heather and luke: engaged!

Heather and Luke's engagement session was short, sweet, filled with beautiful light, and a wonderful representation of why engagement sessions are so important . . . seeing how they interacted with one another in front of the camera completely blew me away. They were so at ease with one another, from moments of playfulness to moments of serenity. Their wedding will take place at the home of Heather's parents, where this session was held, and is being coordinated and designed by the extremely talented Leslie Lukas. I am so honored to be a part of it!

the engagement session

One of my 2013 brides emailed me recently asking for suggestions on what to wear and where to go for their spring engagement session, and I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to lay some of my ideas out in a blog post for all of you lovely couples wondering the same thing . . . and it lets me share some of my favorite photos, products, and fun little fashion advice! What to wear: I always tell my clients above anything else, choose an ensemble that represents your style, and is something you will feel natural and comfortable in. Go ahead and spend a few dollars on a new outfit, or a simple new piece to add to your wardrobe. I strongly encourage two outfit changes, one casual and one dressy. A few of my favorite websites for absolutely darling clothes at even more darling prices is Vestique and Modcloth. And here is the beautiful Amy in a dress and shoes from Modcloth, worn at her engagement session last spring. For your casual outfit, skinny jeans, tall boots and scarves are still going strong. The blouses at Vestique are to die for, and their jewelry is gorgeous, too. Another wonderful idea is incorporating a wedding color into your outfit choices. Kate did this with her chartreuse blouse and at her engagement session last year . . . and it also allowed the photos used in their save-the-dates to blend with their design even better. As far as hair and makeup go, I have become a huge fan of reaching out and having it done professionally - I have been spoiled in seeing how my own face transformed on my wedding day, and how long the look lasted, but more than anything, why not? Indulgence is my go-to place for makeup application, and your own hairdresser can give you a rock star blowout or casual waves in ways we simply aren’t capable of doing in our own bathrooms. With that said, a few of my favorite makeup products that I can’t live without include Lancome Undereye Concealer, Bare Minerals foundation, all-over-face color and mineral veil, Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Bone, Bare Minerals eyeshadows in Greenhouse and Smoky Violet, and Laura Mercier lip glace in Bare Beige (or straight-up Vaseline!). I think most people’s everyday goal with makeup is to look natural, but it’s important to step it up just a touch when photo shoots are involved, and for me that usually means playing up my eyes. It may mean something completely different for you . . . either way, you should feel comfortable, confident and beautiful. And unless you never paint your nails, don’t forget this often overlooked detail. Deep cranberry tones, shades of gray, navy blue, deep purple, and even teal and green are so versatile and fun right now. I tend to be more classic and reach for the red tones, but it’s a fun time to step out of your comfort zone, too. I bought Dior’s nail color in Blue Label and it’s striking! Location: By now you may know the most important element in choosing the right location is the right light, which for me means it is behind the subject. I always ask my couples first to think about a couple of places that might be meaningful to them . . . maybe where they first got engaged, or a place where they spend a lot of time together. If nothing jumps out to them or they want me to choose, I am happy to do so. I tend to be drawn to open fields, windy roads, hillsides, quirky trees, and also a location where there will be shade. And while it's fun to drive around aimlessly looking for new locations, having a general idea of where we are headed ensures we aren't chasing the sun frantically - and we might even get to it just in time. I know this post was long-winded, and these tips and suggestions are of course fine-tuned for each couple. An engagement session is usually a wonderful time for a newly engaged couple to enjoy together . . . and I love being a part of them creatively. Happy wedding planning to you all!

kayleigh and ryan are engaged!

Kayleigh and Ryan are one of my very beautiful 2013 couples, getting married next September at the Gallatin Gateway Inn. They came up from Billings for their engagement session on a Saturday evening a couple of weeks ago, and we could not have asked for a more perfect evening than we had! The light and air were perfect, fall colors were around us, and their love for one another made them complete naturals in front of the camera . . . I can't wait to photograph their love and joy in wedding attire! Stay cozy this winter and I'll see you two in 2013. :) Much love!

engaged: travis and kyndra

This adorable couple of mine is getting married on June 23rd at The Woodlands . . . my first full-blown wedding event in Montana so far this year! We have met numerous times and they are nothing short of darling. I am very excited to meet their families and friends in just a few weeks. Congrats, you two!

hidden treasures

After a portrait session, engagement shoot, or photographing a wedding day, I get extremely excited to upload, browse, and share the first little chunk of photos that stand out to me . . . and I love just as much when I am finalizing the images, and come across little treasures that didn't stand out to me as much at my first glance. This is a photo from my latest, just-blogged, most fabulous engagement shoot with Amy and Paul. There is nothing I love more than a little mood, emotion, and romance . . .



I will tell you that what I love most about this image is Paul's expression . . . while I direct these moments at times to be able to give the couple a handful of these moodier images, it's so wonderful when they truly make it happen with all of the feeling in the world behind their interaction. Paul's body language shows amazing love and gentleness towards Amy here. Ahhhh. Love.

amy and paul!

Amy and Paul are one of those couples who make you feel so incredibly welcome into their lives that you just cannot wait to spend their wedding day with them, and enjoy every piece of time with them in the meantime! We spent their engagement session frolicking around Bozeman in the mill district and Peet's Hill area - there was some snow still, but the temperature was perfection and so was this couple!



























September can't come soon enough! Much love to you two!

the engagement session

A good amount of clients these days are foregoing an engagement session, and everyone has their own reasons whether it be financial, they don't feel the need, their wedding portraits will suffice, they don't have the time, or they live out of town . . . but for those that want one, here is some good information, feedback and thoughts on the shoot for y'all on this lovely Wednesday!

1. To the photographer, the most important reason to have an engagement shoot is for the opportunity to work together prior to your wedding day. It gives me a sense of how my couples are in front of the camera, and makes me all the more prepared on your wedding day with direction, prompt, or having the knowledge that you two are relaxed, flirtatious, and create a more candid feel to your portraits.

2. To the client, I think it is a fabulous start to your wedding adventure! It is quite different to have a few dozen photographs of the couple in their everyday clothes, whether casual or dressed up, than it is to have your actual wedding photographs in traditional wedding attire. Enjoy having these two different sets of photographs that document you in the blissful engaged stage, as well as the incredible day of your wedding.

3. Casual or dressed up? Both, please! I encourage my clients to bring a change of clothes and nothing makes me happier than an excited bride-to-be wearing a fabulous dress and beautiful heels for this part of the shoot. :) Celebrate being a woman and enjoy! There is something magical that a pair of heels can do for us, isn't there?

4. An engagement photo is perfect to customize your Save-the-Dates if you choose to send those along to your guests!

5. Engagement photos can be incorporated into your wedding style and decor whether it be an engagement photo guest book, a canvas print, or displayed in beautiful frames. Everyone loves to look at pictures, right? :)

6. I love, love, love to watch my couples interact with one another during these shoots because it just makes my heart so happy to see two people in love, and making this commitment . . . what a better way to start off the celebration than to spend an hour or two kissing, canoodling, laughing, hugging and running around together with big, beautiful smiles?

Here is one of my favorite photographs from a beautiful couple I photographed over the weekend . . . stay tuned for the full blog post on this shoot, as well as details and photos of an engagement album that will be offered to all of my past and future couples!

kate and wade are engaged!

One of the most wonderful things that has happened in the past year of my business is letting go of fear, and creating an environment that attracts clients who let me photograph with inspiration and excitement . . . clients with beautiful style and ideas, and who choose ME because on a very important level, they see what my style is. Kate and Wade were a beautiful example of where I've come . . . I am falling in love with the simplicity of a photograph that shows two people in love, beautiful light, good exposure, classy styling, and a couple of elegant props!





















I loved this shoot so much and cannot wait to work with Kate and Wade again on the big day this August! Thank you for being so fabulous you two!