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Hi, folks! This post is long overdue and I apologize, but I hope to have a good explanation for you soon enough! Blah blah blah rewind a few months and you'll find me: thinking about what to do for mine and J's engagement session. Now I've found that, if you go to any wedding-related website or blog, you are bound to find one bajillion and a half tips and tidbits of advice. Some of this advice is helpful and some of it is not. In my opinion, most articles tend to suggest watering down your typical style and going for a streamlined, cohesive (and sometimes all too formal) look. Pish posh.
You know the state of wedding planning and engagement sessions is out of control, when this article is the most helpful thing I've encountered in my time as a future bride. Seriously, read it - you won't regret it. Anyway, when it came to finally planning out my own engagement session, there are really only two pieces of wisdom I felt were worth the energy it takes to repeat them:
Your engagement session is a great way to get to know your photographer in a relaxed, two-on-one setting.
This one is so true and so very helpful. Being the frugal (read: cheap) planners that we are, J and I did a little research on photographers in the Lancaster, PA area and immediately signed a contract with the most inexpensive one. Save your shock for someone else, because it turned out to be a great choice on our parts. Dan of Simple Life Portraits turned out to be amazing and we actually had a blast in the time we spent with him for our shoot. It definitely set our minds at ease about our big day and now we can focus our energy and fears on something else entirely. Like whether or not the bridal party will be standing by the end of the night.................... *sigh*
Your engagement session should speak to your style as individuals and as a couple.
Do you hate frilly dresses and failed attempts at celebrity-esque mermaid curls? Well.. I do. I knew I didn't want J in khakis and a polo and I certainly didn't want to be prancing around the parking lot of the Cork Factory Hotel in a pencil skirt + cardigan number. We knew we wanted to be relaxed, comfortable, and able to have fun in whatever outfits we chose. We figured we will be gussied up enough for the wedding itself, so why not keep it casual? J looks great in blue and blue jeans and I love pops of color and statement pieces, so we ran with that theme. Whatever your "style" is.. run with it. The Knot be damned. Finally, see Look #3 below for something that really speaks to our shared interests as a couple.. :)
Now, I've been a supporter of Jessica Platt and Get Jessed Up from the very start and I knew this would be a great opportunity to call in the help of an expert to help me translate my vision into a reality. The pictures from our engagement session will be used on our save-the-dates, our wedding website, and any other place we feel like using them. I knew I wanted to "break some of the rules" when it comes to what to wear (and what not to wear) and I knew Jess would be the perfect lady for the job!
Jess and I went shopping at the Columbia Mall, set out to find some comfortable and laid-back pieces for my engagement session. I knew I wanted small pops of color and the perfect pair of jeans. Our final purchases were made at ALDO Accessories, Ann Taylor LOFT, and Gap. The best of these purchases was - hands down - the 1969 Real Straight Jeans from Gap. These jeans are my denim soulmate and I'm absolutely indebted to Jess for helping me find them!
All in all, we had lots of fun shopping for specific clothing items and statement pieces. Jess will also be writing a segment on this experience from her point of view. If you're interested in her services (whether it be a personal shopping trip or a wardrobe edit), I highly recommend heading over to Get Jessed Up. Below are a few snapshots of my outfits - enjoy!
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| Look #1 Top: LOFT // Jeans: Gap // Shoes: Piperlime // Necklace: ALDO Accessories |
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| Look #2 Cardigan + Jeans: Gap // Sandals: ALDO Accessories // Watch: Fossil |
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| Look #3 What? You don't chest bump in your engagement photos?! |
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