The engagement session is one of my favorite sessions.  You are able to be a little more silly, and a little more adventurous – to let your guard down and have fun!   The two of you are in love…that is something worth celebrating.  And I want to help you celebrate it by documenting your love.  Here’s what you can do to help me!

What to Do:

-Have fun. Sounds like a no brainer, but with a big ole camera in your face it is sometimes hard to remember to just have fun!
-Be affectionate. Guys – kiss her cheek, her nose, her forehead.  Girls- smile or close your eyes when he does.  Whisper something sweet or silly into each others ears so only you can hear.  Just be sweet with each other and I will be there to capture it all.
-Relax. One of the most important things you can do. Focus on each other and not the camera in your face.  Some of the times I will be directing what I want you to do, other times I won’t and I’ll just let you be you.  If I’m not talking just keep snuggling or smooching!
-Personalize. Think of ways to personalize your shoot.  Do you have a favorite spot you always go to together.  Are you both avid tea or coffee drinkers, we might consider going to a coffee shop.  Do you hike or bike together?  Anything that makes the shoot more personal will make the photos that much more special!

What to Wear :

-Feel Beautiful. Wear what makes you feel beautiful.  Be as extravagant or as simple as you like.
-Make sure your clothes fit you well. They shouldn’t be baggy or super tight.
-Dresses are always fun.  They add a little something special to shoot.
-Accessorize! Accessories can do wonders for a shoot.  Jewelry, hats, belts, scarves, all add a little extra for your eye to look at in the photograph.  Plus things like scarves and sunglasses can even be used as props (twirling the scarf around, looking mischievously over the sunglasses:))
-Bold colors and fun patterns pop and make you stand apart from the scenery.  But try avoid “hot” colors as they do not photograph well.
-Makeup. This is a tricky one.  You want to wear a little bit more than your walk-out-the-door look, but you don’t want to over do it.  Practicing a couple days before the shoot will help to make sure you know what you are doing and don’t get stressed on the day of.
-NO Sneakers - Non-Athletic shoes are usually the best bet.  And make sure you watch your socks…it sounds silly but a bright white pair of socks will draw attention away from your beautiful faces in the photographs.
-Guys – Keep in mind what she’s wearing. You want to complement each other.
-Look online for inspiration. Sites like, The Sartorialist, and Academichic are great places to start!
-Have a trusted (and fashion-minded) friend give your outfit a once-over before the shoot.

What to Bring:

-Another outfit! The enagement session is the perfect time to try out a couple different outfits.  A lot of times people do a casual and then  a little more dressy option.
-Any type of props that you might want included.  Coffee mugs, chalkboard, books, anything!
-If our shoot is outdoors-bring a fun blanket to sit and snuggle on.
-Bring your pets! If you have a little furry friend feel free to bring them along.  The more the merrier.  One thing to think about with pets is how we will get shots with out the sweet little friends.  Will you bring someone along to hold them?  Will be close enough to your house to bring them back?

Don’t be afraid to “get your model on” :)Just enjoying being together!Patterns are fun!Bring along Fido! Okay…that’s it.  Your ready to rock out your engagement session!

It worked out wonderfully that Dave’s family lives just about 20 min from where she was speaking.  We were able to spend several days lounging, eating good food, and hanging out with Dave’s folks.  And because we aren’t in Ohio often, we stopped on our way up to see our good friend Stephen and spent the day in Columbus. Yay for awesome speakers, yay for family, and yay for good friends!Stephen took us to this awesome store, The Book Loft. It had 32 rooms of books…how sweet is that?!Next stop: Hudson, Ohio.  We love visiting Dave’s family (and no, it’s not just because of the awesome breakfast Dave’s dad makes…although that’s a huge plus).Rusty and his one of his best friends!Then off to Akron to hear Jasmine Star speak.  One of my good photographer friends, Mary Lawson, drove up that day for it and we met for some yummy Panera before hand.I loved getting to meet Jasmine, she is so talented and has been really helpful and inspirational to me.Dave got to talk a little bit to JD, who is Jasmine’s husband and second shooter.  I think Dave really enjoyed talking to him about working with his wife and all that it entails :)

After hearing Jasmine speak we drove back to Dave’s parent’s home, went straight to bed, and woke up several hours later to make the long trek back to Kentucky, thinking the whole time…what a good weekend :)

So…here’s the deal.  The first five people that send me a photograph of framed art in their home gets a 10.00 coupon towards your next purchase.  The image must be good quality image and must be a photo from a Stephanie Lyell Photography session.  Please email me at stephanie@stephanielyell.com with your photograph and information and I will let you know if you are one of the first 5!

Rusty showcasing some art behind our sofa!These two photographs were sent to me by the lovely Brie who had a family shoot with me a couple months ago!

so…yay!!