Hi, we're Hunter and Sarah, a husband-and-wife, luxury wedding photography team. We’re also educators, helping other photographers build profitable and sustainable photography businesses.
For most of our couples, when we meet for their engagement session it’s the first or second time in their entire lives that they’ve stepped in front of a professional camera. We know that to help them feel as confident and comfortable as possible during our time together, one of the best things we can do is prepare them well. And how you dress is a huge part of building that confidence! Here’s a few quick tips we give to all our couples!
If you want your engagement photos to look high-end, editorial and stunning for years to come, you can never regret getting too dressed up for your session. If you and your soon-to-be-hubby were invited as guests to a charity gala or a very high-end, luxury wedding, what would you wear? Now is the time to pull out all the stops (and maybe buy that dress you’ve had your eye on for so long! Don’t worry – we just gave you permission to!)
For all of our guys, we ask them to skip the shorts, the baggy jeans, the sandals, and especially the basketball jersey (We know, nothing says romantic like a number and someone else’s name on his back, but trust us!) As you’re helping your man chose his outfit(s), we always recommend fitted pants, a collared shirt and a nice pair of dress shoes or city boots. Of course, a sharp vest, sports jacket or sweater will only class things up even more.
A few small and meaningful details can be a wonderful touch and make all the difference during your session! For example, fresh florals or a flower crown can really bring your photos to the next level. Just be sure to keep jewelry simple and non-distracting since, after all, you and your man and the love you share should be the star of the show! Just be sure to wear your newest piece of bling so you can get a few professional photos of it!
We sincerely hope that this has helped to take some of the stress out of planning your engagement session! However, this is just the beginning of our wisdom when it comes to styling our couples’ engagement sessions 🙂 What about selecting your second outfits, how to match without looking like a 2004 family photo, and the all-important layering? What patterns should you avoid on camera? And what about our secret to getting your guy not just willing, but excited about the engagement session? Impossible?! We think not! As a reminder, every couple that books their wedding day with us gets a complimentary copy of our Engagement Session Style Guide, a 42-page full-color magazine that’s choc-full of tips and tricks to look and feel your best for your engagement session! We put this together specifically for our brides-to-be so that “engagement session” and “stressful” are never in the same sentence.
Happy planning!
Hunter + Sarah
—
While you’re thinking about these questions, feel free to check out our site designed specifically for engaged brides! Read what past HSP couples have to say about us, and learn more about what an experience with us is like!
Filed in:
Wedding Photography & Photography Education
Charlottesville, Virginia and Beyond
e. hunter@hunterandsarahphotography.com
p. (434) 260-0902