Intimate Wedding at Wild Renfrew and Botanical Beach in Port Renfrew // Holly and Alessandro

Holly and Alessandro host their nearest and dearest at Wild Renfrew for their wild and intimate Botany Beach Wedding Ceremony // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Since moving to Sooke on Vancouver Island a couple years , Port Renfrew quickly became one of our (if not our most) very favourite places.  A quiet, rugged, wild, and mysterious pocket of coast line takes the breath away of every visitor. Winter storms are dramatic, wildlife is abundant, and the landscape is humbling. Our first trip there was a cold and grey November day as huge green waves crashed against layers of black angular lava rock. Like liquid glass colliding against a book of razors. We could only stand there and stare, mouths agape. Just around a bend from there, a short hike through twisted cedars, sitkas and firs, is a smooth refuge of flat beach, sheltered from ocean winds and pock marked by tide pools that teem with sea life.  One doesn't need to wonder why Holly and Alessandro, geologists, would choose this on all places to host their family for their intimate wedding. 

Holly and Ale got ready for their day at the Wild Renfrew cabins, overlooking the Port of San Juan, and mountains filled with new and ancient growth forests.  As a small group, their friends and family walked down to Botany Bay and gathered closely for their ceremony officiated by an inviting and humourous  Port Renfrew local Reet Buckler.  Eagles soared overhead, sea lions played in the kelp bed, and waves crashed rhythmically on the rocks.  After the ceremony and champagne, we stole away with Holly and Ale to explore the coast more for some adventurous portraits.

Thank Holly and Ale for having us there to be a part of your beautiful, natural, an intimate day. We hope you love the photos!

Intimate Spring Wedding at Stanley Park Pavilion // Hilary & Chris

Hilary and Chris host their intimate spring wedding at one of Vancouver's most iconic wedding venues, Stanley Park Pavilion // Victoria Wedding Photographers

It's iconic, it's romantic, it's timeless, it's subtly grand. Stanley Park Pavilion is one of Vancouver's most recognizable and desirable wedding venues. Plunked in the middle of Stanley Park in downtown, it feels like a remote destination. It's no wonder that Hilary and Chris wanted this gorgeous property to host their classic wedding. 

Hilary and Chris started for their day at Westin Bayshore, with views of downtown, Burrard Inlet, the North Shore mountains and Stanley Park.  After a sweet first look, we ventured over to Stanley Park, where Chris proposed, for photos before their intimate, indoor, standing ceremony by the pavilion's beautiful fireplace.  After the vows were exchanged, and the champagne popped, it was time to party!  A very special musical performance kicked off the celebration, followed by dinner and speeches and a whole lot of dancing!

Thank you Hilary and Chris for having us there to celebrate with you! We hope you love the photos! 

Thank you to our second shooter, Laura Scotten for your help that evening!

Prestige Oceanfront Resort Wedding in Sooke // Candice and Mike

Candice and Mike's rainy west coast outdoor wedding at Prestige Oceanfront Resort in Sooke // Victoria Wedding Photographers

When people think of the west coast, they often think "wet coast", which is veeeerry accurate during the fall, winter, and spring months.  Candice and Mike's wedding was so iconic west coast that it couldn't have been staged better: a couple who loves adventure and travel (check), an outdoor oceanfront ceremony (check), views of towering trees, a low fog settling over the Olympic mountain range (check), an eagle soaring overhead (check), and of course, a warm spring rain (check!!).  That's the great thing about a wedding at The Prestige, you get a taste of everything! It's one of the reasons Matt and I love living in Sooke so much too!

Candice, Mike and their guests embraced everything wet coast and were all smiles and laughs during their outdoor ceremony, cocktails, and pebbly beach portraits. The laughter and fun continued at their indoor reception with speeches, dancing and a whole lot of fun in the photobooth!

Thanks so much, Candice and Mike for having us there to celebrate with you! We hope you love the photos!

