Happy Friday eeeeeevunink lovelies!  I hope you’re having a pleasant start to your weekend.  I have a one two punch for your peepers and your noodle tonizzle and I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.  We’re going to see how tasty treats can be one of the most enjoyable ways to *propify* your shoot, but we’re also going to try to tackle a question from a reader that speaks to the difficulty and in some cases pressure that many new brides can experience when planning “that perfect engagement session.”   So if you have any ideas/suggestions for today’s reader, please do share at the end, as we’d love to hear whatcha gots to say.

Megan Dandeles, the brilliant talent behind Megan Dandeles Photography, submitted this fantasmagoric engagement session and I’m TELLING YOU, I realize this takes place at an apple orchard but those caramel apples make me want to run down to the amusement park six towns over and wait in line for some amusement.  And like, caramel apples too, as well.

But since I’d be waiting for around four months and change, seeing as it’s wintertime, I uhh– I won’t be doing that, probably.  But I seriously want to.  No, seriously.  NO SERIOUSLY.

But seriously, before we can get to the fabulous photos, there’s this question from a reader that I think fits perfectly into the tone of this engagement shoot.  See, Melissa and Jon, together with their photographer Megan, decided on an apple picking theme for not just any reason.  And her description of just why they did that, follows as well as helps answer today’s reader question….

Dear TKB: Real World Question!

Help! Neither my fiance nor I are very artistically gifted people (to put it nicely), but we have an engagement shoot coming up and I have no idea how to style it! We’re very beachy people – we live on the west coast, met playing beach volleyball, got engaged at the same spot, and will be married on the beach! So – I feel like we have that covered…and I’d like to do something a little bit different for our engagement session. Any ideas? And how do you possibly decide what to wear, or what props to bring (if anything?). Normally, I’m sure our photographer would have oodles of ideas, but she recently had a new baby (like – 2 weeks ago!), so I don’t really want to bother her in this super-sleep deprived state she’s surely existing in. I feel like I need an “engagement shoot for dummies” book, so any help you or your lovely readers could dispense would be MUCH appreciated.

Thanks!

- E.

Dear Miss E,

I paired the gorgeous e-session below with your question because I feel that Melissa, the lovely young lady featured in this shoot below, gives us some insight into how to go about it in a way that will be far better than any answer or specific suggestions I could offer you.  She speaks of incorporating their love story, thinking about places they’ve enjoyed during their courtship, and being sure to involve both of you in the planning and gathering for the shoot.  The thing I want you always to remember is this: the thing is meant to be fun!!  Tons of fun, nothing more, nothing less.  An engagement session shouldn’t have any pressure involved; this is sort of like a little dress rehearsal, and you don’t have to worry about everything being perfect.  In fact, I would stress trying to stay relaxed and letting yourself be natural so you can actually enjoy it.  You know, really letting your chemistry shine through, so that you have a great time, instead of worry about everything coming together properly.

Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE TO SEE PROPS in my engagement sessions.  I wish props were involved in ALL engagement sessions, to be honest, but that’s for selfish reasons — it makes them super fun to look at!  But if you’re the bride, what you really wanna make sure you focus on is that this is supposed to be a happy time.  And one of the things I MOST LOVE about e-shoots is the fact that they can truly capture the freshness of your love and the overwhelming excitement that comes along with having just gotten engaged.  And doesn’t that just totally rule so HARD?  Methinks it does.

So… just have fun with it, ok?  But also, read the following, like I wanted you to :) ……

Ok, here’s the story from the lovely Melissa, the bride in today’s shoot:

Jon and I met 8 years ago on the first day of band camp my freshman year and his senior year of high school! Yes, that’s right, we are high school sweethearts! He played the euphonium and I played the tuba so we ended up getting sat next to each other in rehearsals and we quickly fell in love! 

When trying to decide on a place for our engagement session we tried to think of all of the places that we visited in the beginning that made us fall in love. Our first date was homecoming so we thought about the high school but it didn’t really fit with the picturesque setting we were hoping for. Then we thought of our second date, Apple Picking! The actual apple orchard that our second date took place at was way too touristy for a photo shoot so we picked a quieter apple orchard that is owned by a family friend and it turned out to be the perfect location for our e-session!

