partner, don't match. I like to remind my clients - this isn't literal. We're working within a certain concept and the revelations have to come naturally. Does that make sense? So, figure out what you're wearing, then piece together your partner's outfit. Do mix prints, do mix high and low. Do not worry about it. And if none of this makes sense, do hire a stylist.

Just to show you guys what the process looks like, here is the initial proposal I got together for one client:

We truthfully tried on upwards of 30 dresses. Here's the final look:

Are you buyin what I'm sellin? Get at me with questions, friends.

xoxo,

top photo by Ashley Caroline, bottom photo by Joseph Lin.