FreeToFlaunt

A few weeks ago, I had gotten together with one of my fall brides and she was talking about how much she’d LOVE to schedule a Boudoir session as a wedding gift to her soon-to-be husband. Maybe 2 days later, another of my brides asked the same thing! Slowly, I started to put together some [...]

Contributed by Scott Andrew

I’ve always tried to lend a decent opinion to my clients about how to dress for photo success and I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately on this matter so I thought I’d address it here on the blog.
“What should I wear on our shoot?” Oh man, where do I start? Let’s start with what not to wear. When you hire me as your wedding or engagement photographer, I’m going to do everything that I can to make you look absolutely fabulous in your photographs and be proud of the way you look. One of the best places to start is what you wear, but before that, you need to know what not to wear.
-avoid extremes; overly tight, overly baggy/loose fitting, really dark/light, perfectly matching, etc.
-avoid logos on your apparel (although a little horse is probably going to be okay).
-stay away from busy patterns (if you have a question about it, email me a photo and I’ll let you know what I think).
-avoid tones that blend with your complexion (knowing your color palette is the key here).
-if you’re a guy, do your fiancee a favor and wear a v-neck under that button up oxford so we don’t see a bright white crew neck t-shirt beneath in all the photos.
Those are a few pointers for what NOT to wear to your session, but here are some pointers in getting you started toward choosing something that will photograph well.
-be yourself and wear something that fits YOU.
-solid colors don’t go out of style and they help emphasize the connection between the couple.
-accessories are a nice finishing touch as long as they’re not too distracting.
-know your color palette.
-pay special attention to your shoes (there is nothing like a beautiful ensemble with dingy shoes that need a shine, guys pay attention).
-know your body type and consult with a stylist, google, a fashionista friend about what cuts, designs flatter you the most.
-shop at Anthropologie or Free People ladies and gents you can’t go wrong with J Crew or Urban Outfitters, or better yet, go out and support a local boutique and get to know them.
So I hope this helps everyone out with some good fashion, style pointers. Remember, you don’t need to spend a fortune on your outfit (some of my favorite sets are from vintage/thrift shops) but don’t sell yourself short.
Below I’ve put together a few sample outfits that would work well for mostly anybody.
For the ladies, we have a Boyfriend Woolie Jacket in brown that is a nice color for fall and winter from Free People. A scarf from Anthropologie, and while you’re there go ahead and throw in a headband like this studded dual band. The dress and skirt are both from Anthropologie as well as the Elevation Boots (which I may have to buy for my wife now).
For the gents, you’ll find a versatile, Merino cardigan paired with stone colored slim fit cords from J Crew. The shirt is an indigo oxford from OAK and the shoes can be found at Zurick.com. Accessories aren’t just for the ladies, so guys can throw a scarf or a nice driving cap in the mix.

These pictures made a fun and gorgeous little present under the tree for her hubby last Christmas...  Love it!

Whew, what a crazy busy time WPPI was this year, but so much fun! It was so amazing seeing so many faces and meeting so many of you who follow my journey here on the blog.

I'll write a lot more soon, but I was super excited about the Las Vegas desert shoot I hosted and wanted to post some teaser shots. Our models were the beautiful couple Gavin and Erin Wade who I met at Mike Colon's workshop when they were dating, and now they are newlyweds.

Here's a few of my favorites! Lots more soon! :-)


I've been wanting this shot in the middle of the road FOR-EVER!


LOVED the clouds!


Such gorgeous light on this side of the country! I loved seeing all the cactus in person.

I'm super-excited to finally have some great photos of myself!  I met up earlier this week with my pal Kristen Taylor, who also needed some photos, for a little shoot-off (one of the benefits of having photographer friends, HA!).  Kristen was actually one of the first friends I made in the biz when I was just getting started, and I must say, it's pretty awesome to see us both doing so fabulous all these years later.

Here's a few of my faves

Ceremony & Reception: Oxon Hill Manor
Caterer: Occasions
Cake: Kendall’s Cakes
Florist: Spot Floral Design

Oxon Hill Manor

6901 Oxon Hill Road
Oxon Hill, MD 20745
301.699.2544

Yoga. Many of you know yoga to be any of the methods or disciplines prescribed, especially a series of postures and breathing exercises practiced to achieve control of the body and mind, tranquility, etc. (yes, I did copy that from Dictionary.com). But to Sunee and Spencer, Yoga is so much more. As Sunee, with a few tears, described in her hand-written vows, Yoga is what brought her and Spencer together — what allowed them to overlook their pasts and move forward to a beautiful, bright future ahead. The past and the future met on February 14th, 2010 . . . Sunee and Spencer’s big day!