Coming up with the concept of the engagement shoot from there was fairly simple. Fall is my favorite time of year and so I knew exactly all of the areas of fall that I wanted to feature. Apple cider, caramel apples, apple trees, cider donuts, pumpkins, hay rides, and all of the beautiful colors. I even made Jon (my fiance) go on a special shopping trip for new outfits for the both of us!

We could not have picked a better photographer for our engagement shoot. Megan is incredible! Not only did she take amazing pictures of us but we had a blast while shooting! She made us both feel so comfortable and made us feel like rock stars.

I am a professional wedding planner with Married By Melissa. Needless to say, I have had all of the ideas for my wedding brewing in my head for many years. I have only been engaged for about a month and I already have the venue, photographer, band, flowers, rehearsal dinner, and room block set up, plus a lot of other little details from the linens to the favors! It is such a rush being on the other side of planning. It is a whole different experience planning your own wedding as opposed to planning others. I am so unbelievably excited for June!

And here’s a bit from their photographer, Megan Dandeles:

I love dreaming up engagement sessions with my brides and designing a shoot that feels authentically them.  Finding a style that tells their story, picking a spot they feel connected to and a place they can relax, be in love and be themselves.

Because really that is what it is all about… documenting their love, just the way it is.

There are few more perfect places to be on an autumn afternoon than the New England countryside.  The orchard we picked for Melissa and Jon’s engagement session spreads across the crest of a hill soaking in all of the sweet afternoon light.  Rows upon rows of apple trees, heavy limbed with perfectly-ripe-for picking apples and the heady, sugary scent of an apple orchard soaking in the last warm days of autumn.

We set up a picnic, styled by Melissa (who is also an incredible wedding planner!) complete with antique details and delicious fall treats.  We spent the rest of the afternoon laughing, exploring and enjoying this gorgeous setting.  And Melissa and Jon got to do what they do best, be in love.

And I got to do what I love most.

Documenting their love.  Just the way it is.  

OMGSOTHOUGHTSDOYOUHAVEANY??!!  WHOA! whoa… sorry, sorry.  I think that coffee just kicked in.

xoxo  - Alison

Megan Dandeles Photography is a member of Vendor Love.  Explore more of her work here, in our guide.

Happy late in the day on Tuesday, lovers.  Thanks for being super troopers (← GREAT movie) and bearing with me as I fight (or lay moaning in submission of) this cold, you guys.  I appreciate the concern everyone’s been showing me, it touches my heart so deeply.  Seriously, so deeply, you have NFI.  It’s actually kind of shocking how sick I am, really.  I’ve been so fortunate not to have had a cold in I think a few years, so this is all new to me.  I’m the kind of sick where you find yourself leaning your head on the bathroom mirror to hold yourself up while you brush your teeth, and sitting down in the tub because you realize that taking a shower is actually pretty hard work.  It’s like, constant movement.  I’m weirdly sicker than I was last week, with new symptoms which leads me to believe that I’ve contracted some sort of cold starfish and it’s just going to keep regenerating arms of cold, and essentially stay with me into eternity.  I’m gonna have a cold in heaven, is what I’m working to accept right now.

Anyway, nuff about the cold.  What I really want to tell you is that today’s sweet, vintage engagement session got to me in an emotionally deeper than usual way this time.  So, of course, I have to share the somewhat personal story with you.  Though I do feel you’re all gonna dig this shoot for lots of reasons; a lot of the same reasons I already love it to death, nevermind the story I’m about to share.  Because it’s a session that’s so perfectly styled I can hardly take the beauty of it.  And what’s more, this couple – their names are Jackie and Jesse – they naturally dress like this.  It’s their style.  Here’s a little somethin’ somethin’ that Rabiah, of Rabiah Khwaja Gohar Photographer, shared with me about the couple when she submitted this shoot:

Jackie and Jesse wanted to have their love documented in a similar way they are in real life! laid-back, inspired by the past, and very casual chic. The entire session was shot in their backyard, getting to know them while sipping on some golden lemonade. The weather encouraged Jackie to pull out some of her favorite vintage outfits! the lovely collectable bicycles are also owned by them. What a treat to photograph such an artistic couple.

