My couples often ask me for engagement photo ideas. I always like to start with who they are, what they love and what keeps them inspired. When Malisa and Salvatore mentioned their farm in Burlington, I instantly knew I wanted to shoot their engagement session there! As someone who grew up on a farm, Salvatore always wanted to own a large piece of land with lots of space. He bought a farm an hour away from the city that had everything he wanted: a large, spacious field, a brick historic house and lots of trees.
As we were planning their engagement shoot, I asked them what they loved about their farm, and they mentioned the house’s antique furniture that was left behind from previous owners. I decided to incorporate these historic elements into photos, like the vintage chairs and decor on the walls. I believe it’s important to use the props (if you decide to use them) and surroundings that are important to you and your story to give a context to your engagement photos and show the particular moment in your life. Malisa and Salvatore were in the process of restoring the house by the time of our shoot, so I took them to the older parts of the house to capture what they were working on. Your engagement photos are tangible memories of the particular period in your life, and it’s so great to see what you were going through as you’re flipping through the photos. That is why I loved taking those moody, intimate photos of Malisa and Salvatore in the old parts of the house to show their love and connection in the environment that was so unique to them.
After the indoor engagement photos, we made our way outside to catch the golden hour. Malisa changed into a stunning evening, sequinned dress that was so perfect for that time of the day. The setting sun reflected on her dress as they ran around the field, scattering little sparkles everywhere they went! It was so beautiful. I’m so glad Malisa and Salvatore opted for an outfit change, and I always encourage my couples to do the same! Having two different outfits lends for a welcome variety for your engagement photos. Especially if you change your casual outfit into a more formal, evening one getting the best of the both worlds.
If you decide to bring two outfits for your engagement session, I recommend choosing a wardrobe that is different, yet complementary at the same time. Malisa’s first floral dress had some sequin elements echoing her second look. The photos look like a cohesive set making a smooth transition from their casual outfits into the formal ones. Whenever you’re deciding on what to wear for your engagement session, think about how to make the two different looks complementary to one another. Whether it’s the colors, texture or style, having a common element will act as a glue that will unite your photos together making for seamless engagement photos.
Everything about their engagement session was completely personalized and really showed off the love that these two share. Needless to say, I was beyond excited for their beautiful downtown wedding that happened last month. Thank you, Malisa and Salvatore, for inviting me to capture such an important occasion in your life!