There seems to be a trend in us midwesterners where we often find ourselves getting in engaged to love of our life over the colder months of the year. Aaron and I fall into this category as well! He proposed to me on New Years Eve and it was the most romantic thing ever. I should share that story on here sometime. 🙂 I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the snow fall and the holidays are a super family oriented romantic time that feels cozy and reminiscent and overall we typically love the feelings the end of year festivities bring! So, naturally that’s when a lot of us Wisconsin wedding photographers receive countless inquiries from brides to be who found a little present under the tree, or who followed a snow laden candle lit trail to find her man at the end of it down on one knee..whatever it may be they’re the best kinds of emails to receive and they’re often so eager to get a date on their calendar for engagements! I can’t blame them one bit. One of the coolest parts about living in Wisconsin is my brides really get the best of both worlds when it comes to seasons. Many brides opt for a snowy wintery engagement that so beautifully contrasts their lush green summer wedding! BUT! There are some challenges that come with braving a Wisconsin winter engagement session and spring in these parts can be tricky as well because our weather is so unpredictable! All that said, I wanted to put together a resource on helpful tips and tricks for those of you who are considering a winter or spring engagement! I realize the majority of winter is behind us, but I think this post will still be helpful for any of you who are not yet engaged… but who knows…maybe this year you’ll find a present under the tree and this post will come in handy. 😉 Some of my very favorite engagement photos ever have come from engagements session in the dead of winter. I personally LOVE winter and I think snow covered evergreens are one of the most beautiful sights. Soft snowflakes falling and a crisp white blanket of snow covering the rolling hills…ugh. It’s truly magical. But, I know from first hand experience that while that picture perfect background is totally worth it and completely doable, we’ve got to be prepared in all the ways we can be. Here is a breakdown of things to consider:
Winter Storm Advisories:
Every year is different when it comes to the amount of snow fall we get and every year it comes at different times. There’s a chance we have very little for months on end and there’s a chance we get dumped on all at once for like a week straight. It’s impossible to know exactly what winter will look like. Being flexible is key when it comes to planning a winter engagement. If we set a date and there’s a serious winter advisory that’s supposed come on that day, I’ll continue to watch the news like a hawk and we will make the call together the morning of your engagement session on whether or not it is a good call to reschedule. My number one priority is always giving you and your fiance the best experience with me that I can offer. If I think it’s worth waiting a few days because that’ll allow me to take the photos you’ve dreamed of having then we’ll wait. If I think driving in the storm is a serious risk for us both, we’ll wait. If the temperature is going to dangerously low, then we’ll wait. The great thing about your engagement session is we can control when we take them unlike the wedding day! So, if it’s going be dark, or freezing with low visibility because of the amount of snow fall coming down then it’s just not worth doing it anyway. You’ll be wet and miserable and I would not be serving you well if I just went for it anyway knowing I could do so much better under different circumstances. That being said, this doesn’t always happen but it does happen occasionally and it’s okay because we’ll just reschedule and you’ll get those dreamy engagements in the end. I promise. <3
Proper Shoes and Socks:
In order to get to those beautifully untouched wintery scenes it often requires walking through a bit of deep snow! I will avoid this as much as possible because I want you to be comfortable but like I said earlier, it’s hard to know just how much snow we’ll be facing until it’s here! Many of my brides will invest in a super cute pair of hunter rain boots, while some wear water proof leather booties that come up right above their ankle. There are brands now that carry some really cute snow boots that don’t even look like snow boots anymore! When looking for a pair of shoes make sure you’re googling words like “insulated” and “waterproof” along with “snow boot.” I wouldn’t recommend wearing flats or heels unless we’re planning an urban engagement session where there isn’t a ton of snow coverage! If you’re planning what to wear and you don’t feel like you have a pair of shoes that would suffice, here are a few links to some of my favorite pairs to at least give you some ideas!
Sorel WaterProof Chelsea Bootie (Perfect if you plan to wear tights and a dress!)
Another thing to remember! Don’t forget wool socks! Seriously, this is a game changer! We’re going to be outside for quite awhile and wool socks will give you that added warmth you’re going to want! I also recommend bringing an extra pair of shoes and socks to keep in the car just in case the snow is really wet and your shoes aren’t water proof! Here’s a link to my favorite brand of wool socks:
How to be stylish and warm:
Staying warm is key for a winter engagement session and there is a way to dress that looks classy and timeless without grabbing that big puffy winter coat that we all have and keeps us warm but isn’t exactly the easiest on the eyes!