I love that.  Like, soooo much.  Engagement sessions go crazy with little details and settings and what have you – details that often have no connection to our personal realities, but just look pretty – and I fully admit that I’ve come to fall in love with these little details, whether or not they’re relevant to our lives.  But when those details are intrinsic to the life you try to lead every day, the time you spend in your backyard, the clothes you wear anyway, well that just makes the images that much sweeter and more meaningful to you.  So that when you look back tens of years later at this album of images from this earliest time in your relationship, and flip through those pages, the images will really touch you and remind you of the couple you were, at the very beginning.  The lifestyle you enjoyed, at the very beginning.  The interests you shared, at the very beginning.  What a beautiful thing!  It’s easy to forget the things we once enjoyed, the styles we once loved representing, the pieces of life we once held so dear.  Life keeps flowing, and we thoughtlessly move with it with little resistance.  And suddenly it’s decades later, and you’ve forgotten what it was like when you first found one another.

That’s why I love this session.  It’s as if someone scooped up a day in the life of these two, and poured it into a series of pictures.  And when they stare at these images one day far into their future, it’ll rush their minds right back to that day; to that life they were leading, and loving.  … How do I know this?

It has to do with that little story I mentioned I’d be sharing at the beginning of this post.  It’s about my parents.  See this image below?  It could be my mother.

Down to the top, the hair, the shape… the everything.  (I bet I’m creeping Jackie out right now.  Sorry, Jackie.)

It’s the vintage look and feel of this shoot, that reminded me of a certain handful of pictures of my Mom.  Pictures that were taken by my Dad over a series of days when the mood just struck him to document the beauty he was so overwhelmed by, in their youth.  My Dad has always found my Mom to be the most beautiful woman in the world – it’s the kind of sentiment you want your Dad to have for your Mom.  The kind of sentiment a man is meant to have for his wife.  I’ve always felt that my parents lucked out in finally finding one another; it took a handful of not-perfect-matches (I don’t wanna say they had to *kiss some frogs” before they found one another because I have an older sister and an older brother who I love who were born of one of those “frogs” my Dad met, and that doesn’t seem all that kind, so…).  So yeah, the road to the best kind of love isn’t necessarily quick and easy (read: it is rarely if ever quick and easy), but the journey is worth it.  The journey to find The Right Person For You.

I think (and I worry that) a lot of people marry other people because of some reason other than real love.  I think there are a lot of people who marry because they feel they’re never going to find something better.  I think a lot of people stay with people because they think it’s “enough to make them happy” or because “he’s a provider.”  Or other reasons that dismiss people’s deepest desires to find their best, true love.  But when you have an influence in your life, whether it be your parents, or maybe it’s your sister’s marriage, or your good friend’s relationship, and you can see with your own eyes what it means to have a good relationship, it’s kind of impossible to settle for anything less without losing some part of you in the process.  I think my parents were lucky in finding one another, and I wish that kind of love for everyone reading this post, and everyone else not reading this post out there.  I just want people to marry people they love.  People they truly love, who support them emotionally, and build them up, and respect them and believe in them.  That’s what a real relationship is.  I know you guys know this and I’m being overly sappy and sentimental which I’ll have you know IS ENTIRELY BECAUSE OF THIS STUPID COLD THAT’S MAKING ME EMOTIONAL, but as I write it I don’t see a reason to delete it.  It’s stuff that needs to be said and heard and done.

