Sent to us by the ALWAYS exciting, Kristin Vining … Lindsey and John’s e*shoot is just too cute!!

Lindsey and John are planning their vintage glam September wedding with the assistance of Weddings And The City ~ WATC was founded by this same incredible photographer, Kristin Vining!

from the soon-to-be-groom, John …

The first time I saw a picture of Lindsey my heart started racing. Her curly blonde hair and perfect smile knocked me off my feet. She was absolutely stunning. I realize only so much can be translated through a photo, but it was like she reached right inside me and touched my soul. It was one of those moments that only happen in a cheesy romance movie, and yet there I was. The rush of emotion was overwhelming and scary all at the same time. Could simply looking at a picture tell such a story? A story as though you already knew that person looking back at you from a sheet of high gloss paper? I would have to wait two months before time would begin to unveil the most incredible story of my life.

Lindsey has also shared some of their plans with us and we thought it would be fun for you to hear just a bit …

Our goal is to try to keep the wedding costs to a minimum and that’s why we’re doing all of these DIY projects. I’ve made everything down to the bridesmaid’s bouquets which are replicas of the Kate Spade Feather Puff. I’ve also designed our Save the Dates and created an oversized front/ back postcard. I then had them printed for a total cost of $32!! We plan to limit the amount of flowers and really utilize feathers… in a tasteful way. We’re getting married in an art museum located downtown which has a roof top that overlooks the city. Seating will be inside and outside … and we’re utilizing large 36” balloons to add height within the room and the outside. Sorry, I’m probably overloading you with SO much information – I’m just too excited!

Lyndsey and John’s engagement photos make me think of the now famous quote … Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away ~ George Carlin (1937-2008).

*** the front of their save-the-date ***

We look forward to hearing more from Lindsey and John in the very near future!

Love the photos Kristin!!

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Post tags: Charlotte, E*Shoots, Engagement Shoots, Kristin Vining, North Carolina, Vintage Glam, Weddings And The City
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Wedding Style

Now … back to business!  We asked Justin & Mary Marantz to give us their own take on engagement photos. Without further ado … The Marantz Approach.

You take out the hot rollers and plug in the flat iron. Your brow furrows as you mentally debate the merits of a rainbow of Mac eye shadows scattered across the bathroom sink. Do you feel like being “Bold & Brazen” today or do you just want to make a “Grand Entrance”? Either way, surely you should “Jest.” You pack five different pairs of black pointy-toed shoes into an already over-stuffed canvas bag because you just can’t decide which one is the most YOU right now. You hold outfit after outfit up to your bewildered fiance, whose sighs are growing more and more audible with each passing color combination. The brown definitely brings out his eyes…too bad it also brings out his hair, which he forgot to get cut this week. You tousle it in the front because, y’know, that messy look is in right now, and race out the door pulling enough luggage behind you to backpack through Europe.   And all the while. all you can think is, “I hope these pictures feel like…us.”

The engagement shoot can be a stressful time. We get that. You want them to look great, but you also want them to look natural. You’re not too big on being in front of the camera, but you want it to look like you didn’t even know (or care) that a camera was there. You have no idea what to wear or what to do, but all you really want at the end of the day is to look back at the pictures and go “wow, that’s so us.” And fifty years from now, you hope you’ll still be saying the same thing.
Enter, the “Themed Get to Know You Shoot.” Rest assured, this is no ordinary engagement shoot. It starts with the GTKY sheet where we ask all sorts of questions aimed at getting to know our clients better, and ends with a theme based all around what makes each of our couples unique. Maybe it’s a place you love, maybe it’s something you love to do together, maybe it’s just an overall feel. But whatever it is, at the end of the day it’s…you.
We’ve compiled some of our favorite Get to Know You shoots from over the past year, along with the original entry from each blog post explaining the theme. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

GTKY**A: When Julia & Mike sent us their “Get to Know You” sheet, one theme instantly jumped off the page at us. Actually, it jumped off the page, slapped us a few times, and shouted “HELLOOOOO.” But you get the idea. Under the question, “What do you think is unique about you as a couple,” these guys put that they love to share equally in the chores of taking care of their new 1950s style ranch…everything from the gardening to the vacuuming. So we thought, “Hey, we’re down with equality.” And what could possibly stand for equality more than a 1950s take on housework? Right?! Makes sense to me! Okay, so we put a slightly modern twist on this shoot to bring it into SOMETIME this century, but seriously how fun is this theme?? And Julia & Mike totally ROCKED it!! They went out and hunted down all the outfits you see to get totally in character. I LOVE it!!

Meet: Julia & Mike

Their Theme: A five page spread for the 1952 Better Homes & Garden Summer Issue.

