Engagement Photo Inspiration

The idea of taking engagement photos has come a long way from portrait studios in the 70's with a plain back drop and no natural light. Today's bride and groom have so many options when taking photos. Popular today are outdoor backdrops with natural lighting  reflecting of the bride and groom's style and personalities.

Source: Amy + Ryan

Long before we took our engagement photos I knew that I wanted our photos to be a reflection of my Mr and I. Since we both work in the construction industry as project managers, photos at an active jobsite were just one of the ideas that we had when choosing locations for our photos. Here are some photos that gave me inspiration in choosing locations and ideas for props that we included in our photos.

Source: Green Wedding Shoes

Source: Hannah + Blake

Source: Heart

Source: Tiana + Daniel

Next week I'll be back to share our fabulous engagement photos.

Beach Day in February

Vinnie and I were engaged September 12, 2011. These photos were taken just last weekend on a sunny day at the beach in Santa Monica by our dear friend, Ricardo Bayona.

Vinnie and I met on St. Patrick's day 2007, had our first date 3 days after meeting, moved in together after 9 months, and next month is our 5 year anniversary; hard to believe how time flies!  And speaking of time flying, we are  just 8 1/2 months away from our BIG DAY!

At this point in your planning, what have your checked off of your list? Is there anything you wish you would have done sooner?

Hope you enjoy getting to know us a little bit through these pictures :)

The Gift of Engagement Photos

Happy holidays, everyone! A few days before Christmas, I got a wonderful gift in my email inbox: our engagement photos!

Before the shoot, I spent a lot of time picturing a cozy and wintery shoot. This was easy to imagine while in blustery San Francisco, but when we arrived in San Luis Obispo (a town near the beach in central California), we found ourselves in gorgeous, 70 degree weather!

That didn’t stop us from cuddling up at a coffee shop and wearing cozy sweaters. I’m SOO happy with the photos and couldn’t be more excited for Ken to shoot our wedding! It is wonderful to have these casual, personal photos to commemorate this happy moment in our lives.

We started off at an eclectic coffee shop downtown.

We then headed to a gorgeous bluff overlooking Avila Beach and the ocean.

Photographer: Ken Kienow

I would highly recommend taking engagement photos, if not to capture this happy moment, then at least to get to know your photographer. Now he will be at the wedding as a friend versus a stranger. Plus, we got a little bit of experience being in front of the camera, an experience that can take some getting used to.

Anyone else have great engagement photo ideas or experiences?

Engagement Photos...*swoon*

Have you had a chance to meet our Monday bride? Her name is Taylor and she is planning a backyard wedding in Texas. Read more about her! I finally had my engagement pictures taken this past Sunday (we'd been waiting for the Texas weather to cool down because there's nothing I love more than a good "wrapped-in-a-quilt-snuggling" picture) and let me tell you, taking engagement photos is FUN. I love getting my picture taken regardless, but with a professional photographer and cuddling my lovey...there's nothing better!

We took our pictures in Prosper, Texas, (I told Braeden [our photog] I wanted a field and he delivered with some field-filled terrain) on an unseasonably warm November afternoon and I am thrilled (I made JB slowly scroll through the sneak peek photos for at least an hour) with the results.

These pictures were taken by Braeden Rogers at Ambient 11 Photography and I have got to say that he was absolutely stellar. From the moment we arrived to the second we left, the three of us were laughing and having a great time. As if just generally having fun isn't enough, his photo-journalistic images are to-die-for! They are so raw in the happiest, most joyful sense! I can't wait for Braeden to take the rest of our pictures in June!!

Quick advice! We had trouble deciding between a one-hour and a two-hour engagement session and after a friend's advice (thanks Mal!), we decided to go with two-hours. In my opinion, the two-hour session was the best decision we have made this far in the process. Two-hours allows you and your fiance to get comfortable being photographed, it allows the photographer to get to know you two as a couple and (especially if you're shooting outdoors) it gives you more time to find that perfect amount of sunlight that makes your photos oh-so dreamy!

So, if your budget can handle it, pick two hours, you won't regret it!

Without further adieu...

All photos by Braeden Rogers at Ambient 11 Photography