Anyway, so back to my parents…

After all those other relationships, they met one another.  Ok when I say “all those other” it makes my Mom sound like a whore.  My Mom wasn’t a whore.  But yeah so when they met, that was it.  They found the rest of their lives in one another.  And their type of love – the devoted, understanding, affectionate-in-front-of-us-but-to-a-point-so-they-didn’t-gross-us-out kind of love – is something I had always strived to have for my own life, simply because it’s all I ever knew.  And it always seemed “right.”  It always seemed like it was something that probably felt really good and comforting to my parents, to have one another in their respective corners.  And it’s because of them that I know when I’m being good or bad in my own relationship, and I correct myself quickly because I know better than to behave that way.  Ok anyway, I’m sure you’re totally SICK of this, so I’ll stop talking about love.  Yech, what is WRONG with me.  The reason I got transported into that little self-indulgent realm is because those pictures my Dad took?  It was back when they were probably around the same age as these two lovebirds in this lovely shoot.  I love those pictures of my mother, and I know they’re some of my Dad’s favorites.

Dad, stop happy crying.

Mom, stop blushing.

So I pretty much could have summed all that mushy mush up by saying that it is images like these that bring beautiful, warm, nostalgic memories and feelings to my mind.  And I hope you enjoy them around 50% as much as I’m clearly loving the godforsaken s**t out of them like a clinically insane person.

A few words from the gorgeous and hyper-stylish Jackie:

Jesse and I met years ago when he was playing his blues guitar on the street at a Christmas festival. We kept in touch ever since and about two and half years ago we started dating. I think I was so drawn to him when I was younger because I was impressed by his vintage style. Over the years I have come to realize that he is just an old soul and his clothes are a reflection of his true gentleman spirit. i finally found someone who loves me for me and supports whatever I choose to do. Together we have both started our own businesses, his an antique car restoration, and mine a vintage clothing boutique. We are simply trying to make one another happy and having fun while doing it!

And now… A Day in the Life of Bambino McPuppyPants:

Facebook.

~fin~

So, a few questions…

1. What do you think of this shoot?

2. Does it make you sad, too, that there are probably so many people out there who marry for some reason other than real love?

3. The “Joe Fresh” commercials with the three girls stand up cuddling, or it’s sometimes the two girls and two guys, but they’re always kind of stand up cuddling and swaying and just staring into a camera that keeps zooming in and out and around them, and they all kinda just look really ready to f**k.  You know those commercials?  I need those commercials to go away.  They are the weirdest. thing.

4. When am I going to learn my lesson and stop watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  It is never what I want it to be.  I’m always like “well that sucked.”  Seriously, I’m asking, when will I learn?

5. This last one’s not a question.  I just wanna mention that I promise I’ll shut up about this cold.  Soon.  And I really appreciate all the love, you guys.  Means a lot to me.

xoxo!  - Alison

Photography: Rabiah Khwaja Gohar Photographer / Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Oh hello there, everyone.  Happiest of afternoons to your faces!  I hope your day is going pleasantly… is this something I can safely assume?  Do you mind if I just go ahead and assume it?  Great.  Ok, here comes me talking…

I’ve got something very serious to talk about today, and it’s about being true to myself, as well as finally putting something to rest.

But FIRST, I saw this on the Today Show this morning and wanted to share it with you.  Look at the smiley face built out of words below.  The first four words you notice are supposed to be descriptive of you and your personality.  Ok, GO:

By the way the first four words I saw, in order, were passionate, naive, charismatic and sentimental.  Actually, full disclosure: I saw “mental” before I realized it was part of the larger, “sentimental.”  I don’t know if that’s relevant… but I kind of feel that it’s relevant.

What did you see?  BE HONEST.  It’s more fun that way.  Ok, now onto the real topic of this post.

Here’s the thing.  Sometimes, and especially in a career like mine, there are moments.  Moments when one has to sit back and y’know, really assess the mission.  For me, this refers to the occasional struggle to remind myself that, no matter what, the mission here is and always has been to motherf***ing keep it real.  This, it isn’t news.  But that does not mean that I sit here confident and reckless; I am human.  I have feelings, I have insecurities and I have concerns.  And so, I sometimes hesitate when diving into a topic, or worry if I should delete this reference or that word or this or that image – this is only natural, given the reality of my situation, which is a constant acquisition of new lovely readers, advertisers, and friendships within the industry.  I’m human, I don’t want to offend anyone’s sensibilities or take an unnecessary jab at someone’s taste, because chances are that that someone could be and probably is a reader, at this point in TKB’s existence.  But at the same time, I also try my best to encourage myself to just keep on keeping it motherf***ing rizzeal.

