My wedding photography client, Sirius, shares this love of shoes. She showed up for her engagement photos, in cute maryjane style red patent leather pumps. A bit difficult to walk through muddy park grounds, she slipped on black ballet flats and Chris got to tote the adorable red shoes. Later when we were back on paved ground, Sirius mentioned putting the shoes back on but then said, “oh wait”. Chris ran to the car for her and came back with another pair of crimson red super high healed super sexy shoes. As Sirius spoke about this pair (in the photo) she told me they were almost her wedding shoes but she found even better ones! I thought it was just charming how through the hour an a half session, Chris was almost always carrying a pair of cute heels for his wife to be.

I love seeing the different shoes brides wear on their wedding day. I wanted to be a flip flop bride but I kept seeing my toes sticking out as I walked. Considering I had a wedding in a historic church, toes didn’t seem right. I wore rather ugly one inch heeled white shoes because they were the perfect height for my dress. (Note, get the shoes and then get your dress altered.) As soon as the ceremony was over, the pretty white beaded flip flops went on!

What is a custom wedding guestbook?  After your engagement session, I sort through all your photos and design a layout, leaving lots of space for your guests to sign.  If you’d like some lined pages, I can create them but most brides just leave it open for people to jot casually.  Once the guestbook design is complete, I send you a digital album.  You can comment, change out photos, and make any suggestions you have to further personalize it.  Once you are excited over it, and choose the cover, I’ll send it out for printing.  On your wedding day, you can put it on the entry table for everyone to admire, and write a personal message to you.

What is an engagement session? It’s really just a chance to hang out together, enjoying each other, laughing, and letting me observe with my camera. Portrait sessions usually take about an hour, maybe a bit more. If you want to do an extended engagement session this lasts up to three hours and we can go much further, like the beach or the gorge.

What can we do with the engagement photos? You can use the photos in a slide show at your wedding reception. You can make a guest book, or have me order a custom designed professional guest book for you. Some brides like to make personalized save-the-date cards for their wedding, or include a photo in their invites.  I give all my brides a dvd with high resolution images and printing rights.

Where and when does the e-session take place? You can do your photos when you first get engaged, or just weeks before your wedding. It depends on how long you are wedding planning for and what you want to use the photos for. There are lots of fun locations in Portland! Downtown can be a blast. We can walk around the Pearl district, hitting Tanner Springs Park and Ecotrust. The SE Industrial area has a great grungy urban feel. If you want something prettier, there is Washington Park, Mt. Tabor, and piles of other green places. Once I know a little about my clients it’s easier to make suggestions to some place that seems just right.

What are the benefits? It gives you a chance to get relaxed in front of the camera. Most people are not used to a camera following them around.  Doing an engagement session is great prep for your wedding.  Another great thing is you and your photographer get to know each other a little better.  You’ve probably spent a lot of time deciding between wedding photographers, and interviewing, before you booked. This gives you a chance to feel what it is like to work together.  It may help you to feel more at ease on your wedding day.

Most importantly an engagement session, gives you a chance to celebrate your love. Wedding planning can be stressful.  Take an hour or two off, go somewhere special and look into each others eyes, laugh, and kiss.  And of course you get great photos to use for whatever you like!

Not everyone chooses to do engagement photos, but I do recommend it and offer it complimentary with most of my wedding packages.  It’s great for me to work with couples before their wedding, but I have had brides that were from out of town and I didn’t meet until I showed up in their hotel room for getting ready photos!