Shawnigan Lake Engagement Photos // Jacqui and Sean

Packers fans unite as Jacqui and Sean romp and dance around Shawinigan Lake during their sunset engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers

It's been almost two years since we moved to Vancouver Island, and we've felt at home since we got here!  We've met so many great people, and experienced so many new and wonderful places. One of our favourite things to do is to find out about and explore a new-to-us place that is a long time love of our couples. We've heard so many great things about Shawnigan Lake and it's always been on our radar to visit, but it was even better to head there to do engagement photos for Jacqui and Sean, who have Shawnigan Lake summers near and dear to their hearts.

They brought us to Shawnigan Wharf Park near their parents' house to walk the decommissioned train track trail, and watch sunset over the lake. We had a great time photographing as these two romped around the park, danced on the dock and then donned their Packers jerseys and cheese-heads for some laughs. We really caught a glimpse of Jacqui and Sean's dynamic, what makes them such a great couple, and so fun to be around.

We can't wait for their Bear Mountain wedding!

Metchosin Engagement Photos at Devonian Regional Park // Jessica and Jordan

Jessica and Jordan explore the forest and beach at Devonian Regional Park in Metchosin // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Jessica and Jordan have a busy few months ahead of them as they plan their Mount Washington wedding from their home in Calgary. That's why we were so excited when they let us know they'd be on Vancouver Island visiting family, and that they'd have some time to meet up with us to do some engagement photos!  When they said they liked places that would fit their love for the west coast forests, and the beaches, we knew a place that would tick all the boxes! Tall evergreens? Check. Tangly, mossy garry oaks? Check. Beautiful beach? Check! For a little added bonus, we had the whole place to ourselves which is always great when photographing an engagement or a wedding.

We always love to photograph couples in places they love, doing things they love, but we also have a blast when we get to tell people about a cool place that they've never been before.  We had so much fun taking Jessica and Jordan through the trails to explore the beaches and rock formations. 

Thanks Jessica and Jordan, we can't wait to see you again at your Mount Washington wedding!

McKenzie Bight Engagement Photos // Amanda and Alex and puppy, Kenzie

Amanda and Alex (and their puppy Kenzie) explore the trails at McKenzie Bight in Victoria during their engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers

If you know us (or even just passed us on the street haha), you know we're crazy about dogs. You can imagine the excitement we had this month when we photographed not one, not two, but three engagement sessions in a row that featured our couples' furry best friends!  Our most recent were Amanda and Alex, and the new addition to their family, Kenzie, who was named after one of Amanda and Alex's favourite Victoria trails, and the location of our engagement session with them: McKenzie Bight Trail.

With the rain storms that have been pouring down on the west coast lately, we ended up hitting the sunny-autumn-day-jackpot on our photos with Amanda and Alex.  It was fun to get to know Alex and Amanda as we explored around the trail that these two have grown so fond of,  and to watch as sunlight filtered through the leaves, as their puppy dashed around up and down the trails, and as heaps of seals floated around the base of a river waiting for fish as the sun dipped behind the hills.  Amanda and Alex have such a great connection, and have so much fun together that we just can't wait for their Metchosin wedding at Pearson College next year.

Thanks so much for spending a fun afternoon with us, Amanda and Alex! We hope you love your photos as much as us!

Bastion Square Engagement Photos in Victoria // Stef and Ryan

Stef and Ryan explore Laurel Point, Bastion Square and Parliament in downtown Victoria during their engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers 

We love getting the opportunity to work with other creatives, and other photographers. We're especially excited when other photographers trust our vision, style, and personalities to have us come photograph their wedding day!  When Stef and Ryan hired us to photograph their upcoming wedding in Ucluelet, we were over the moon to get these two photographers and their weiners on the other side of our lenses.  Made you blink: they have weiner dogs.

With Stef's love of Victoria, and her frequent visits to Vancouver Island to see friends, we knew that Stef and Ryan would really want to get their engagement photos taken right here in Vic.  With an end-of-season holiday planned, we lined up their holiday with our schedules to make sure we could get together!  Joining Stef and Ryan on their holiday would be their sweet dachshunds, Farfel and Harvest, and of course, heaps and heaps of November rain.  But as you know, when the ran comes, the tourists go.  We ended up spending the afternoon with them strolling around Laurel Point, and running through alleys in Bastion Square without seeing another soul. We had the city to ourselves it seemed and our laughter echoed through the empty streets!  