I’m sure you understand that this can sometimes introduce conflict within me.  Stifle my gangsta flow.  Here I am, the real me; I will not lie about these things.  And yes, there is that constant hanging concern that I might step out too far one day, and risk pissing somebody, somewhere, off.  Much in the way I just pissed off people who love grammar, by ending that sentence with “off,” for example.  But it is especially during these challenging moments, these difficult moral dilemmas, that I, Alison, close my eyes and call upon that majestic light in the darkness, that nothing if not wholly morally-driven femme fatale, that goddess of doing the right thing… the one, the only, Kim Kardashian.

Because Kim K?  When she planned a lavish wedding involving innumerable honest, caring, invested and hard-working wedding vendors, and then totally slapped that wedding in the face upon her discovery that the day wasn’t going to provide a strong enough tsunami of memories to sustain a lifetime of meaningless marriage with a man she kind of doesn’t know… in all of these decisions, she didn’t let ‘morals,’ or ‘her brain’ or ‘her fans’ trust’ or ‘well-thought-out-decision making’ or ‘that guy she married’ or ‘an appropriate courtship period for two people who don’t live near one another and therefore probably haven’t discussed deeply relevant issues intrinsic to the fabric and foundation of what it means to have a successful marriage’ interfere.  NO.  She did her.  The way I do me.  She kept it real, Kim-style.  She didn’t let ANY OF THOSE THINGS stand in the way of flippanty acting upon her deepest desires no matter how ridiculous; desires which are, in themselves, driven-entirely-by-deep-seated-unresolved-insecurity-issues-that-developed-in-her-formative-years-and-rule-her-every-decision-which-is-a-bad-thing-in-the-long-run-and-really-someone-should-step-in-with-some-therapy-but-not-Dr-Drew-he’s-in-it-for-the-wrong-reasons-now-and-is-nothing-like-the-man-I-so-loved-listening-to-on-LoveLine-with-what-turned-out-to-be-that-kinda-douchy-Adam-Corolla.  Point is, Kim follows her heart, and doesn’t let the static of ‘loved ones’ or ‘healthy thinking’ interfere.

And so.  I, Alison, inspired by the insane behavior of that unbridled sexpot of a hot air balloon, will do the undoable.  I. will. answer. this reader question.

Dear TKB:

I’m dying to know, how do you really feel about mustaches?

Sincerely,

S.

PS – I hope this question makes the blog.

Dear S,

First, I am your dreamweaver because this is me granting your wish.  Second, thank you for what I am certain is a highly sarcastic, but extremely relevant question.  I can tell you’ve been privy to my occasional tweets concerning the trend, as well as my rare but fiery moments of lamenting about it right here on the blog.  Most everyone who visits me and reads the randomness herein knows at least a little bit about my position on Ye Ol’ Mustache Prop.  And I’ll have you know that it is my immense pleasure to answer your question, on the double.

Let’s get to it: How do I, Alison, feel about the meteoric rise of what has now become the most overused, omnipresent prop of our age?

Ahh yes, the mustache.  Or is it moustache?  Ahh, who knows, who cares.  Anyway the mouzestasche is a trend for which I’ve been around since its beginnings.  Which are who the hell knows where.  Just somebody started making mustache wands, and they happened to go really well with photo booths, relaxed the guests into tantalizing states of willingness to *be themselves* and to explore the inner comedian/comedienne within, and so, it was written.  The trend was born.  Don’t quote me on that.  I just don’t have the time or interest to discover its true origins, and I doubt you really want to know them, either.  So, moving on.