Layers are everything. I’m not saying you have to wear seventeen sweaters because trust me I get it! You don’t want to look bulky! A simple pair of long underwear beneath your jeans and top is worth it if it’s going to be chilly out.. Cuddleduds are awe-SOME and they’re lightweight but they keep you warm! Their website has this layering guide which explains all of their base layers in more detail to give you and idea of what might be best for you under your outfit! Otherwise, if you’re not wanting to layer under your outfit you can always layer over it! There are countless options for classic, stylish wool coats from places like J-Crew or Gap that’ll stand the test of time in your images! Here is one I LOVE. I have a tan colored coat from Calvin Klein that I’ve had for literally like 10 years and I still wear it and I still get compliments on it! Just goes to show a quality, neutral colored coat ain’t goin’ out of style and can definitely keep you looking fresh and warm in your engagement photos! As far as the gentlemen go, nothing looks more sharp then a peacoat on a well groomed man, am I right? So again, a timeless coat works super well for the guys too!
Accessory wise there are so many ways to keep warm! Hats can be a really cute added accessory but if you plan to wear one I usually recommend wearing it during the second half of our time together so we can have some variety and we don’t ruin anyone’s hair! Speaking of hair, ladies, wear your hair down! Most of us do for photos, but this will actually does make a huge difference in keeping your ears protected from the wind! Scarves are always great for men and women alike. I personally have too many to count! They keep you nice and warm and look fantastic doing it. Bringing a spare pair of mittens in case you need to warm your hands up for awhile is another added layer that can easily be set aside or utilized at any given point.
Color Choices:
As far as color schemes go, no matter what you wear I always recommend neutrals. They flatter skin tones the best and they never look outdated as the years go on. Bright pinks, oranges, and yellows…do not compliment winter or skin tones very well and can be a distraction from the main focus…you two! They can also cast weird colored shadows onto your faces which we don’t want! Tans, creams, browns, greys, forest green, mustard yellow, navy, and maroon all qualify as neutrals! Be careful with maroon in the winter though! Depending on the undertones it can look Christmas card-like real quick! Also the lighter the tone of your wardrobe choices the more light, airy and dreamy the images will be. Pops of richer colors are always welcome and I love them just as much but depending on the shade of the colors you choose can change the overall depth and feel of your photos! I am always available to chat more with my couplers about wardrobe choices if they want my input. 🙂
Extra Winter Tips:
I always make sure to have some hand warmers in my bag for you guys in case your fingers can’t handle the cold any longer! I’ll also always keep my car running so we have a warm place to heat up a bit if need be!
I’m personally obsessed with chapstick and can’t leave the house without it, but this is especially true in the middle winter when things are really dry! Make sure to bring a chapstick or lipgloss so your lips stay hydrated and don’t look chapped during our session! I promise you’ll be glad you did!
Concealer and powder is a good idea in case your nose tends become a bit more red when you’re outside in the colder months. Waterproof mascara has saved me in the midst of a winter shoot. If your eyes are sensitive like mine and tend to water when it’s windy and cold out then this will be another lifesaver! No raccoon eyes for us! 😉
Spring Engagement Tips to Consider
Now, I’m not going to lie. Spring in Wisconsin is not the prettiest season. This is why I encourage my couples to wait until May in order to see some life forming around us again! Once we hit May we typically start seeing blooms and grass growing and leaves on the trees and winter is saying it’s final goodbyes…but there is a stretch of time typically between March through the beginning of May that things don’t look particularly beautiful. The trees are still bare, the ground is usually muddy and brown and we might have a bit of snow buuut a lot of looks dirty. This is a fairly unattractive part of the year but I am confident that I can still achieve beautiful images for you if we are strategic in a few ways!
Location:
Location is 99.9% of the battle when it comes to shooting during this awkward middle school stage of winter/spring. When choosing a location the first thing I recommend if you’re wanting to shoot in a more natural setting, find a place where there are a lot of evergreens. The great thing about evergreens are that they stay green all year long! This way I’m able to add some life and color back into your images! A row of evergreens is much more appealing on the eyes then a row of bare, brown trees that haven’t started sprouting new leaves.
Urban Setting:
A fool proof spring engagement session location is in the city. Shooting a more urban styled engagement session allows for you to have a lot more freedom in many ways. One, you can wear whatever you want. You can wear heels and a dress because the sidewalks aren’t covered in snow or mud puddles. You don’t have to worry about bare trees at all and instead we’ll focus on finding really interesting and beautiful structural elements to pose you next to or in front of. Whether it’s finding a really gorgeous staircase, an amazing bridge, or an old brick wall, our options are pretty much endless. Shooting in the city is a great option year round!
I hope these tips and tricks were helpful for you! Like I said above, winter engagement sessions are truly so beautiful and have a magical feel that you just can’t get any other time of the year. I share all of this with you because I want you to have the best experience possible on site with me and not sharing this info with you would be doing you a disservice! Whatever the season may be you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll work my very hardest to create for you images that you LOVE and that’s a promise! <3
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