Styling My Favorite Love Birds & 8 Tips for Capturing Great Couple's Pics

Have you ever had a good friend who is dating someone you can't stand? You act polite in the beginning of their relationship, but at some point you decide it's time to be brutally honest. My best friend, Laura, knows exactly what I'm talking about. "That guy is a total dirtbag" or "he's as dumb as a brick." Whew, I do not miss those college pep talks when we were roomies. But I appreciated her opinion and good friends should tell you the truth. Luckily, I never had to initiate that convo with her. Her fiance, Sean, is not only smart, successful, stylish and witty, but he's Laura's perfect match. They are some of my favorite people in the world and they recently took their official engagement photos while I styled their shoot.

First, I did Laura's hair, makeup and helped style her outfits. Then it was off to the wilderness for an outdoor shoot with our photographer, Thomas. Wedding season is around the corner, so whether you're taking your engagement photos, receiving wedding announcements in the mail, or maybe you just want to take a professional photo with your significant other....
I have 8 tips to help capture a great couple's pic:

1. Smile, Have Fun, & Be Yourself

Sounds like first date rules, but it still applies for couple's pics. It can be a little awkward posing together at first, but engagement photos are supposed to be lovey dovey. You can still have fun and warm up with silly poses at first. My sister and I told them to make a little heart with their hands. My guess is Laura's thinking "this is kinda cute," while Sean is saying to himself "this is lame and better not end up on the Internet." :)


2. Choose Scenery Special to Both of You

Laura and Sean are both from N. California and we found this great location with a covered bridge. Choose your favorite spot to take photos that represent you and your happy place. Maybe it's a park, winery, the beach, a part of your city, or your fave restaurant. I highly recommend at least a few outdoor shots.

Behind the scenes: I'm doing a few makeup touch-ups for Laura which brings up the importance of makeup & hair...

3. Makeup, Wardrobe & Hair. What should you Wear?

We've all seen wedding photos with 70's staches, 80's perms and outdated clothes. There is no way to predict future styles, but you can generally stick to some classic hair and clothing trends. I chose a red F21 blazer, gold jewelry, flattering dark denim and riding boots. Don't wear anything so flashy or trendy that it will look out of style before you even tie the knot.

MakeUp~ I kept Laura's makeup close to my sister's natural makeover look, but added a Espresso eyeshadow in the crease to make her green eyes pop. I used Temptu airbrush foundation, MAC shimmer in the corners of her eyes, natural Salon Perfect #53 lashes & MAC highlighter on her cheeks for a subtle glow.

Hair~ I wanted her hair full, but I still used a 1 1/2 curling iron to create waves with her front pieces to keep it out of her face. Sean styled his own look nicely in a camel trench over an eggplant polo.


4. Create Your Own "Awww" Moment

"Aww, he's such a gentleman." That's what you want your friends and family thinking when they see your photos. There's nothing like a bit of chivalry during a precious moment between a couple in love. If you can capture that Notebook-esque moment on camera, even better!

5. Holding Hands is so Trendy Right Now

Personally, I prefer walking arm in arm, but who doesn't think it's cute to see a couple holding hands? It's also a popular shot for engagement photos. We see couples from junior high to nursing homes holding hands so this is definitely a DO! This pic of Laura & Sean reminds me of a modern day Hansel and Gretel (minus the brother/sister part)

6. Mix it Up with Black & White Photos

Black and white photos are timeless and classic. Sepia is cool too. If you noticed the outfit change; everyone from highschooler's taking senior pics to Giselle "Big Mouth" Bundchen knows that photo shoots are a lot of work and time consuming. If you're getting all gussied up, have 2 or 3 outfits to try different looks.

This whole scene reminded me of Twilight. I curled her hair more, added a charcoal smoky eye and Laura wore vintage fur with a brooch. Sean kept it cool channeling "Team Jacob" in grey denim and a leather jacket.

7. The Kiss ~ Is it a DO or a DON'T?

There is a reason the 'Kiss Cam' is so popular at sporting events. A gentle kiss on the forehead, cheek or lips is endearing and gives a photo that total "aww" factor again. The KISS is a DO! But I'll leave it up to your discretion. The last thing you want is a make-out pic that will trigger any thought along the lines of "Eww! Get a room."

8. Do You Need a Professional Photographer?

It always helps to get the highest quality photos, but it's totally up to you and your budget. It seems like everyone has a friend with a high quality camera or knows an aspiring photographer, so you can always check before spending money. Camera Details: Canon 5D Mark II ~ 135mm f/2 L ~ 35mm f/1.4 L ~ Elinchrom Ranger AS Speed

And that's a wrap! Special thanks to the happy couple Sean & Laura. (Previously featured in last summer's Vegas post).

Are you getting married or shooting engagement photos soon? We've all seen couple's pics from Facebook to fridges; so if you have some great tips or shoot ideas, please share. 

Hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day weekend. If you're ever looking to do a couple's photo in NorCal, I'm running a Special on styling packages for engagement or couple's photos. Email dale202@gmail.com for details :)

xoDale