As someone who has seen the trend persevere through seasons upon seasons, and then upon additional seasons, and then through even more seasons on top of those previously mentioned seasons, and then a few more seasons (← these were the seasons that really shocked us), and then beyond the seasons everyone was SURE it was about to die out… as someone who has seen this happen, I can tell you from experience that this mustache prop thing?   It isn’t going away.

But you know what?  I will have you know that I, like most, totally loved the trend when it started.  And I’ll continue to feature weddings involving the mustache prop, because I get how much fun and joy it can bring to a party.  I get it, I do!  I do.  But it was around forever ago that I used to wish, DREAM even, that people would stop it already with the mustache wands.  And the mugs with the little mustaches opposite where you sip, so it looks like you’re wearing a mustache while you drink your tea.  And the stationery with the little mustaches on it.  And yada yada yada.  Because it just seemed to be showing up EVERYWHERE I TURNED.  And I soon found that, as I spoke out about it, there were countless others who felt similarly – nay, shared my dream – and prayed, once closeted in their hate, for the demise, finally, of the mustache prop.

And then something happened.  You see, I’ll readily admit to my hope that the ‘mustache prop’ doesn’t live on forever, but that is an emotion based purely upon my desire as a wedding blogger to see weddings and, as it were, wedding submissions, continue to evolve and find new ideas, new trends, and new ways to wow our collective face RIGHT OFF OF OUR FACE’S FACES.

And then this happened, right in my face:

↑ the ironic homage discussed below, form of: cotton candy ↑

Friends, can we join hands, for a minute?  What we are witnessing today is the evolution of the mustache prop.  It was a matter of time before this transpired.  What is *this* you ask?  It is a welcomed nuance on a trend that has seen its last days.  Please?  Let’s agree that it’s its last days, that it’s seeing?  Please can we?  Anyway, I’m so totally excited right now, because what this FREAKING ADORABLE couple has shown us is what I’m going to call, “The Ironic Homage to Ye Ol’ Overdone Mustache Prop.”  [← COINED]

Ok I’m gonna return from the moon now, and join y’all back on Earth.

I’m truly excited to share with you guys the fab shoot and write-up I received from Kristen, the beautiful bride who sent in today’s FANTASTIC engagement session shot by Valerie Wheeler of VNW Photography.  It’s sort of the only shoot I’ve seen recently that featured mustaches I would totally back, personally.  In real, not to mention badass, form (Ryan’s face) and in prop form (ironically, ‘course).

Now inhale the rest of their adorbs shoot, and revel in their unstoppable silliness:

From that gorgeous young lady named Kristen:

I am a small gal, squeaking in at 5’1, madly in love with a 6’6 fella. We constantly get stares and our friends and family poke fun at our size difference. We have come to the realization that as we grow old together I will have neck problems and he will have back problems. ;)Ryan and I may be opposite in size but I couldn’t ask for a better match! We wanted to use the stool in our engagement pictures to poke fun at ourselves. We ended up using the feet picture as our save the dates.

We got a lot of help with props from our family. The blanket in our pictures was made by Ryan’s great great grandma and is on the foot of our bed. The binoculars were his great great great grandpas. And I borrowed the vintage camera from my aunt. We wanted our pictures to be “us” as much as possible. We are huge fans of the outdoors and frequently camp and hike. We chose to shoot at Casper Wilderness Center….sigh

One thing we share is a love for folk and bluegrass music. I grew up listening to bluegrass with my grandparents. 6 years ago I told Ryan (when we were just friends) that I was going to marry someone that could play the banjo….so he learned. That was settled, we must get married! We had to incorporate that into our pictures. Ryan is a great guitar player but wouldn’t ever sing for me. For our second Valentine’s Day together he took me on a hike to a waterfall. He brought out his guitar and played and SANG, “Wagon Wheel”. That is “our song” now. During our shoot our creative and amazing photographer, Valerie Wheeler, had us sit on a bench at the Balboa Pier near a banjo playing street performer.  You can imagine both of our delight when he started playing that song. It was perfect!!!

Our photographer, Valerie Wheeler, is an extremely lovely lady and has a huge heart. I was telling her about the challenged athletes my company works with and how we donate prosthetic legs and fundraise to provide running clinics to improve their mobility. She insisted that we donate $100 to the challenged athlete’s foundation.

