Welcome to the first blog post in Matrimony Mondays. I thought the perfect topic would be how to have a great engagement shoot.

Of course you want your engagement shoots to be perfect. Who wouldn’t? The most important thing is to be prepared to get your photos done; it sounds silly, but emotionally prepared. Be ready to smile, and with the Danielle Valiquette style of photography your may even get a little dirty. You don’t get a romantic image of the two of you lying in the field of flowers without, well, lying in the flowers!

So basically relax and go with the flow. So now that you are prepared to relax here are a few more tips.

What to Wear
Basically, you want these pictures to be about the stars of the engagement shoot, you guys! So anything you wear should not direct the viewer’s attention away from your faces. The basic rule is think SIMPLE. (And remember rules are meant to be broken!) Basic long-sleeved shirts in medium to dark tones (think browns, rusts, burgundies, greens, or blues) work against a dark background. (Remember that the greens of parks are considered dark. Look how great Jenna and George look in grey.) Avoid light colours such as beige, tan, peach, pink, white, and yellow. In general, darker shades are more flattering and slimming. And who doesn’t want to look slimmer?

This doesn’t meant don’t wear white, but if you do so should your finance. (Like adorable Lindsey and Dave, here. Breaking the rules and looking super-cure doing it!) In the end, the most important colour rule is that the two of you should be some how “tied” together, but not match-matchy. If one of you is in all white and the other is in all black then there is no co-ordination between the two of you. And this is an engagement shoot; the entire purpose is to show how united and perfect for one another you are!

Okay here are the traditional rules. Just remember there is always a time and place to break the rules. (Again here I go about breaking the rules!)
•    Stay away from bold stripes, plaids, checks, and prints. This rule is especially true if the two of you are in clashing stripes, plaids, checks, and prints, but it could be cute if the groom is in plaid golf shorts and the bride is in a sun dress of the (and here is the kicker) exact same plaid.
•    Especially bright colours, such as red and orange, might overpower the photo. How to break this rule? Shoot in a location that would compliment the bright colours. For example, bright outfits would work great in a brightly coloured kids playground.
•    Light-coloured clothing calls attention to itself and away from the face. And it is that beautiful face of yours we want to see! Now, this is probably the most broken rule. I do love a crisp white shirt and dark jeans on anyone, but again you both need to be wearing it. (Also, if you choose jeans ensure they are of a similar wash.)
•    Turtle necks or V-necks are flattering provided that neither is exaggerated in style. Avoid very wide or particularly deep V-neck shirts, as well as bulky cowl neck sweaters that swallow you up.
•    Keep the girls under wraps! Ladies put on a good bra and your best panty-lineless undies.
•    Make certain shoes and stockings are in keeping with the visual intent of the portrait. You may even consider taking your shoes and socks off! I have to admit it is a bit if a pet peeve of mine to see clients who have put lots of thought into their outfit and then appear to have thrown on whatever shoes they’ve passed on the way out the door. The same is true of socks; please, please change out of your dirty sweat socks.

In one sentence? Choose simple garments within the same tonal ranges.

Stay tuned for the next Matrimony Monday blog post and get more information on getting a great engagement shoot.

Happy planning,
Dani