GTKY**B: Stonington calling… Nothing beats the cool salt air and open road of a crisp New England day. The timeless tailoring of our luxurious cable cardigan Fair Isle sweater, our patterned grosgrain flip flop….. and him. This season, it’s all about the perfect fit. Grab a mug of your favorite clam chowder and join us for our latest collection. They’ve been specially treated for an authentic vintage feel.

Meet: Katie & Colin

Their Theme: The J.Crew catalog of course! Just take one look at these two, and I’m sure you’ll see why!

GTKY*C:  “I turn on my computer. I wait impatiently as it connects. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You’ve got mail. I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beating of my own heart. I have mail. From you. ” – Kathleen Kelly, You’ve Got Mail The first time he saw her, it was only a picture. A snapshot that hung on a co-worker’s wall. But sometimes a snapshot, a small moment in time, is all you need to somehow…know. The first time they met, it was only a one liner. A crack about an old computer. But sometimes a laptop, even an old one, can bridge the miles between two hearts that somehow just…know. Natalie is a high fashion NYC girl. Chris is the laid back Californian. But for just one day, their paths crossed and nothing has ever been the same. For months they emailed back and forth. With her on the east coast, him on the west. Going about their days, living parallel lives, they were joined by the promise of just three little words. You’ve. Got. Mail.

Meet: Natalie & Chris Their Theme: You’ve Got Mail

GTKY**D:  It all started with a pony tail. A pony tail, and a summer camp over a decade ago. It was one of those quick fleeting, almost trivial moments that could have easily been lost in time. Trivial, except that it would change everything for the rest of their lives. She had just casually pulled her hair back into a pony tail as she walked out of her cabin, but that was the moment that Josh looked up and saw Beth for the first time. Sure he had seen her before, but this was the first time he really *saw* her and knew his heart would never be the same. “It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.” Over ten years later they were reunited in San Francisco… and he’s still saying the same thing.
Meet: Josh & Beth
Their Theme: My Heart’s In San Francisco

Knowing the stories behind the faces makes all the difference in the world! Doesn’t it? Thanks, Mary & Justin, for sharing.

PS: LBB readers, do check out their blog and website!

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Post tags: E*Shoots, Engaged, Engagement Shoots, Themed Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

photography by Arising Images (Style Me Pretty~Little Black Book Vendor~Michigan)

If you hadn’t planned on doing one … we beg you to reconsider.

If you’re new to this game, and need some convincing ‘inspiration’, we have it right here ~~Don’t be nervous. Don’t even give it a second thought. The day is yours. Bask in the glory of your love for each other.

We asked one of SMP’s regular contributing LBB photographers, Karen Wise, for her thoughts on the planning process that precedes an e*shoot and here’s what she had to say …

I actually had to plan an engagement shoot today that I will be doing next week in San Francisco. There are times when I don’t get to meet the couple before planning the shoot, as in this case, so I try my best to get to know the couple over the phone before we actually meet up. It’s a challenge, but I ask them this: If you could describe yourselves as a couple, how would you? How do you make each other laugh? Can you bring out the laugh in front of the lens, while I’m there? This couple who I will meet next week describe themselves as “silly”most of the time. I thought to myself, “Awesome”, that’s just what I wanted to hear. Silliness for the pictures helps loosen up the subjects (and the photographer)!

In the photo that they sent to me, they look and seem cute. My goal is to bring the playfulness out in both of them again, in person. We discussed outfits, I suggested colorful, yet not too much pattern, stylish, and a great neckline is most important. I prefer when the men don’t wear business attire, but sometimes that is how they see themselves. Although a nice Armani suit is often sexy and quote fashionable in the photos! It can always depend on “how he wears it”.

The toughest thing of all is doing it in an original way. I love when couples bring props. Balloons can be fun, or even their newest puppy. Pets, fashionable clothing, matching coats, a great pair of gloves or a hat, something that will appear unique in these shots are essential for fun and colorful e*photos. A lot of the time they just want a nice photo for the New York Times announcement page! I’ve learned the ropes too: The NY Times criteria is to have cheeks almost together and eyebrows aligned!

photography by Karen Wise

I think the location can also really dictate whether or not the shots will be beautiful too. I personally prefer an outdoor location (a park, or a historic or rusty urban setting) to an indoor seamless photo paper shoot.

Engagement photos are quite popular these days, I’d say about 50% of all of my brides and grooms request an Engagement Shoot prior to their wedding. Not only is it a great way for the couple to get familiar with the routine, and for their photographer to get to know them and their different “angles”, but the photos can be used for a Save the Date card, the guest book or a slideshow at the wedding. I highly recommend it.