(And then Kristen says a bunch of really sweet things about TKB that I’m embarrassed to let you see here, but arrogant enough to want the world to be cognizant of the existence of said words.)

Xx
Kristen

p.s. - You may notice Ryan is wearing a MANgagement ring. He is the most adorable guy and said he wanted people to know he was engaged too and insisted we got him a ring. He will get his “real ring” (his late grandfather’s ring) on the day we get married.

p.s.s. - how did you convince your Honey to get the frenchie lub bug!? I’m trying to convince Ry we NEED one too!!! So far it’s been a 5 year process. haha

Kristen, I fear I can’t offer much help with regard to Bambino.  It was Honey who lobbied for a dog, hard, over the span of at least year or two, before I succumbed to what is now my pride and joy.  Really, it was a matter of time.  How could I resist this monster face?  How?

Howwwwwww.

So, friendlies, do tell… (please note, you don’t need to have read my soliloquy on mustaches to comment, but if you do read it, be sure to read it in full, as it constitutes a personal evolution of sorts)…

1) What were your four words?  If you care to share.

2) What is your position on mustaches and weddings?  I’m referring to any and all inanimate props and crafty creations that resemble or constitute the ‘mustache’ look, not the type that come with a face.

3) Do you have any favorite props for engagement shoots and/or weddings?  Are you a fan of props in general?

xoxo!  - Alison

Photography: Valerie Wheeler, VNW Photography / Submitted by lovely reader and real bride, Kristen

AAAAAAAAND we’re BAAAAAAACK!  *said like Jimmy Fallon in that Z105 sketch from SNL in which he uncharacteristically managed not to crack up at himself during the sketch*

Sooo… ‘ja miss me?  I missed you.  … Wait no, not you… YOU… yeah… you, over there… yeah… no wait, no, not you – YOU.  Yeah, YOU, right there.  I’m pointing at you.  Right.  I missed you so much!

Anywho, on this beautiful late Monday afternoon, aka our first day back from a week’s vacation, I think I’ll start off excessively strong and super inappropriate.   In other words, promptly return to business as usual.  Ok HERE WE GO, with a…

FUN TIP!

If you and your beloved’s initials are something like, say, “T + A” or “D + P” consider – just consider – switching them around if you’re going to be using said initials on things like your invitations, your favors, your cake, etc.  If you don’t understand where I’m coming from, don’t worry about it, just y’know, consider heeding my advice.  I have your best interest at heart.  Of course, you’re free to do what you want with your initials, just please be prepared for people like me giggling throughout your event.  People like me, we can’t help it when we’re thrown lobs like that.

Ok, NOW THAT WE’VE GOT THAT SILLINESS OUT OF THE WAY…

Sorry.  I’m sorry.  I’ve been holding onto that one for way too long.  Ok, now getting serious… promise this time…

QUESTION FROM A READER

Dear TKB:

I don’t know if we’re in the minority or the majority, but a DIY-capable couple we are not.  I can’t craft even if it was to save my life and the lives of my unborn children AND my dog (I know you feel me on that), and I don’t know the first thing about what to do in front of a camera.  My fiancé is the same, potentially to an even farther extent.  We also don’t take many pictures of ourselves because it just doesn’t occur to us until later, when we’re home and we’re like “we should have brought our camera tonight.  We’re probably not going to dress up and look that put together for at least another two months.”  Hopefully you’re catching my drift.  It’s not like we roll out of bed and go to our respective places of employment in our pjs, but we don’t know how to ready ourselves for a photo shoot in a field or wherever (seeing a lot of fields lately), nor do we feel very comfortable in front of the camera.  We also don’t want to look cheese-faced the whole time.  Should we do an engagement shoot REGARDLESS, and sort of hope for the best?  Because even though I may sound like a hater in this email, one thing we both really want is nice photos of ourselves before our wedding, which we’re both pretty excited about actually.  

