So now you’ve seen some of the more traditional of our engagement pictures, I wanted to share some of the really fun ones. After taking our fancy photos all dressed up, we snuck in to a little boat house of sorts our photographer’s mother in law owned next to the lake to change. We brought some more casual clothes, along with a special surprise for the end of the shoot!

I have to say – if you’re on the fence about doing engagement photos, I encourage you to go for it! Even if it’s only a half hour in your photographer’s studio, it’s great for a lot of reasons. First, you get to spend some time with your photographer and see how they are when they’re actually on the job. Do you mesh as well as you hoped? Now’s the time to find out! It also helps you learn to get used to taking professional photos and can make you more relaxed on your wedding day. And of course, you get pretty pictures to hang up and share!

Once again, all photos from the lovely Tammy Martines Photography.

We went around to the other side of the lake to check out the view!

Smooching by the lake, of course!

I really love that sweater, and that lake!

More smooching, plus fun photoshop filters!

At some train tracks in Carbondale. True story, there was a guy that looked like a hobo walking down the tracks towards us during this shoot. Rather than wait (he was far away) we used strategic angles to cover him up with NEPA Groom’s head! We let him pass once he got closer.

This photo above is one of my absolute favorites!

We always stroll on railroad tracks, don’t you know?

Ahem. Yes, we love the Philadelphia Eagles. A lot.

We brought our own football, but I bet if we dug around in this alley long enough we could have found one.

We are super bad ass.

You can see part one of our engagement photo shoot over here, if you came in late.

I hope everyone is having a happy and joyous holiday season. It’s been a long and sometimes difficult month here at the NEPA Bride household, but I wanted to pop in and say Merry Christmas! I also wanted to share the first of our engagement photos with you now that NEPA Groom and I have had some time to sort through them and really take them in. Ready Freddy?

All photos taken by and post editing done by Tammy Martines Photography.

We started out on this public road in the middle of a swampy sort of farmland. We both like these shots a lot, even though we were just warming up and totally didn’t relax for a while.

Aaand this is where he starts making me crack up. Of course.

See that dust up at the top of the road? That’s the owner of the land driving away after she came down to ask us what exactly we were ‘doing on her property’. Seriously. Stealing your hay in our Sunday best and with a camera.

In a little patch of trees next to the lake nearby.

One of my personal favorites!

*SQUEE*

Our photographer has started uploading our engagement photos today. We haven’t sat down and looked at them all in detail, but we each skimmed through really quick while we were on the phone earlier. So what’s the verdict?

We love love LOVE them! They look so cool. I can’t wait to get the cd with the clean copies of the images next week. Once I have that, I’ll post some of our favorites, but here are a couple of teasers to get you through the holiday.

All images courtesy of Tammy Martines Photography.

NEPA Groom and I were very excited to get our engagement pictures taken earlier this week! While we wait for our proofs to show up, I thought I’d compile some of the advice I collected before we went for the photos and some nuggets of wisdom we happened upon during our shoot in the hopes it helps you too.

1. Select places that fit your style. Some people thrive in the city, while others need wide open spaces. We don’t consider ourselves particularly urban. We’re not stereotypical ‘country’ either. We like big suburban back yards and camping trips that involve long hikes in the woods and lakes.
2. Bring ideas to the table. We sent our photographer, Tammy Martines, a handful of inspiration photos before the shoot. We also took a look at some of her other engagement shoots and told her what locations we liked the best. She’s the expert, and she did some incredible things with what we gave her, but she’s also not a mind reader. Throw some ideas out to your photographer. Even if they’re not totally concrete or polished, they can take that inspiration and make something great.
3. Be comfortable. Just because you look super hawt in 4 inch heels doesn’t mean you should wear them for your engagement shoot. If you’re a t-shirt and jeans kind of person, stick with what you know. If you don’t recognize yourself in the mirror before you leave the house, you’re not going to recognize yourself in your photos.
4. Dress for the weather. It was a bit chilly for our shoot, so we skipped the short sleeves and went for sweaters. Bring a jacket and an umbrella in case you need it. You never know what you’ll encounter on the day of!
5. Be open to new ideas. You might find good opportunities for pictures where you least expect them. If your photographer suggests some jumping shots, go for it! What’s the worst that happens? You hate ‘em? Don’t show them to anyone!
6. Laugh! You’re getting married. Be happy.
7. Be Yourself. What are you and your finance’s passions? Is he a guitar player? Do you paint? Don’t be afraid of bringing some props with you! You’ll end up with some fun pictures that will be uniquely you.

What kind of tips do you have for an engagement photo shoot? Has anyone else done one lately?