Thanks Stef and Ryan for braving this dark and rainy day to have some rainy day fun, and a seemingly post apocalyptic adventure with us! We can't wait for the wedding!

Cheakamus Centre Wedding in Squamish // Kristina and Dan

Kristina and Dan's wedding in the mossy rainforest of Squamish BC // Victoria Wedding Photographers

You probably recognize Kristina and Dan from their Golden Ears Park engagement photos in September! Well, last month we travelled to Squamish from Vancouver Island to photograph their amazing rainforest wedding at Cheakamus Centre. This was the first wedding we photographed at Cheakamus Centre since our own wedding, and we were so excited that it would be Kristina and Dan's wedding! A super adventurous couple in a rainforest surrounded by mountains?!?! Sign us up: it's obviously going to be an epic day!

We kicked things off with a sweet first look at Cheakamus Centre, on gorgeous blue-green duck pond, with Dan and Kristina's bridal party peeking from a far.  Their outdoor ceremony was tucked in an intimate forest grove surrounded by moss, towering trees, and turning leaves.

With their rings exchanged, and vows proclaimed, Kristina and Dan, their friends and family partied the night away with silly reception games, memorable speeches, photobooth antics, and dancefloor shindigging.  

Thanks Krisitina and Dan for having us their to capture your wedding! We hope you love the photos!

Linwood House Wedding on The Sunshine Coast // Bo and John-Paul

Bo and JP's ocean front wedding on BC's Sunshine Coast // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

If you've followed our work you've seen that we've photographed a lot of adventurous, spontaneous and genuine couples, who cut their own path and do things their way.  Bo and JP are shining example of that! They had so many handmade details to their day, added a lot of personal details into their decor, and it was clear they put a lot of thought into their guests' enjoyment of the wedding!  When we woke up to an absence of sunshine, on the day of their Sunshine Coast wedding, Bo and JP weren't even fazed.  Their outdoor ceremony and reception in Gibsons would continue on as planned, regardless of the pelting rain and the ominous clouds that seemed to stretch farther than than the horizon. No sheltered Plan B necessary!

Sometimes unexpected things happen at weddings that leave us in awe, and such a thing happened during Bo and JP's wedding that left us marvelling to this day.  The rain poured down as guest arrived to the ceremony with beaming smiles in their best raincoats, huddled under umbrellas, and found their ran sprinkled seats.  The rain continued as JP and his groomsmen made their way to the front of the ceremony site and greeted their guests.  And of course, the rain remained as Bo's bridesmaid and man found their way to the front.  Everyone stood with eager eyes waiting for B to be walked down the aisle.  Bo came around the corner to walk down the aisle, and the second John-Paul's eyes landed on her, and the smile spread across his face, the rain stopped. That. Every. Second. 

With the rain gone, and the umbrellas folded and put away for the rest of the day, we carried on to Linwood House to enjoy a day of photographing Bo and JP's connection, their lust for life, all the personal and handmade touches they put into their day, and all the antics of their friends and family.

Thank you Bo and John-Paul for having us there to capture such an amazing day with you, your family and friends. 

Oak Bay Beach Hotel Wedding with Kristi & Kyle // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Kristi and Kyle's steamy, sunny September wedding at Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria BC // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

Just like usual, September is our busiest of all the busy months for weddings and photo sessions!  We started the month with a bang, photographing Kristi and Kyle's wedding at Oak Bay Beach Hotel, which was organized to stunning perfection by Anouk of Persimmon Tree Events.
Since their Mystic Beach engagement session in April, we've been counting down the months until we'd get to photograph Kristi and Kyle again, this time on their wedding day!  We were treated with a warm sun, welcoming family members, a wicked cool bridal party, and of course, Kristi and Kyle's undeniable chemistry.