We both read and love your blog.  Not sure if you have a lot of male readers, so know you have a loyal male follower in my FH.  And he doesn’t do blogs.

Thanks for your help!

J.

Dear J,

I think you should totally do an engagement session, no doubt.

If you choose a talented photographer (← this is pretty much the first step to most everything in my opinion), and wear outfits you feel that you look attractive while wearing, you’re already 75% of the way home.  The rest is about allowing yourself to relax (which a great photographer is good at helping you do, by the way) and just act yourself with your sweetheart.  Act a fool, even.  It’s just all about letting loose, once you’re there, in that field, in front of the camera.  And you don’t need to DIY anything for your shoot.  DIY elements are just beautiful little additions that – depending on what the prop is - make a shoot that much more colorful/meaningful/fun/easy-because-you’re-holding-something-so-you-don’t-have-to-figure-out-what-to-do-with-your-crazy-hands/interesting/message-holding-for-your-Thank-You-Notes/silly.

Also, search around on various photographers’ sites, and peruse the faces of the couples in their portfolios/blogs.  If they look relaxed and normal, that’s an excellent start for you in your search.

Also also, don’t take anything too seriously, and don’t constantly be thinking of whether or not something is looking cheesy.  If you try to avoid cheesy SO HARD, you’ll end up looking *the cheesiest*, and, if I’m reading you right, I’m pretty sure you’re trying to avoid that.

This shoot below is a stellar example of just what you’re facing.  They never even wanted to do a shoot.  But look at what they got out of it.  P.S. – colorful sunglasses and balloons are the anti-DIY-crafts of shoot props.  Highly recommended in your case.

… I’m turning it over to you guys…. what are your thoughts?

LOVELY ENGAGEMENT SHOOT PERFECTION IN ACTION

I’m thrilled to share this beautiful piece of work shared with me by Sofia and André of Brancoprata.  If you’re not yet familiar with Sofia and André, prepare to fall in love with their uniquely soft and exquisite work.  And if you ever have the pleasure of meeting them, get ready to fall head over heels for their kindness and professionalism. :)

I simply adore this duo.  They’re a stylist and photographer team, and they’re flawlessly matched.  Just check out these bangin’ pics of one lovely little couple who didn’t even want an engagement session in the beginning!

Here are some words from our bride, Cátia:

Before we started seeing the wonderful e-sessions that are all over the Internet, we did not even think about doing one of our own, as we are not big fans of posing for photographers and around here most of the sessions look a little bit cheesy. But then the idea started to grow when we saw a very cute engagement session from some close friends who got married a few months before us. By then, we already knew that if we were really going to do it, it had to be BrancoPrata – we knew that they would capture exactly what we wanted: a young, fun, relaxed love session!

Since we live outside the country and did not have much time, we arranged everything and did it just two days before our wedding. It’s very easy to see how happy and in-love we were (and thank you André Teixeira for not letting the photos show how tired and stressed we were!). We told André and Sofia that we wanted a place that looked like we were in the country side, since we could not actually go there, and they picked this awesome park, in the middle of the city, that created exactly the effect we wanted.

All the clothes and details were chosen to pass on a very vintage and romantic feeling (and still being us), as only pictures from the ’40s can. And BrancoPrata completely nailed it!

↑ Peeps.  How adorable is that shot.

If you said, “Maximum Adorable,” congratulations, that’s the closest answer.  If you said anything else… thank you for playing.

“… how sweet it is to be loved by you.”

So, my loves…

1) Any thoughts or advice that you’d like to give regarding our question from a reader?  Also, did/do you feel concerned about looking cheesy/awkward/funny/weird in your e-shoot photos and/or wedding photos?

2) How perfectly perfect is this shoot by Sofia and André???  And remember, this couple didn’t even WANT TO DO A SHOOT.  Look what you can get when you just jump in and do things you never even thought you’d enjoy!

xoxo!  - Alison

Brancoprata is member of TKB’s Vendor Love. You can explore more of Brancoprata in our guide!

Kitteh via the vast internets, but probably originally via I Can Haz Cheeseburger