When it comes to engagement shoots, I usually suggest that a couple picks a place that is special to them for one reason or another. Caitlyn and Rob live in an adorable part of Cape Cod and choose to do their engagement shoot close to home on one of their favorite beaches. The location was particularly meaningful to them since one of their favorite past times is taking long walks on the beach. While on these walks the pair look for beautiful pieces of driftwood. Super romantic right?
To help plan their wedding, Caitlyn has diligently followed the knot’s 12-Month wedding planning countdown. This is normally a great idea as it helps you get everything done in a timely manner and helps decrease your stress when planning a wedding. So when it said get engagement shots 6 months before your wedding, that’s when she decided to schedule the engagement shoot. What the knot’s countdown couldn’t account for was New England’s crazy winters. Some years you’d be in light sweaters in February, and other times in parkas. The day of their shoot was one of those days that a parka was in order. There were over 40mph winds and a wind chill of -7 degrees! Even in this freezing weather Rob was still a good sport and got out there and tried to keep Caitlyn warm during our session. In between set ups we all ran back to the car to warm up.
After we had all turned into popsicles I suggested we head back to their place for a quick indoor session so that we could get a few more relaxed shots. There I got to see some of the amazing artwork Rob has created with some of the driftwood they have collected. I particularly liked this session because it brought out the different sides of the couple. The sweet and passionate side, as well as the side that comes out most of the time…cracking each other up at nearly every turn. We ended the shoot with a little portrait session of Caitlyn. Her eyes were just so intensely beautiful that day I couldn’t keep myself from taking a few shots of her. Last but not least, I grabbed a few shots of Caitlyn’s lovely engagement ring placed on one of their favorite pieces of driftwood. After seeing the shots, the two decided it would be great to include pieces of driftwood into their wedding decor as well. I can’t wait to shoot their wedding this summer when it will be sunny and warm out, which will compliment their warm personalities as well as their beautiful DIY beach inspired centerpieces…far better than the snow and ice we found on the beach during their engagement shoot!
Tips to remember: Just because a countdown calendar suggests engagement shoots 6 months prior to your wedding doesn’t mean you have to follow it to the letter. If you are using the shots for Save-the-Dates, it is a good idea to have this shoot done at least 6 months prior to your wedding. This way you’ll have time to get them printed out and sent out early enough for them to be useful to your guests. If you aren’t using them for Save-the-Dates then you can be much more flexible with your schedule for an engagement shoot. I often suggest about 6 weeks to 2 months before the wedding so that you still have enough time to order prints if you’d like to use them for a guestbook or matted signing portrait, but still close enough that what you learned during the engagement shoot will still be fresh in your mind during your wedding. For locations, while natural light is always wonderful, being freezing can put a real damper on your engagement shoot. So if you need to schedule your engagement session during winter, consider looking into some indoor locations that are close to your outdoor location of choice to have in reserve in case it just gets too cold to be comfortable.