We love to be flies on the wall at wedding receptions and watch as family members see each other for the first time in a while, as strangers become friends, and as everyone celebrates the love between a special couple.  With Kristi's family from the very far west coast of Canada, and Kyle's family from the very are east coast of Canada, we were delighted to float around the reception and hear all the happy chatter, in mixed west and east coast accents, and to watch a blend of wedding traditions from both sides of the country.  One such tradition came in form of a very east coast bottle of Screech Rum.  You just cringed, we heard it.  We tried our best to hold our cameras steady while laughing at the polar opposite reactions between the west coasters and the east coasters after after the shot: pure poison to the westerners, the taste of home to the easterners, dance floor fuel to all!

Thanks Kristi and Kyle for having us there to share and photograph your amazing wedding! You're so fun to work with. We hope you love the photos! 

UBC Rose Garden and Sage Bistro Wedding // Vanessa and Graham

Vanessa and Graham's Sunny Summer Wedding at UBC Rose Garden, and Modern Reception at Sage Bistro // Vancouver Wedding Photographers

We recently had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Vanessa and Graham, during their modern Vancouver wedding. We quickly discovered that Vanessa and Graham (along with their friends and family) are some of the most genuine, kind, and humorous people someone could meet. Their wedding left us feeling a rollercoaster of emotions, as we laughed loudly and cried hard with them and their guests during heartfelt toasts, and sweet moments throughout the day. 

We started the day with a sweet first look in the courtyard of the Sheraton Wall Centre, then quickly headed out to a few local favourites around Vancouver, including Jericho Beach Park, and Pacific Spirit Park.  Next was their outdoor ceremony at UBC Rose Garden, bathed in bright sunlight, and surrounded by guests, roses in full bloom, and of course, a few happy and curious spectators. 

We loved Vanessa and Graham's modern and minimalist wedding reception at Sage Bistro. With such a great group of people, sharing their meals family-style, it really did feel like we were photographing a giant family reunion. There was so much celebration for the people who travelled so far to come together, and homage paid to the ones who could only make it in spirit.

Thank you Vanessa and Graham for having us share in such a memorable day. Congratulations to both of you!! 

Golden Ears Park Engagement Photos // Kristina and Dan

Kristina and Dan explore the trails and waterfall at Golden Ears National Park for some epic engagement photos // BC Wedding Photographers

How was everyone’s Labour Day Weekend?  We spent the weekend chugging full steam ahead, photographing a couple events on Vancouver Island, and a couple events around Victoria! One of those events was an awesome evening spent with Kristina and Dan, hiking around Golden Ears Park to check out a waterfall, and do some engagement photos!

We were a little worried that photographing on a long weekend, in 33 degree weather might be a bit of a deal breaker for a great engagement session.  But, not the heat, nor the crowds stopped these two and their pooch, Max, from having an awesome time exploring the dusty trails and getting their feet wet in the river!  We were blown away by how cool and laid back they were the whole afternoon, and had such a great time chatting with them about their upcoming wedding at Cheakamus Centre, their Hawaiian honeymoon, and their story and life together!

Thanks Kristina and Dan for being such troopers on that balmy afternoon, we can’t wait for the wedding!

Hastings House Wedding on Salt Spring Island // Kim and Chris

Kim and Chris' gorgeous, hazy, outdoor Salt Spring Island Wedding at Hastings House // Victoria Wedding Photographers

As wedding photographers on Vancouver Island, we love the opportunity to island hop to photograph our wonderful couples. We've photographed on Salt Spring Island a few years ago, and just couldn't wait for the opportunity to go back!   When Kim and Chris invited us to photograph their intimate outdoor wedding at Hastings House, we jumped through the ceiling!  

When their day arrived in August, we knew it was going to be a beautiful one. The skies were hazy with forest fire smoke, and glowing with rich orange light.  Anything the sun touched was painted gold and seemed to radiate with warmth. 

