Classic Engagement Photos | Sasamat Lake Engagement Session | Vancouver Wedding Photographer

I like to be super organized so that I give all the couples I work with a super personal, but consistent experience. I believe strongly in the power of systems, and having been an assistant regional manager for a fortune 500 company at one point in my life, I realized early on in the power of systems to create and execute a personal, but awesome experience for clients. So, pretty much from the get-go of starting my photography business/obsession, I set my systems and workflow up.

One of the key pieces to this, is giving people an idea of what to expect for their engagement session. I *must* say, I have some exceptional clients. Like, I couldn't even dream up better clients - I like to think that this is because I'm truly not afraid to show my personality in my brand, and this makes it so that the right people end up working with me. I tell my couples all the time, "You have to like me, because we'll be spending your entire wedding day together." And that's true, I'm not afraid if a couple isn't the right fit; it's really important you like the personality and photographic style of your photographer. I believe in the power of personal relationships and, as a portrait photographer, my role is a little bit different than most professional client-vendor relationships; I'm taking your photo and getting to know you on a more personal level is important to get the shots that are timeless. Meaning, you want your grandchildren to look at your photos and say, "Wow, Grandma and Grandpa did that funny little thing with their hands, even when they were young!"
So, when we start working together, I give couples a roadmap to what our engagement session will look like. First, it should be fun...second, it should be fabulous...and third, it should be YOU! So, let's get a bit more detailed about that.

Fun...pretty self-explanatory. If things start getting weird, or stressful, even a little bit, we switch things up! A boudoir session pushes your boundaries, and engagement session should just be free-spirited and enjoyable. The key is FUN.
Fabulous...sorry for the cheesy term, I like alliterations! But what I mean by this is that you should feel inspired and motivated to dress up and look your best. Any guys out there who want to wear a printed floral blazer for their engagement session PLEASE? I've been pushing this for a while, ha! Girls, flow-y dresses and off-the shoulder and jewels! Iris Apfel says, "Jewelry is the most transformative thing you can wear." so let yourself be and look AWESOME!
YOU! Again, pretty straight-forward. But let me dive into this a bit deeper: some couples feel awkward with public displays of affection and, as a 51% introvert 49% extrovert myself, I can understand this. Those couples tend to be a bit shy about what to do, and they tend to freeze-up a bit during portraits. I make it my mission to keep you MOVING! Basically, I'm all like, "Okay, we're going to be really into each other today and you're going to pretend I'm not here!" My approach is to not be stiff. I keep couples moving - swaying, twirling, leading, rocking back and forth; whatever it is, just keep moving! You know those photos where couples look so stiff and "posed"? That's because they ARE stiff! Don't let that be you! So I'll keep snapping while you keep moving and, occasionally I'll say, "Hold that!" or "Bring your chin down!" or "Do a dip!" but I try not to give toooo much direction because then, couples get all, "Oh god! I'm doing it wrong" and then it's like a deer-in-the-headlights, totally frozen. So trust yourself, okay? I'll pick the best shots and angles of you - all you have to do is keep interacting with each other, being awesome, and having fun. That's it! That's all!

Okay, now back to my main point...I wanted to share some images from a recent engagement session with the incredibly awesome and cool Simone & David. When I met them, we instantly clicked and I'm so glad we did. When they showed up at 6am for their engagement session, totally game, totally prepared with outfits, looking awesome, I was so impressed. They also never stopped moving and interacting, and were super loving and fun and sweet with each other. First, you know these two were just meant for each other. It was beautiful. Like, hella beautiful. They're also *super* nice and I am a total sucker for nice people. And you know what? You can see it in their photos, and you can see as a result of the effort they put in, and how they listened to my three specific, but simple instructions (have fun, be fabulous, be you!) the results reflect in the photos. Don't they just look stunning? Doesn't it just make your heart melt? 

Oh and hey, you may notice something else about the photos - multiple locations. Very different locations, actually! I love to experiment, and I love to play with light. Most of you will know where this creepy mansion is and, in order to not get in trouble (eeeep! 🙈) I'm not going to say where this was...but it was the suggestion of Simone (see what I mean? Cool AF) and I was SO GAME! We only managed to get a few snaps in before promptly getting kicked the hell out, but it was worth it, I think!

Anyway, enjoy...I loved this session so much, and like the sappy person that I am I have to say, I totally ADORE these two. We went for breakfast at Angelina's Cafe afterward on their suggestion, and it was SO GOOD! Like, best-breakfast-I've-had-in-a-while good. Perfect end to a perfect day :)