Engagement Photos

Engagement photos are useful for many purposes other than just documenting your upcoming nuptials.  You may choose to submit a shot to your local paper with your engagement announcement, use them creatively in your wedding day decor, post them on your wedding website, or give them as framed gifts to your families.  You can think about adding props to your engagement photos that reflect your interests and style.  Set up a picnic in the park, ride your bikes, hang a handcrafted banner, or include your pet.  Images for save-the-date mailings really personalize the event to come.  Adding printed props including the date and location in your save the date images makes for a super-easy way to communicate the necessary information to your guests while offering a clean and simple one-image layout for the print products you may choose to send out.  Or, if you’d like to get creative on this, we can plan out multiple images in a set for an artistically designed end product, making sure to incorporate any wedding colors, textures, or patterns.

Whether you’re crafty, outdoorsy, minimalist, or geeky; your engagement photos should be a reflection of who the two of you are as a couple.  You should choose a meaningful backdrop location for your photos that is significant to the two of you.  There are so many locations around this beautiful area that are delightful to use.  Vineyards, rolling fields, sandy beaches, rustic barns, fabulous old industrial buildings, all make for stunning backdrops and create interest in your photos.

The trick isn’t always just having the right photographer or great lighting, a lot of it is what you and your partner are wearing.  That’s because what you wear is likely going to dictate how comfortable you are to move around, or how you and your fiancé look together.  If you’re thinking about an active and playful outdoors shoot, let your clothes speak to that same easy vibe.  If you’ll be lifted or carried, think about coverage.  You don’t want to be wearing a mini-dress when he’s scooping you up.  You do want to feel like “you”, if jeans and boots are more your thing, don’t be afraid to stick to what works.  While you don’t want to look like twins, you do want the photo to feel even, and it will be easier to find light that flatters you both if you’re dressing in the same color family.  If one of you chooses neutrals, the other can choose something that pops a little more, either with color or style.  Feel free to get creative and bring a few clothing options that can be easily changed as we visit different locations.

You probably don’t need to be persuaded to get close to your fiancé, but you should still discuss ahead of time about including a few affectionate close-up pictures.  For some it just comes natural, while for others it may take a little more persuading and practice.  This will be true for your wedding day, too.  Practicing a little “public display of affection” can be fun.  If you need to work on your PDA, this is a great time to let go and enjoy yourselves with only me and total strangers seeing you.  When the wedding day comes, emotions will run high as all sorts of different people from your lives come together.  It may feel awkward to be squeezing and smooching on your spouse, with your boss (whom you fear), your sister (that is jealous because she is still totally single), your best friend’s husband (that you find creepy), your grandma (well, who is just grandma and you couldn’t believe she was ever young enough to fool around), and your father’s best Navy pal (whom you’ve never met but had to be invited because Dad is paying) looking on. Trust me, even to the most touchy-feely couple, this can be totally weird!  So, figure it out together.  Figure out how to be comfortable in public to a point where all else falls away and only the two of you remain.

Package One

$450

Up to two locations of choice within 60 miles of Traverse City

Up to an hour and a half of total time, including travel time

Unlimited proof set in a bound softcover magazine

10 5×7 (or equivalent) prints

Online proofing available for thee months

Direct digital download

Package Two

$1000

Up to three locations of choice within 60 miles of Traverse City

Up to three hours time, including travel time

Unlimited proof set in a bound softcover magazine

20 5×7 (or equivalent) prints

Online proofing available for thee months

20 page/10 layout 10×10 layflat finished album or guest signature album for the wedding

Direct digital download

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Your family, small or large, can order their own prints or book through the online proofing system.  Creative treatments, black and white, or selective color options are available for all images.

Basic editing, for color, contrast, and overall content, is done for all images in your proof set.  Extensive editing will be an additionally quoted cost.

All sittings will require a signed contract and non-refundable $100 retainer fee to secure the requested date and time. This fee will be subtracted from your total at the time of final payment. Sitting dates and fee may be transferred for inclement weather. No-shows will forfeit retainer fee. Parties later than 15 minutes to the set sitting time will forfeit retainer fee and may be forced to reschedule.