With what Kim and Chris had told us about their wedding, we knew it would be a memorable event as well.  Not only do Chris and Kim have amazing chemistry, and the uncanny ability to make each other and others laugh (and laugh often!), they also added many personal touches to make their wedding as intimate and meaningful as possible.  Hastings House happens to be the place where Kim's parents married almost two decades ago.  With Chris' parents coming all the way from Perth, Australia for the wedding, Kim also got Chris' brother to fly in from Hong Kong for the occasion... to surprise Chris a couple days before the wedding. Boom! Excuse us while our hearts explode.  Of course, the wedding wouldn't truly be a "Kim and Chris Wedding" if there weren't a ton of hilarity and quirkiness involved!  From the guys' custom Indochino suits with tropical liners, to Ice-ing their friends at dinner, and Kim Ice-ing Chris during the garter grab, our stomachs hurt from laughing.  We also have to give a very special VIP shout out to Kim's maid of honour, who spotted a bee in Kim's veil as she approached the altar.  Knowing that Kim is allergic to bees, she promptly grabbed the veil and shook out the bee so eagerly that she pulled it clean off her head, saving Kim from a potential epi-pen prick and a trip to the hospital, and effectively breaking the ice for the ceremony by causing an uproar of laughter from everyone! 

We've been so fortunate to photograph so many beautiful weddings of couples who are so deeply connected to each other, the people around them, and have an insatiable lust for life!  We're so grateful when they let it all show on their big day.

Thanks Kim and Chris for having us along to photograph your wedding, and capture all those amazing moments. We hope you love the photos. Here's just a few of our faves!

Fan Tan Alley and Beacon Hill Park Engagement Photos with Susan and Peter

Susan and Peter are getting married in gorgeous Southern California, but approached us because they wanted us to do their engagement photos in gorgeous BC.  We talked for a while about all the great places we could get together for their session; should we go to Osoyoos? What about Vancouver?  In the end, the day before the photo shoot, they made the last minute decision to come to gorgeous Victoria and make a little weekend holiday of it.  We were so excited!  Vancouver Island has some of the most amazing places to do photos, which still end up being quite private. 

We met at Fan Tan Alley downtown and immediately hit it off.  Peter and Susan had one-liner after one-liner and lots of funny banter that kept us on our toes, and hurt our stomach from laughing so hard.  We love to see couples who can effortlessly make each other burst out laughing and smiling.  We explored around the alleys for a while and then headed through Beacon Hill Park before ending our session with with some intimate time on the beach.   It was great shooting Susan and Peter in these iconic Victoria spots, on a gorgeous day before tourist season; it felt like we had the whole town to ourselves and we could capture Susan and Peter in their element.

Thanks for the hilarious memories Susan and Peter, and thanks for coming all the way to the Island to let us photograph you!  Hope you love the photos, here's a few of our favourites! 

East Sooke Park Engagement Photos with Lindsey and Brent (and Willow!)

Lindsey, Brent, and Willow romp around the fields, cliffs, and beach at Aylard Farms in East Sooke Park during their engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers

East Sooke park is the first place the two of us visited that made us fall in love with, and eventually move to Sooke.  After talking to Brent and Lindsey about their upcoming Church and State wedding, we got to talking about all the areas they really love around here.  We weren't surprised in the least when Lindsay and Brent told us that East Sooke was one of their favourite places, and that they'd love to do their engagement session there, near Aylard Farms.  It also happened to be a first-hike-together place for them, as Lindsey puts it: her and Willow, her dog, were going for a hike date together, and invited Brent along. They hit it off, evidently!!

The day of the engagement session came and we all romped around the park talking about their upcoming Church and State Winery wedding, summer and travel plans, and laughing at all Willows silly antics.  Lindsey and Brent finished off the evening with some good old stick-toss into the ocean for Willow, and stuck around long enough to catch a couple curious seals swim by. 

Thanks to Lindsey and Brent for hiking around the park for us during your engagement session, we had loads of fun! We're excited about your wedding!!

Mystic Beach Engagement Photos with Kristi and Kyle (and Chase!)

Kristi and Kyle hike through the rainforest for their sunset engagement session at Mystic Beach

// Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

We met Kristi and Kyle, along with their wedding planner Anouk, about a month ago to talk about their Oak Bay Beach Hotel wedding.  They told us about their life in Victoria, their wedding plans, and showed us pictures of their cute little dog, Chase.   We found them so endearing, especially the way they'd look in each other's eyes and immediately smile every time we asked them questions about their everyday life, and their relationship.  We are always drawn to couples who have a strong connection to each other that way.  When they told us that they had considered a place like Mystic Beach for their engagement photos, we almost fell out of our seats.  