Thanks, once again, to Karen Wise not only for providing SMP with more great examples of her photography skills, but also for giving us more insight into e*shoots from the professional’s point of view. Karen has become one of wedding bloggers favorite go-to sources for amazing real-wedding features! Be sure to visit her website and blog for lots more real weddings and engagement shoots.

Thanks, also to Little Black Book members Prem and Cheridy Mukherjee of Arising Images in Detroit, Michigan, for the first engagement images shown in today’s feature. LOVE their architectural perspective in the images at the beginning of this post. We hope to feature one of their real weddings in the very near future!

We have one more feature on e*shoots set for next week from another of our tremendous Little Black Book photographers.

And …if anyone has any topics you’d like to see more of on The Little Black Book Blog, send me an e*mail at eddye@stylemepretty{dot}com.

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Post tags: E*Shoots, Engagement Portraits, Engagement Shoots
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography

But today, we’re cranking it back a few paces and dealing with those other photos … the first photos you’ll take now that you’re engaged!!

E* shoots … from ordinary to extraordinary! Gone are the days of sweet, sentimental engagement photos. Nowadays, crazy, sensual, just plain fun … anything goes! We’ve asked our own dream team of experts, the Little Black Book photographers, to share some tips and tricks to achieving those extraordinary engagement shots that you’ll be proud to claim as your first piece of true art!

Today, we’ve asked Holly Schumacher, a fabulous fine art and wedding photographer to give us her best advice to couples preparing for their engagement sessions.

from Hollye …

I would first (and most importantly) find a photographer who shoots in different outdoor locations. Ask the photographer if they specialize in customized engagement sessions. Does the photographer shoot in a lot of similar locations with similar poses, or is their a lot of variety? Once you find your photographer, share information about yourselves, such as, things you like to do together, places you frequently eat, what type of couple you are (romantic, traditional, playful, outgoing) and the story of how you met. The more a photographer knows about a couple, the more personalized the engagement session will be.The “about us” list, also acts as a source of inspiration. I’ve found the best spots based on this feedback, shooting in a playground, in swinging chairs at the fair, at In-N-Out Burger, in a fountain, cooking store, etc.

I found out from one of my couples that the groom had proposed to his girlfriend by putting the engagement ring in the bible that they read every night. When she opened the book, the ring fell out into her lap and he proposed to her. When I did their engagement session at their house, I had them get out the book and I photographed the ring in the book creating a heart out of the shadow. If you’re wanting to do something creative, be sure to convey it to the photographer and give them an example of something you saw that moved you.

Everyone has a different level of tolerance in front of the camera. If you (or your fiance) is not willing to get wet, dirty, or mess up your hair, then beware of what you ask for.

I know that when clients come to me and verbally tell me that they want an out-of-the-box engagement session they should strap themselves in for an exciting ride. Try to be yourself in front of the camera. For some, this means drinking a glass of wine (only ONE) before the session or getting in a good mood and leaving the day’s dramas behind. A lot of couples can be nervous before the session which can create tensions when they arrive for the shoot. Do your best to acknowlege that you may be nervous, but that tension will quickly fade once you start. If you are not so great at styling your hair (myself included) have your hair and make up professionally done. It can make or break a session. Your photographer can create the most amazing images, but if you didn’t like your hair, it’s a complete waste of time. Ultimately, you want to be happy with how you look in the picture. Be sure to go to a stylist you trust who has done it in the past so you’re not left with a style that looks like someone else.

If you get great images, do something with them! If you spend the time and money to do a fun session, be sure to either create a guest sign-in book, holiday card, slideshow, website, or large wall portrait, with the images. Do not let them waste away. I have a set of photos from my engagement session between myself and my husband at my house and office, and they never cease to remind me of the love we share and the fun time we had making the images.

Such great advice, Hollye! Thanks so much for this first in a series of Little Black Book posts on E*shoots.

Hollye Schumacher Photography is based in Phoenix, Arizona, but if you read her bio, you’ll see she’s addicted to travel … so if you love her style (and who wouldn’t!) shoot her an e*mail.  Her December 30 blog has some more seriously incredible engagement shots from Lauren and Merrill’s e*shoot. Don’t know how they’ll be able to choose … they’re all so fun!

If any of you guys have stories to tell about your own e*shoots … please let us know by sending us a comment. I’m sure other couples would really like to hear from you, too! OR if you have questions … send ‘em our way. We’ve got a panel of experts who can help you with any question you might have!

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Post tags: Arizona, Brown Mouse Photography, E*Shoots, Engagement Sessions, Hollye Schumacher Photography, Karen Rusten, Phoenix
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography