by xine23 | Feb 18, 2019 | How-To Wedding Advice
As a supporter of couples doing their own thing, I find that hair and makeup for your engagement session can be seen as a “nice to have”. And honestly? I could go either way. It really depends on what you are doing for your engagement session…but I am getting ahead of myself!
What’s Your Style?
I have had brides that love and wear makeup daily and it makes them feel comfortable in their skin. Then I have brides who are uncomfortable in makeup and are minimalistic. Both are 100% ok. I fall more into camp B, I wear eyeliner and eye shadow with lip gloss, but you throw foundation or mascara at me? Then I get uncomfortable. And don’t even get me started on contouring! But other women, that’s their jam!! If you are passionate about makeup and want to not worry about that aspect of getting ready for your engagement session, then I say do it. Get professional hair and makeup done. You will feel pampered and confident.
What are you Doing at your Session?
Another thing to consider is what you are doing for your engagement session. Are you doing something a little out of the ordinary? Possibly incorporating nerdy things, costumes or a zombie theme? If so, then this changes the equation a bit. In that case, I definitely say hair and makeup are required, and probably in the theme of what you are doing. On the other hand, most couples don’t add theatrics to their session, and so if you are taking a stroll through the park, beach or studio, then refer back to the above paragraph, and go with your comfort level.
Ability vs Budget
Now say you aren’t into too much makeup, like me. But you also want to look good for the photos, and know you don’t have the best ability at doing hair and makeup. So now you are back to thinking about bringing in a professional. And I don’t want to say that all women who aren’t comfortable wearing makeup all the time don’t have the ability, I am truthfully talking about myself. When I go to put on foundation I feel like I never know how much is enough, if I have applied on evenly, etc. So I would fall into the camp that, if I felt I wanted to have foundation and a more polished look for my photos, I would definitely involve a hair and makeup professional.
My brides also fall into the camp where they aren’t sure they want to invest in $100 for hair and makeup for an hour session. It’s an investment for sure. I have brides who are awesome at doing their own hair and makeup and would prefer to conserve costs by doing it themselves.
My Professional Perspective
I would never want to make anyone do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. That being said, I can see the difference in photos when a professional is involved. The makeup doesn’t make you look fake, it just highlights your features and makes you look like a more polished version of yourself. The hair and makeup you do for an engagement session isn’t meant to look like what you would do for your wedding. It’s more natural, not as heavy, and it lights up the camera. In the end, it’s completely up to you!
Love my work? Want me to capture you and yours? Let’s talk!! It’s easy, my email address is Christine@swishnclick.com. Let’s have a heart-to-heart, get excited about the possibilities of your wedding or session and come up with a plan that is uniquely you! I want to hear from you!
by xine23 | Feb 11, 2019 | Houston Engagement Photographer, How-To Wedding Advice, Swish + Click Wedding Photography
Houston is a pretty big place, so finding a spot to do your engagement session can be overwhelming! I have compiled a list of my favorite spots around Houston to help everyone with this arduous task. And honestly? Don’t feel like you have to find the most exciting or best spot ever. Truth be told, I have put couples in a ditch because the area around them looked great! I kid you not! What is most important is showing off the love between the two of you!
The first thing you need to think about is your love story. Where did you meet? Get engaged? What do you love to do together? Any of these answers can help you find a spot for your engagement session. Is there a spot in Houston you have your heart set on? I encourage doing it where you will most happy.
Park
There are a ton of parks in the Houston area. Also, a lot of them are now charging fees. Centennial Gardens? Fee. Arboretum? Fee. Japanese Garden in Hermann Park? No professional photography is permitted there. Disappointing, right? But, there are other parks that are just as beautiful and are free. Eleanor Tinsley Park has the skyline of Houston behind it, and it’s on Buffalo Bayou, which is perfect. Discovery Green has a wealth of spots, and is a short walk to downtown, where you can do some urban looking pictures. Sam Houston Park, Helen’s Park, Fernland Historical Park are all awesome options! Most couples choose parks because they like the greenery in the photos, they might love a bridge or water feature as well. You can set up a picnic or sit on a bench. Plus there are usually places you can get changed in if you want to do more than one outfit.
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by xine23 | Feb 4, 2019 | Engagement Photographer, Houston Engagement Photographer, Houston Wedding Photographer, How-To Wedding Advice, Swish + Click Wedding Photography
What to wear for any session is a hot button issue for all my clients. I was such a popular topic that last year I invested in a stylist to help me work with portrait clients. Her advice was so helpful that I have taken some of her advice and applied it to engagement session clients. So where do you start with clothing?
Tips for the Women
Have you pondered rocking a sequined gown, tulle skirt or flower crown but just never had a real reason to get that outfit? Guess what!! This is your chance to do it up! Remember: There is no such thing as “too dressed up” when it comes to your engagement session, so don’t be afraid to have some fun! If you don’t want to add a new item to your collection, a lot of my brides love Rent the Runway for their engagement photos because you don’t have to spend a lot to feel like beautiful. Plus, you can send the outfits back when the session is over. Other brides love having a great excuse to bring a new permanent item for their closet!
The Case for a Dress…or two
Long, flowy dresses and skirts look amazing on camera because they bring extra movement to the photos. Especially when captured with nature whether it’s greenery or the beach. Shorter-length dresses photograph beautifully too! Dresses and skirts tend to look most stunning on camera because they really flatter a woman’s figure, and they make you feel super confident! I recommend avoiding pants and shorts for your session, and saying yes to a dress.
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by xine23 | Jan 18, 2019 | How-To Wedding Advice, Swish + Click Wedding Photography, Wedding Photographer
Let’s get real, planning a wedding can be overwhelming! (The good kind, most of the time). It starts with inspiration from Pinterest/Instagram, but then you get 20 tabs deep into local vendors and your mind starts to melt a little. Add onto this that for most of us, it’s unfamiliar territory! Knowing how early to book your venue, photographer, flowers, dress can be a little overwhelming. What really sucks? Finding that perfect place or vendor and then not being able to book them because they were booked earlier by someone else.
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by xine23 | Jan 16, 2019 | How-To Wedding Advice, Swish + Click Wedding Photography, Wedding Photographer
Why an unplugged wedding?
Imagine this, you are walking down the aisle {or are standing at the front of the aisle} and you cannot see your fiancee. With all your guests standing as you walk down the aisle, that is expected. What isn’t expected? Uncle Bob* has an iPad and is taking pictures of you, so you can’t see your sweetheart, but you do see them straining to see you. Then you notice one of your close friends not looking at you, but at their cell phone, as you walk down the aisle. All in all it wasn’t the moment you thought it would be–people seemed more interested in taking pictures than being present in the moment with you.
I get this concern a lot as a photographer–how do I get my family and friends to understand I want to have them not breaking out their cameras and cell phones during the ceremony? Let’s be honest, posting a sign or making an announcement on their own doesn’t necessarily work. So what can you truly do?
Tell them Early
When sending out wedding invitations and creating your wedding site, communicate about the expectation upfront. For your invitations, there is typically an insert with instructions, directions to the location, etc. You can include the request for the ceremony to be camera-free in there. I also recommend putting it at the beginning, as a psychological trick. Most people remember the first and last things they read and gloss over items in the middle. You can easily replicate this on your wedding site as well. I would use graphics as well to illustrate your point.
Use Your Parents
Not everyone reads all the portions of your wedding invitation. Which is sad, because that invitation is gorgeous! So they might miss the request of not using their camera or cell phone during the ceremony. They also might not go to your wedding website. In this case, it is a great idea to enlist your parents and get them to communicate to the possible future offenders and let them know about the ceremony rule. I don’t know about you, but my grandparents and aunts were more compliant when a directive came from my mother than from myself. Even though I was a grown ass woman. Sometimes you just need that authority figure to be your ambassador.
Be Repetitive
On the day of your wedding you can do two things in writing to help–the first I mentioned earlier: have a sign as people enter the ceremony space that asks the guests to put their cameras and phones away and turned off. Then, in case they missed it {it happens}, I would include said verbiage in your program. With a nice graphic, to convey your message, incase they were glossing over the program. I know I am guilty of this!
Final Step
The last and final thing you can do is the announcement. I highly recommend it being done by a family member/authority figure to help give weight to the message. I also saw at a wedding where, after the announcement, the family member looked out into the crowd to ensure people were turning off their phones and putting away their cameras.
At the end of the day, I realize that it is impossible to get everyone to comply. But if you follow these steps I bet you will be pleasantly pleased to see how many people put down their cell phone and truly enjoy your wedding ceremony with you.
Love my work? Want me to capture you and yours? Let’s talk!! It’s easy, my email address is Christine@swishnclick.com. Let’s have a heart-to-heart, get excited about the possibilities of your wedding or session and come up with a plan that is uniquely you! I want to hear from you!
by xine23 | Nov 25, 2018 | How-To Wedding Advice, Swish + Click Wedding Photography, Wedding Details, Wedding Photographer
It’s natural to make a December wedding Christmas themed, but not everyone wants one. Having grown up in Canada, land of the hearty, frozen winters, I feel uniquely qualified to have great ideas for a December wedding! And no, I am not talking about a Disney Frozen theme, although that would be…interesting.
Textures
I am in love right now with the trend of velvet and suede being popular in weddings. For a December wedding, this is the wedding where you can embrace these fabrics! Everything from velvet bridesmaid dresses to napkins and table runners, seriously do it! I would also be tempted to wrap the bridal bouquet in velvet ribbon as well, for some added drama. I mean, why not?
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