Mystic Beach is one of our (one of most people's) favourite places to visit, and we've been dying to go there with a couple.  Within 10 minutes of weaving through the moss and fern coated forest, Kristi and Kyle's shoes were covered in thick mud, and Chase's tiny white paws were painted black.  To which, Kristi laughed and said, "Well, we're committed now! It'll totally be worth it!"  And she was so right.  Appropriately named, Mystic Beach makes most people feel as though they've stepped out of the forest and into a dream.  It often overwhelms people with a kaleidoscope of feelings which is why it's such a great place to photograph people there.  We had so much fun photographing Kristi and Kyle as they explored the beach, the waterfall, and ran around the beach with Chase, who was clearing feeling energized after being liberated from his leash! We finished off with a gorgeous hazy sunset by the waterfall, followed by our slow and tedious hike back to the cars through the pitch black forest.

Thanks, Kristi and Kyle, for being so adventurous and taking on this crazy excursion with us, for your engagement session.  Thank you for letting us try out some creative photo techniques with our lighting, and panorama style too!  We just couldn't wait to show you these images, and we totally hope they are worth the sore ankles and backs!  We're sooo looking forward to your wedding in September.

Thanks for checking out our blog!  If you'd like to learn more about us, please head over to our "About Us" section!

Tips for Looking and Feeling Awesome in Your Engagement Photos

Some great suggestions on how to look and feel amazing during your engagement photos, from Victoria Wedding Photography team, Pebble and Pine Photography.

Let's start with why we love engagement sessions so much!  We get asked a lot by couples if engagement sessions are a totally necessary part of getting married.  The truth is, they aren't.  You can get married without having engagement sessions and your marriage is still just as legal, haha.  However,  we've found that engagement sessions are so valuable because they are a great way for us to get to know our couples a bit more before the wedding.  It helps us to see how you interact with each other, get to know your dynamic as a couple, and how we can best make you feeling comfortable and confident in front of the lens so the wedding day is effortless and has a smooth natural flow to it.  It's also incredibly helpful and fun for our couples who are preparing for the big day.  It shows you how we work as a photography duo, how you feel being photographed, and help you to get more comfortable in front of our lenses, so that you have less to feel nervous about when your wedding day comes. 

 In our experience of photographing weddings, we've found that many of the couples we work with have not had professional photos done together before working with us.  They often have questions about how they can best prepare for the engagement session, so we've put together a handy little tips list.  That way, you can put your nerves at ease, and feel excited!

First and most importantly to remember; this is not a do-or-die list.  As with all advice, follow it to the degree that you're comfortable with, and that feels right for you!

Ability to move freely. 
Because we’ll be walking around, and getting the two of you interacting with each other, the ability to move around with ease is the best way to feel natural in front of the camera.  You want to make sure that you can wrap your arms around each other comfortably, and also be able to walk and sit down without worrying what your clothes are doing, or feeling restricted by them. We also love taking candid photos of you guys just spending time together, so the less you carry with you (purses, backpacks, etc), the more spontaneous the photos can be.  Some couples like to make sure they can keep their phones close by, or like to bring a small makeup/lip touch-up kit along which is totally fine. In those instances, we will usually just carry those things for you in our camera bags until you need them, so they don’t show through your pockets and clothes.

Wear the clothes, and do the hair and makeup style that make you feel like the most confident, comfortable, and vibrant version of yourself.
Keep in mind that when you look at your photos later, we want you to feel like your photos are a reflection of your true self, not a costumey version of yourself.
Our best advice is to not wear clothes, or get hair and makeup done to an extreme or style that feels unnatural or uncharacteristic of you. The best way to look good on camera is to feel like yourself! 
Brides who are planning to have hair and makeup done at the wedding often opt to have some hair and makeup for the engagement session, to see how it feels to be photographed with it done.  Typically it’s slightly more toned-down, and less formal than it would be on the wedding day.  The best way to look good on camera is to feel like yourself! 

