JGiles Photography // Wedding Photography, Engagement Photography, Portrait Photography // Destin, Florida

 An Engagement Session should be a celebration of love between you and your fiance. It should also be FUN! Bring two different outfits for your shoot. One outfit that just makes your both feel fabulous! I personally love lots of bright colors and always suggest a dress and a pair of your favorite stilleto’s!! Bring flip flops for in between takes if your feet hurt. The other outfit can be more earthy and casual.
I also suggest that you bring anything that tells your story:
* Hats (beret, cowboy, fedora)
* Scarfs
* Pets (bring someone with you to help with them)
* Guitar or any type of musical instrument you play
* Golf Club or anything that has to with a hobby
* Letters you wrote to eachother

Also, don’t be afraid to tell your photographer about any of your ideas! We are there for you!!

PS: Have Fun and Feel Like a Movie Star for a Day!

The following 9 Tips were presented at a seminar during the Mobile Bridal Show, Weddings to Brag About, over the weekend of October 11th-12th, 2008. Check out these helpful real-life tips from J.Giles Photography below!

9 Tips for How To Get the Photos You Want!

1. Get Inspired!

• Get ideas for poses! Go online, look in magazines, and check out photographer portfolios.
• Share your ideas for poses with your fiance’ and your photographer.

2. Get all the details from your photographer and the venue so you can make the necessary arrangements.

• How much time does your photographer need to take all the pictures you would like?
• How much time does your venue allow for pictures?
• Sometimes venues only give their clients a certain allotment of time for everything to be completed. That means if the wedding starts later than scheduled your post-ceremony pictures will have to be cut short! To keep all time frames in mind you must first FIND OUT all the details!

We did a wedding in Atlanta back in March of 2006. The Bride was unaware that the church she had her wedding ceremony at had a strict time for her wedding party to be out! The photographs had to be completed in 25 minutes! The wedding director of the church actually started shutting off lights towards the end of the photograph session! Don’t let this happen to you! Find out the details waaaaaay before your wedding day.

3. Recruit a photograph session assistant.

• A photograph assistant should help the bridal party’s photos stay on schedule and go smoothly.
• Show your assistant actual pictures of what you would like specific shots to look like so they can see what your photographer is going to be recreating.
• Explain any special accommodations that need to be made. FOR Example: “My Grandfather uses a walker and will need help up and down the stairs.”

4. Create a photo order schedule.

• Make a list of every shot you would like your photographer to take.
• Put the shots in order according to their complexity.
• Have the most complicated shots taken first.
• Consider the Grandparents, the children, and even any smokers that must be in the shots.
• Schedule your Bride and Groom only photos without everyone around.
• Email your schedule to your photographer and your wedding consultant/planner.
• If your photo assistant is not an employee of your photographer make sure you explain that you have recruited a friend to help make their job easier and that the assistant can be trusted to make decisions in your place if necessary.

5. At the rehearsal, get everyone’s attention and tell your bridal party what to expect when it’s picture time.

• Tell them how important having good pictures is to you.
• Introduce your photo assistant.
• Explain how the photo schedule will play out.

6. Loosen up and take some silly pictures before your photographer shows up.

• Everyone needs to warm up! Warming up will help you and your fiance’ be comfortable more quickly when it comes time to take the REAL wedding photos.

7. When the time arrives to take your wedding photos…

• Let yourself feel the excitement and fun of the day.
• Realize “Today is my Wedding DAY!” and live in the moment.

8. Hire a photographer that understands they are on YOUR wedding team.

• Your photographer should support your ideas no matter what they are.
• Your photographer should make you and your fiancé feel as comfortable as possible.

9. “Pictures say a thousand words…” Think about what you want your wedding photos to say.

• What feelings to do you want your wedding photos to convey?
• What stories do you want to preserve from your wedding?
• Make a list of 5 to 10 words that will describe your wedding photos.

BONUS TIPS

• Get your hair cut and/or colored no closer to the wedding than 2 weeks away.
• Do not over tan. We have found that brides and grooms that tan a whole lot tend to have skin with an obvious orange tint in their photos.
• If you get a spray tan, do not use an accelerator if you do not normally use one.
• Do NOT get a facial of any kind any closer than a week or two away from the wedding. Facials are really great for your skin BUT facials may bring out blemishes and cause irritation (redness, swelling, etc.)! You should get a series of facials throughout your engagement to get your skin in fabulous shape for your wedding. Facials are GREAT for guys too!