How To Get The Most From Your Engagement Session | Portland, OR Engagement Photographer

Did you know that the holiday's are the most popular time of the year for people to pop the question to their special someone? Really, could you ask for a better holiday surprise then getting asked by the one you love if you'd spend the rest of your life with them. 

Were you one of the lucky ones who got engaged this past holiday season? Let me say, congratulations! You are about to embark on a very exciting journey! Although exciting, wedding planning can be a lot of work and even a little overwhelming at times. Put your mind at ease and keep these simple tips in mind before your engagement session and make one step of the process a lot easier on yourself!

1. Pick a location that has meaning to you:

Pick a location that you love or holds some sentimental value to you both. If you are somewhere that makes you happy that will absolutely shine through in your photos. Consider picking the place you guys had your first date, your favorite place to hangout, your favorite hiking spot or even the place your sweetheart popped the question. 

2. Consider the season:

Plan ahead and book your session accordingly. Do you want beautiful, warm, summery photos? Or are you wanting to have an adventure in the rain? Or do you really love the beautiful colors of fall? The location you choose may be very different given the time of year so make sure that you are keeping that in mind. Are you planning on using your photos for your save the dates or invitations? Make sure that you book your session with enough time to get the photos you need before the wedding date.

3. What to wear:

There is a lot of things to consider when choosing your outfits for your session but the number one priority is, is it comfortable and practical for the location? If you are not comfortable in what you are wearing, it will show in your photos so no matter what you choose, you should feel good in it.

Coordinate, don't match. Matching is outdated. Pick complementary colors and only one person should be wearing a pattern.

Layers and accessories add dimension to your outfit and make it more interesting. Scarves, sweaters, jewelry are all great ways to spice up an outfit.

Shoes matter! Avoid wearing tennis shoes unless that are trendy (think converse or vans) and that go with the look and feel of your session. Try to avoid stilettos if you are in a grassy field. If you choose a location that is a bit of hike, wear a comfy pair of shoes to hike up in and change into the shoes you want to wear just before pictures.

Think about your location when picking choosing your outfits. An evening gown or tux may feel a little off in the middle of the woods.

Consider the weather, you probably won't be comfortable in a sundress is it's 40 degrees out. Dress to match the weather because comfort is key.

Bring outfit changes. Most engagement session last about 2 hours and having more than one outfit will help to bring some variety to your session. Don't be afraid to bring more changes of clothes than you may need, you never know when inspiration might hit. It is always better to have more options.

4. The ring and your nails:

We want to show off that beautiful ring of yours, get your ring polished and get a manicure before your session for a more finished look in close up shots of your ring.

5: Props and pups:

If you have something you are envisioning for your session, don't hesitate to bring it along. Props can really make your images stand out and add a fun and unique element to your session. Bringing your fur-baby to your session can be a fun little treat. Now that being said, I have noticed that when some dogs are included, owners tend to stress more and that will show in your photos. Think about your dog's obedience skills and whether or not you feel adding him or her will be stressful. Bring treats, a squeaky toy and poop bags if you do decide to include them.
Sometimes the best photographs are the simplest, where a beautiful backdrop and subjects really shine, so don't worry if you just want to keep it simple.

6: RELAX AND HAVE FUN!

You engagement session is all about you and your love story, it should be a fun and memorable experience. Come to your session relaxed and ready to have fun. Take a little time to breath and relax before your session, sit down and have a quiet moment with a nice hot cup of coffee to wind down.

Are you feeling excited about your engagement photos? Are you thinking about booking your engagement session? Let's chat! I would love to create some beautiful memories together. Contact me at Brianna@BmwPhotography.net or (360)721-5536 to set up your free engagement session consultation!

The Best Day of 2017 | Vancouver, WA Wedding Photographer

With the start of 2018 now upon us I can't help but look back and reflect on the past year and boy, WHAT A YEAR! 2017 brought me so many amazing changes both in my personal and professional life.

I moved my studio into a new suite in the Academy building, which I couldn't be more in love with. I finally got to say goodbye to my part time job and now officially run my photography business full time which absolutely paid off because I had my busiest year ever!

My personal life brought me even more amazingness. Took an amazing 5 state road trip, went camping and had spontaneous beach trips with my best friend and love, Kainoa. Oh yeah, and we got MARRIED! After 13 years of knowing one another, a very twisted path and a whole lot of love, we finally got to tell each other, I Do!

We had a wonderful small wedding that was so totally us. We eloped at Yale Lake in Ariel, Washington. We originally had plans to get married in The Columbia River Gorge but thanks to the wildfires we had to change our plans just 3 weeks before our wedding date. That didn't detour us at all, our spontaneous nature and love of all things outdoors made it easy to find a new place to tie the knot. Our very good friend Ben, better known as Link, married us while we wore matching Vans high tops.