Decide on a location you love and feel comfortable in.
We encourage couples to choose a place of significance to them, and a place they feel comfortable in.  We love engagement sessions to tell some kind of story and have a flow to them, so that you don’t feel like you're just standing in front of the camera posing the whole time. If you're in a place you love and are excited about, you'll feel more at ease in front of the camera.  This way we can get you interacting with each other to really capture your personalities, and your dynamic together.  A lot of couples choose walks on the beach or the woods in areas they like, or decide they want to have a date night, like a wine-and-sunset picnic somewhere.  Other couples choose to have their photos taken doing a hobby they enjoy doing.  We like to chat with our couples about ideas that work best to reflect their life together.

Match your engagement style vibe to the atmosphere and style you’ve planned your wedding. 
Weddings nowadays have become less of a traditional mould, and more of an expression of your relationship.  Chances are, you’ve planned your wedding to reflect your personalities, your style and taste, and of course your eccentricities.  We recommend matching your engagement style to fit amongst the same general style of your wedding, and your own personal style.  Some couples consider themselves more outdoorsy and adventurous. Some couples vibe with boho, whereas others are more modern and edgy, etc.  So to avoid feeling uncomfortable or inauthentic to yourself, we usually recommend couples dress in what Matt refers to as, “casual plus, or better".  It's a spruced up version of your own real, personal style.  For example, a couple we shot last year, during a beach sunset, described their outfit choice this way, “we chose outfits to that we would wear to a beachfront patio, on a night out for dinner and drinks with good friends we hadn’t seen for a long time.”   

Complement each other’s style. 
This is not a suggestion to wear a matchy-matchy couples onesie outfit, though that would be hilarious. We do, however, recommend your clothes complement each other’s style and scale of formality. We’ve found most couples have a similar style anyways, but we just throw this in as a tip.  For example, if one of you is in a suit jacket, the other might not want to wear those oh-so-cozy LuLus and gym top.  Or, if one is in a brightly coloured, patterned summer dress, the other probably wouldn’t be rocking the Johnny Cash all-black-from-head-to-toe look.  You're both individuals, but these photos show how you complement each other as two equal parts of a whole.

Play off the season and location.  
This all goes with the goal of feeling comfortable and natural in your surroundings. We want you to dress and feel awesome for the weather, and location you're in.  Heels aren't always the best shoe choice for snowy mountains or sandy beaches. If you're planning to rock a strapless dress at the top of Cypress in the winter, bring along a cute jacket to wear.  If you're planning a romantic summer sunset on a hot beach, leave that parka at home and wear layers instead. 

I know, I know! This isn't one of Andrea and Eddie's engagement photos. But we love their use of vibrant colour and eccentric prints to show their personal style. Don't be afraid to be bold, friends!

Don't shy away from bright colours or prints, but avoid fluorescent neon materials. 
Bold prints and vibrant colours can be a great way to show your personal style, but be weary of fluorescent and neon.  Think Olivia Newton John in her 80’s aerobic leotards.  While these types of colours are mostly seen in workout and road-worker attire to promote visibility and road safety, they have started to pop up in regular style as well for a visual punch.  Great in real life, but these fluorescent and neon colours are so reflective that they’ll reflect their own colour onto your skin in photographs.  If these colours are on the front of your shirt, they will often cast their colour up onto your face and your partner’s, even on a cloudy day. (We’ll have a photo in the blog to show an example of this effect.)

A good night sleep, proper meals, and lots of water! 
This is just a general rule for day to day life, but it applies to the day of your photoshoot as well.  If you’re nervous the night before, try to hit the hay early to make sure you’re not tired the evening of your session. If you’re busy with hair and makeup on the day of, make sure to allot time for food and water through the day of your the photo session.  It’s the best way to look vibrant, feel refreshed, and stay excited through your photos together. Plus, as we all know, it’s hard to smile and feel lovey when we’re hangry. 

These are some of our prep / attire tips. But again, only follow these to the degree that you’re comfortable with, and don’t feel restricted by.  We usually spend a few minutes at the start of each photo shoot to let you guys know what expect so that you know how to interact with each other and the camera during the photoshoot. We’ll shake out all those nervous, awkward feelings at the start so you guys can feel awesome in the photos! 

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