Engagement sessions are THE place to express your personality,
highlighting what makes you a super awesome couple,
showing the world
your love and what you love! The following photos aren't fancy or fru fru or overly artistic, they aren't shabby chic, or muted chroma, or
full of vintage typewriters and burlap banners. But they are full of us and us is what really counts. (I know I know, I shouldn't share my own pics but I REALLY want to
make a point and...well, I really like them and I think you will too.)
As you all may know, I went off on a fabulous nine month
honeymoon to travel Latin America with my hubs and get married again for his family in Brazil. It was some adventure and a great lesson in how to be a partner.
For our wedding, we had the opportunity to work with an amazing photographer,
Almiro Bacha, who insisted we do an engagement shoot. Well, I've been there, done that, (this is our second wedding) been traveling for almost three months and have no e-sesh worthy clothes. But we did it anyway...and so should you, if you are considering NOT doing an engagement sessison.
Why? Comfort, comfort, comfort. Most of us feel a little shy with a camera in our face, kissing our sweetie in front of a perfect stranger, acting completely unnatural, in ackward positions and poses. It will only get WORSE on your wedding day. But the process does get easier, you start to lighten up, laugh, relax, work it, enjoy the posing and preening and come to love your photographer. Your wedding day will thank you! It is much bigger and more important but it all starts with that engagement shoot.
The hubs and I decided we wanted the best of
Laguna, Santa Catarina, Brazil, the family's hometown, for our pictures; the beach, the colonial feel, the port, the history. For one set, we chose Mr.
de Lovely Affair's grandmother's house, which is where his parents fell in love. So sweet!
What does our e-sesh say about us? We are just two normal people,
getting married in a gorgeous, exotic place surrounded by family and
friends. It says, this is who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.
I hope you love these as much as I do and they give you inspiration to be yourself, let your photographer lead you but make it your own, and enjoy some kissy face time with your hubby to be.
Before they were "courting", Mr. de's mother used to wait in this very window for his father to walk by on his way home from work. We thought it would be cute to recreate the moment for them. It was fun hanging out that window waiting for my sweetie. His mom cried when she say these pictures! Score one for the daughter-in-law!
Laguna is an old colonial town filled with great architecture and colorful buildings. We wanted to capture that feel in our session to remind us of our time there. This is the old town hall, where the Laguna declaration of independence from Portugal was signed. It is now the town's musem.
The port used to be an important economic thoroughfare for Laguna; now it is great for taking photos!
All photos courtesy of
Almiro Bacha in Laguna, SC - Brazil.
Remember, engagements shoots are just as much about you as they are the photographer. At the end of the day, you are the one with the pictures and what do you want them to say about YOU?
Ours say, we love our family, we love our community and we love each other. What more do you need?
Thanks for letting me share and get a little gushy! I wish I could post all of them. If you enjoyed this post or any other, please leave a comment below and on our
FACEBOOK page too! You can also join the conversation on
TWITTER.
Have an excellent day,
P.S. E-sesh photos have so many practical uses for thrifty brides. I liked ours so much so that we actually used these photos as wedding decor and then gave them away to family members.
Brazil, as we know, is a land of sea and sun and beaches, full of historical architecture and gorgeous landscapes, all perfect for wedding pictures. Problem is almost ALL weddings in Brazil start later in the evening, say 9-ish, meaning daytime, sand and surf shots are almost impossible! So after you've gotten some sleep, you rent a dress, grab your sweetie and head off for yet another day in front of the camera! And VOILA...you have today's Trash the Dress. Seems like a much better plan and so much more fun to me!
