Mood Boards:
Sunrise portion of our session:
Gentle, sweet, and romantic. This portion of our day will lean more editorial with lots of direction and guidance. We’ll stick to colors and styling similar to the direction of your wedding design: elegant, approachable, and classic, with calming colors and locations.
Late morning portion of our session:
Playful, joyful, comfortable, with lots of energy. For the second part of our day, we’ll focus on exploring your neighborhood while capturing the energy around us and your revelry with each other. It will still be elevated, but more reminiscent of the things you enjoy most and a slightly faster, looser, less perfect approach to photography. You both will be more comfortable at this point in the day, so we’ll run with that!
Session Details:
Sunrise Location(s): Central Park South or NYPL
Late Morning Locations:
- Irving Place in Gramercy with Weston, sidewalk photos around that area
- Wander towards Bar Pisellino, see what catches our eye, maybe Washington Park Mews, stop by Madison Square Park
Styling:
Ali’s Personal Style:
- Classic and a little preppy, introduces some fun elements like suede or leather
- Accessories: not afraid of a statement earring
- Feels great in: Sweater (mock, crew, or turtleneck), jeans, camel colored J Crew coat, shirt dresses, sweater dresses, a defined waist, midi length
- Athletic build
- Would not wear: ruffles, puffed sleeves, shift dress, anything skin tight
- Preferred colors: earth tones, olive greens, deep blues, rust, neutrals, grey, camel, black
- Preferred stores: J. Crew, Banana Republic, Mango, Abercrombie, Madewell
Taylor’s Personal Style:
- Enjoys color and classic pieces with a fun element. Appreciates tailoring and personal touches.
- Accessories: loves his watch
- 6’2″ – 6’3″
- Feels great in: button downs, flex pants more than suit pants, henleys, colorful pocket tees, khakis, chinos, cords, vests
- Does not like: jeans, or anything that feels too snug around the waist
- Preferred colors: Purple, pink, blue, white, bright colors, dark colors, does not wear lots of neutrals
- Preferred stores: J. Crew, Proper Cloth, Suitsupply, Tom James, Charles Tyrwhitt, Bonobos, Banana Republic
Wedding Design
By SoHo Event Design & Planning
Key Descriptors: timeless & classic, elegant, approachable, calming details & design elements, soft and romantic, revelry filled
Engagement Session Outfits
Sunrise:
Ali: How would you feel about going for something a little dressier? I know this may be a little outside of your comfort zone, but I think I can find something that still feels like you, is elevated, and matches both the iconic location and elegance of your wedding design. I see this going one of two ways – shorter, chic, playful, and a side of old Hollywood. Or something longer with lots of movement, still in the old Hollywood elegance but a little softer and romantic. It’s going to be chilly so we’ll also play with some layers – or at least have them close by to put on periodically!
Taylor: If Ali is up for something dressier, I’d love for you to match her dressiness and wear a suit! It will look so sharp and be an excellent way to begin cueing your guests to what they can expect for your wedding weekend! And we can play with how formal you go. I love the more relaxed look of a suit and button-down but no tie, but a tie could also be a great way to introduce one of your wedding colors! And of course, you must wear your watch.
Cool & Casual:
Ali: There’s a softness and a romance to the way skirts and dresses photograph. They allow more organic movement and the very different hem from your partner is very beautiful. So if you’re up for it, I’d love to have you in a more casual dress or skirt for the second portion of our day. With where we’re shooting and your classic personal style, I’m thinking a slip dress would be perfect for your base layer. These look amazing on athletic builds because of their beautiful drape. For styling, we could experiment with a belt if you’d like (though the drape of a slip dress doesn’t often need one) and try either a sweater on top of it and tucked into the belt, an oversized cardigan with a loose-knit, or a coat. From what you’ve told me, I think something more structured like a coat would likely feel most like you! And if you wanted more layers, we could do a sweater and your coat. But if a slip dress is an immediate no and you would be more comfortable in jeans or trousers, we can absolutely do that too! We’ll make sure to add a long sweeping coat or a scarf to introduce a softer edge and some movement!
Taylor: For this outfit, I’d love for you to lean into your classic Taylor look with a button-down and trousers. For your pants, wear what you feel most confident in. Cords would be a wonderful textural element, but you feeling great is the most important! We can also add a pop of color with a scarf. And I’d love for you to wear a structured coat with strong shoulders – this could be dressier or more casual like a Barbour Bedale Jacket (or something similar). If Ali opts to go more casual and wear pants, then you could also wear a vest if you’d like!
The Looks:
View the Pieces, Asymmetrical Cream Dress, Vintage Cream Rental Gown
View the Pieces, Olive One-Shoulder, Linen Blend Shirt Dress, V-Neck with flutter sleeves and buttons
Next Steps:
Ali, I want to nail down your styling direction before we decide on Taylor’s styling since he’ll adjust his dressiness level to match yours, and you’ll see that there are a lot of different levels that I included above. We can go from quite ephemeral and elegant to a bit more relaxed. And I’m really curious to see what you’re drawn to! Let me know the direction you’re leaning toward and we’ll dive into the styling of those pieces – shoes, layers, and jewelry!
Taylor, sit tight while we figure out Ali’s key pieces. Most likely you’ll be in a suit or slacks & jacket for the first look. And for your second look, we’ll probably keep you in slacks and a jacket, or potentially introduce a vest if Ali decides to go with pants and a sweater for her second look! You may already have pieces in your closet that you love, but I’ll give you some guidance on colors based on Ali’s outfit. And let me know if there are any pieces you’re looking for and I’m happy to go on the hunt!
Taylor – Casual Look
View the Pieces, Speckled Merino Crewneck Sweater
Ali’s Looks, Refined
View the Pieces, Cream Zara Jacket, Cream Zara Pants, Shona Joy Tuxedo Jacket, Shona Joy Tuxedo Pants
For your casual look, we’re running with old-school J. Crew vibes and a little does of Paris. Let’s keep it simple and classic. I love the added texture from a soft knit, and a lighter color will pair beautifully with Taylor’s look and your lighter-wash denim. For your jewelry, keep it simple. , , and a or would all look wonderful. And for shoes, you’ll want to balance your lighter colors on top by also doing a lighter shoe. Flats, a classic slingback, short boots, or loafers would look great. With boots, be mindful of the length of your denim and how wide the shaft of the boot is. A more slender boot will look best with this cut of jeans. If you opt for a sweater that is striped, you can also pair a darker shoe since that will be carried through the entire look. But if you go for a cream or oatmeal sweater, camel or lighter would be best for your shoes!