I don’t think we’ve ever seen a couple more relaxed. Sunee was uniquely elegant, draped in a beautiful gown of lace, hand-made by a family friend in Thailand. It was so gorgeous and we think it suited Sunee perfectly! Spencer was also very suave with his tie that matched Sunee’s red patent leather shoes and his tie that matched the bridesmaids icy blue dresses during the ceremony. One of the many highlights of the night was a nightclub located at the top floor of the Gaylord National Hotel called Pose. This place was amazing and made a great background for Sunee and Spencer’s images (as you can see).

The ceremony was held at Oxon Hill Manor which sits high on a hill with a picturesque view of the Potomac River from the garden area. The grounds include formal English gardens, rose bushes surrounding a reflecting pool, and a large brick patio for outdoor entertaining. Featured inside are exquisitely appointed rooms with wood floors, crystal chandeliers, and fireplaces.

As Sunee tearfully made her way down the aisle, escorted by her father, the look on Spencer’s face was priceless. Hand-written vows are our favorite from Sunee’s “In any moment, you are where I want to be to Spencer’s passionate witty “I offer my devotion, admiration and passion so that our union will strengthen and we may share the intrinsic happiness that exists between us. I also offer my ability to lift heavy objects and to reach high places.” Tears and laughter intermingled — in fact, that is a fitting description of the intimate evening shared by all — as rings were exchanged and then a kiss to seal it all.

The reception can only be described as warm and close.

“You’re just too good to be true
Can’t take my eyes off of you
You’d be like heaven to touch
I wanna hold you so much
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I’m alive
You’re just too good to be true . . . can’t take my eyes off of you”

‘Can’t take my eyes off of you’ by Lauryn Hill was Sunee and Spencer’s first dance. And I have to say, they did an awesome job with the choreography. Cheers and applause erupted from all over the ballroom. Toasts were given by both Spencer’s groomsmen and also Sunee’s bridesmaids, Ilse and Kim.

We were thrilled to see Ilse, Sunee’s maid of honor, as we had the honor of photographing Seth and Ilse’s Wedding a few years back. Seth and Ilse will soon be having their first child so it was such a wonderful thing to see such glowing happiness of love.

The toasts were such an emotional part of the day — the ability to see friends and family that have known Spencer and Sunee for their entire lives come together to join them for this one day that will define the rest of their lives made it truly an occasion.

Spencer and Sunee, we wish you the most happiness ever! We were not only honored to be chosen to capture your wedding day but feel honored to have also gotten to know you as individuals as well.

Click here to check out Sunee and Spencer’s WEDDING MONTAGE!

Best,

Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!

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Last weekend Josh and I got to spend some time on the north shore of Lake Superior... one of our favorite places.  It is so gorgeous there... summer, spring, fall or winter!  This time we got to go skiing in Lutsen, which is the best place to ski in the Midwest, according to me. :)  We spent some time in Duluth on our way up, stopped at Gooseberry Falls, and saw over 100 deer hanging out near the road between Two Harbors and Lutsen, no joke.  The weather was sunny and warm and we had a great time skiing and relaxing.   These are just a couple photos from the weekend... the lower two taken with my phone.

Can't wait for our next trip.  Maybe in the summer next time?

Katherine and John's wedding from Blue Hill at Stone Barns is featured today on Style Me Pretty.  It's always so great to be published on the best blog out there!  Here's the link, and I'm off to LA for an editorial shoot, so have a great weekend!

Congrats to Christy and Stephen for gathering the most votes in our short canvas contest!  Be on the lookout for some images of this gorgeous canvas I’ll be sending them!  I can’t wait to see it myself!!  :)  Thanks again to all our clients who made this contest possible (and difficult!)

Congratulations again to Christy and Stephen!

I take Sam to school every morning and Josh takes Ben. Part of my morning routine is to hang out with the kids in his class for a little bit every morning. They are all just so darn cute and they love it when I take their photo. Plus it always puts my life into perspective. Like this morning when I was pretty proud of myself for having showered and put on not only clean clothes, but clothes that were not sweatpants. So I sat down on the playground with my cup of coffee, enjoying the sunshine when the button of my pants popped off (always a bad feeling) and then out of the blue a little boy named Alex ran towards me and gave me a big hug. It was a nice feeling. Then they all started coming to me one at a time for a hug. Pure sweetness. Suddenly Lillia was standing before me, her hair and hands covered in shaving cream and glitter. And I had to pause. Do I ruin this clean outfit and possibly hurt Lillia's feelings or do I say screw the clothes and give her a bear hug? Of course I gave her a big hug. And then Alex came running at me again and the coffee (luckily no longer hot) spilled all over both of us. Isn't that just the best metaphor for my life? So here is one morning's journey from home to school and who we found there.