Ah, engagement photos. If there’s one thing I always look forward to in wedding photos, it’s this. I get intrigued by the drama it brings, where the couple’s jubilant smiles, natural excitement and romantic glances are captured as they prepare for their wedding and plan a life together. If the actual church-wedding photos are the main course of the event, the engagement photos serve as the appetizers. Appetizers get you in the mood — get your taste buds going, ready for the main dish. Aren’t engagement photos like that too? They get you into the ambiance of the event – it’s the informal teaser, giving everyone a glimpse of the love the couple share that led them to decide to tread a life of wedded bliss. It gives us a peek into the commitment they intend to have for the rest of their days. These photos often bring about a certain tug in my heart, because unlike the actual traditional wedding ceremony where everyone is dressed up, the engagement pictures allow me to have an insight of how the couple would look like after the wedding – how they blend together – in harmony, romance and companionable spirit. Looking at the pictures makes us, the spectators and observers realize, “this is it…they’re actually doing it.”
So how does one make the most of their engagement photos?
- The couple must know where they are most comfortable at – in a professional studio or in candid shots. Whichever they choose, the atmosphere should be more relaxed and more casual.
- A significant time (or season) should be chosen. The photo scene could depict the time the boy proposed to the girl. Or it could depict the time when they first met. There are also those who want to capture the first few weeks of the preparation, as they lay-out detailed and solid plans about the wedding.
- The setting matters a lot. There are so many places where the engagement photo can be set up – it could be at the beach, in the garden, at a theme park, or in a significant place in the couple’s relationship. The scenes can even be patterned after a theme – I have seen one shoot that was patterned after The Notebook, which happened to be the couple’s first date movie. The couple took pains in duplicating the romantic scenes of Allie and Noah, complete with the exact replica of the costumes worn in the film (I was awed seeing the soon-to-be-bride wearing the exact replica of Allie’s ribbon and old-fashioned swimsuit in their movie’s river scene.)
- The pair should make sure their outfits contrast with the background.
- The couple needs to have firsthand ideas about the poses they personally want to have, and should be able o communicate that to the photographer. This is to make sure that they are relaxed all throughout the shoot, allowing the intimacy and romance to surface, not stiff and unnatural.
Knowing and doing all these would make sure that the photos come out perfect, making its grand entry to the newly-wed’s lifetime collection of romantic memories and memorabilia.
Photo by: makautomatik
No comments yet.