Leading up to your wedding - What to expect
Your Engagement Shoot!
Where to have it:
When thinking about where you want to have your engagement shoot it's important to choose somewhere you'll feel most comfortable. If that means heading to the beach with your dog for a walk, we can make that happen. If you want city shots around Portland those can be really fun, but make sure you'll be comfortable with people around us on the streets while we're shooting. Don't be afraid to come up with some ideas outside of the box - I'm always happy to help secure creative locations.
Here are some ideas to get you thinking:
Beach/Rocks
Wooded trails outside of Portland
Hotel/Restaurant
Airbnb
Your House!
Hiking in the Whites
Ferry to an Island
Sunset Sail
Gallery/Museum
Camping (we can use my VW van if you want!)
What to bring:
Your dog! (But please warn me in case we need to figure out any logistics!)
A sense of humor and adventure
Layers
What to wear:
People ask me this a lot and it depends so much on your personal style. Here are some tips I recommend though.
Make sure you think about your outfits and how they'll look together! You could both pick really great outfits that'll look great alone, but conflict together. You can avoid that by staying away from a lot of prints, especially checkers. Larger plaids can be fine, but stay away from super contrasty/small checks. For women I love flowing dresses and skirts. Patterned tops can be layered with open jackets and bring versatility by being able to shed a layer during the shoot.
Neutrals. You can't go wrong in mixing up some neutrals. Take into consideration where we're going to be though - are we going for a walk in the woods which means we'll be surrounded by lots of darker colors? Try lighter neutrals, blues, cream, tans, pinks so you really stand out.
When in doubt - Bring a couple options. I'm happy to mix and match and weigh in when we meet up! We often have enough time to do two outfits, or at least mix up a top or two.
Don't forget about your shoes. We will often end up walking around a lot, and I want you to be able to walk around in the trees or rocks or climb up on things if we see something cool - but I also don't want to cramp your style. Feel free to show up in flats and bring heels along for our walk.
All that being said... I've had shoots where couples have broken every single one of these rules and they still look great. There's no universal golden rule for everyone to fit into, but the main takeaway should be that I encourage you to think about it ahead of time so you feel confident in your choices, and feel great the day of.
Below are some ideas of outfits I thought worked!
Your Wedding Day
Getting Ready
When you're thinking about where you're going to be getting ready for your wedding, consider options that will have great light and back grounds for photos. Often hotel rooms can feel pretty cramped and get messy quickly. Airbnb's or family homes are great places to get ready. Salons also sometimes have great large spaces for bigger groups getting ready.
Family photos
I always try to suggest locations for family photos nearby the rest of the wedding so we can let people leave as they are done. Sometimes couples have bigger plans for these photos though, and that is always welcome. If you want to have everyone out to your favorite lighthouse or walk down by the water, we will make it work! Please let me know if you have specific requests about family photo locations, otherwise I'll suggest somewhere at your venue.
Photos of the two of you
There are generally two parts of the day we'll do photos of the two of you. The first is either when you do a first look (if you want to - up to you!) or when we do photos with your family. If you don't want to spend more than the 15-20 minutes doing this, we can stop there. But the majority of the time we will also dip out of the party for 10 minutes at sunset. I really, really encourage setting aside some time at sunset. I find people are super relaxed and appreciate being able to step out together and enjoy a few minutes alone. As you're planning your schedule check when sunset is and try not to have dances or speeches right at the same time if possible so we can take advantage of the best light!
2-3 Weeks before your wedding
I will be in touch with you 3-4 weeks for before your wedding so we can set up a time to go over your wedding info and timeline. Below is a form for you to fill out before we have that call. If you'd prefer to fill it out gradually as you're planning, please just copy and paste the form into an email or word doc and send to me when you're down. If your planner has asked for similar info, please feel free to just share with me the timeline you've created with them, and ignore those parts below. Send all timelines/questions/photos you love/inspiration to me - Leah@leahfisher.com