One of the best highlights of the day was that my amazing new parents-in-law surprised us by flying Kainoa's sister Kea in from Hawaii for our special day. Neither of us had any idea and this was the first time Kainoa had the chance to see his sister in years so it was the best gift we could have ever asked for. I was still on my way up to the lake when Kainoa found out his sister was there but I am so very happy I had such an amazing photographer to capture the moment for me.

I couldn't be happier with the way everything turned out. It was an absolutely perfect day and just the right way for us to start the rest of our lives together. Kainoa, I love you so very, very much and I couldn't be happier or more proud to call myself your wife. Here is to a lifetime of crazy adventures together! <3

Special thanks to Irina of Irina Negrean Photography for the amazing photography, Cynthia of Flower Friends for the stunning flowers, Brides For A Cause for the beautiful dress and to all of our amazing friends and family that made this day possible.

 Me being little miss independent and doing everything for myself. It wouldn't be me if it were any other way. 

 Because I was 7 weeks pregnant at this point and had to constantly snack to keep from getting sick.

 The moment Kainoa saw his sister. I love the expression and the water bottle drop. Such a perfect moment captured.

 We are super non-traditional and didn't have an aisle for my father to walk me down so I opted to do a Father Daughter first look. It was perfect.

 He was a bit nervous to see me and I had to tell him it was ok to hug and kiss me.

 Once he knew he could touch me he immediately relaxed and we turned into our goofy selves. 

 We totally had to get hyped to get married because that's just the kind of people we are.

 We make a lot of pinky promises to each other but this was the ultimate one

 Kainoa got the idea to leave a little piece of ourselves in the lake so he wrote our initials on a rock and I threw it in.

 Our amazing family

 My amazing flowers and our kickass shoes!

 These photos sums us both up so perfectly!

Because I am a photographer, I had to bring one of my working polaroid cameras with us and of course had to of course incorporate into our photos. I can't wait to show the polaroids to our kids! 

Erin and Nick Tie the Knot During Golden Hour | Vancouver, Washington Wedding Photographer

The Pacific Northwest is gorgeous and during the summer our beautiful landscape can make the most breathtaking backdrop for your wonderful ceremony. If you are choosing to get married outside, the time of the day that you hold your ceremony is incredibly important. Hold your ceremony to early in the day and it will be too bright and hot, not only will your guests be hot and uncomfortable but your photographer is going to have a much harder time actually photographing your nuptials. Have it too late and your reception will be pitch black. Don't get me wrong, I think a party under the stars is amazing, just make sure that your venue has appropriate lighting or hire a rental company that can bring some lighting in so that your guests can acutally see you and each other.

There is definitely a sweet spot for an outdoor summer wedding and that is 2 hours before sunset. At this time the sun is low enough that it will give that warm golden glow for beautiful photos. Your quests will be happier because it isn't as hot outside and you will still have plenty of daylight left for a rockin' party.

This wedding here is a perfect example. This couple held their wedding in late July at Pomeroy Farms in Yacolt, Washington. Originally they were wanting to hold their ceremony at 3 pm but after a little bit of educating they decided to push it back to 6 pm, just 2 and a half hours before sunset. Yacolt is very high in elevation so being just a little bit earlier that the 2 hour window wasn't a very big deal, their wedding was still light with that coveted warm golden light.

This wedding was a dream! Not only did this couple choose a beautiful venue and the perfect time of day to get married but they were a total laugh riot! The bride, groom and their whole bridal party were so goofy and genuinely themselves. I laughed, I cried and had an unforgettable time at this wedding and I am so honored to have been able to capture it. Check out some of my favorites from the wedding and at the bottom leave me a comment, because I want to hear from you! Let me know where and what time you are planning on holding your ceremony and if you are already married tell me about it! I can't wait to hear some of your stories!

Cheers, Brianna

 These two are definitely a perfect match, neither could keep in their silliness while getting ready

 Their first look was so stinkin' sweet!!

 See what I mean about this bridal party!? They were so much fun!

 Carrying a sign down the aisle is tough work. Everyone got a good laugh because of this little guy.

 This bride's reaction while her new husband puts on her ring, so sweet!

 Probably my favorite garter toss of all times. The groom's reaction is priceless

What good is a farm wedding with out photos of people enjoying the farm?

 This super fun dance floor!

 We snuck away from the reception for a few minutes to get some amazing photos before the sun went down. 

Hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to tell me about your wedding in the comments below!!