I hope you aren’t sick of our faces after Hey…It’s Us part 1. But…this was so fun!

Our dear friends Joe and Stacy Kokes took Andy and I for a photoshoot of our own. This meant SO much to me. As Andy and I have been married for two years (May 29th of THIS month–yes, yes, yes!!! :)), I was anxious for some new pro photos of us that aren’t from our wedding day. Capturing our love as it is in THIS season has meant the world to me (And Stacy did a fantastic job!!). And after capturing Owen and Emily  for Emily’s birthday last Friday night, I am convinced that capturing your relationship and life in any new season is beyond words important. I wish I could express all that these images say to me…how Andy still loves me like the day we got married, how we’ve matured and grown in the last two years, and how we’ve grown in friendship.

Though this wasn’t an engagement session, I wanted to take some time to explain the thought that went into the shoot because I feel it would be really helpful for those planning their own session.

When we first started communicating with Stacy about the shoot, I immediately poured through ideas of what we wanted to do. I wanted images that really said “us”. At the same time, I wanted to be a little bolder than normal–bold is good for photos :).

I LOVE coffeeshops (as explains my frequent check-in’s on facebook and status updates referencing all kind of coffee goodness). Also, whenever Andy and I go out on dates, we always make it a point to dress up (even if we’re headed to McDonald’s for a $1 sundae–seriously :)). But at this point I reached a dilemma. I felt the atmosphere of a coffeeshop was totally wrong for a rockin’ outfit (ok, so I must admit I feel a little bit of Stacy’s verbage coming out as I write this post :)), and I still wanted to communicate the down-to-earth feel I felt a coffeeshop themed shoot would hold because I felt it communicated some of who we are.

Solution? Two locations. Two outfits. We stuck to two main themes, which dictated clothing choice and makeup (just for me ;)).

For the coffeeshop, I wore one of Andy’s shirts–the same one I would borrow and wear when we were dating. I admit I was nervous about this–I usually go for the really feminine, but I wanted to take the risk and try something that I knew was meaningful. Result? I love it. So glad I did it. And you know what? Andy gave me the best compliment, saying something like, “my favorite was what you wore at the coffeeshop–I looked at you and thought, ‘Yes, this is really Charity. Down-to-earth. Beautiful”. Seriously–he said something like that, and it melted my heart!! 🙂

Next stop? The mountains!

Our next outfits were very carefully selected. Blue is our very favorite color, so naturally I decided to wear it (and, thinking aesthetically, I knew it would set off both of our eyes). You know how I mentioned being a little bit bold? Well, I went for the headband in that mindset for sure. I knew it would be a look for me I haven’t really tried, but I love cloth flowers so I felt it still said “me” while adding that little bit of bold flair. And…I LOVE the result! I’m so glad I tried it!

For makeup, I knew I wanted to look natural. I knew at the same time that if I wanted to have a real polished look, foundation and a great base was important (and as I ALWAYS recommend to my clients!!). I selected various brown/creme eyeshadows and blended them to look as natural as possible. I wanted to highlight my features, while not creating a distraction with the makeup itself. I’m definitely no makeup-guru, but I like that fact. I did what I know how to create something that looked as much like “me” as possible.

And now I realize that I’ve barely said a word about Andy’s clothing choice, and to comment on that…well, basically I picked out what I was going to wear, asked his opinion, and then said, “ok, wear something that matches”. Hehe. But all that to say, guys, know this: the photoshoot is probably 3x more important to the girl as it is to you!! Really consider what she has to say, and take it to heart, because it really means ALOT!  AND, at the same time, be true to yourself! Andy took off his tie half through the session because he felt it really wasn’t “him”. And, when I suggested different shoes for part of the shoot, he stuck with what he really wanted. And girls…be OK with that. Give your guy the option to represent himself at the same time…that’s infinitely more important than perfectly coordinating colors.

I love, love these following two images. Andy’s hands on my face is one of my favorite things, and Stacy totally caught it! I totally encourage you to share this little details with your photographer if they come to mind. I always want to give my clients photos they can cherish, and gosh, knowing something as small as that but that would mean so much to you?? I’d do it in a hearbeat!

And, that’s all folks! Hope this gives some good insight into planning your own session! And, if you’re long-time married and have no other reason for conducting a photoshoot other than…you’re married–do it! It will never be something you’ll regret!

Special thanks to Joe and Stacy for capturing our love, and giving us images to treasure forever!

**Thanks to Brosenbrus for letting us use their cafe!!**