SO CAL + WORLDWIDE

JODEE DEBES
WE D D I N G S

P H O T O G R A P H Y

CO U P L E S

E ST D 2 0 AW E S O M E

E N G AG E M E N T S T Y L E G U I D E

WELCOME

i there! Im so excited to photograph your engagement session! I put together this style guide to give you all the
information in one easy place. Overall this session is all about YALL, and your love story. Dont think of it as a photo

session. Think of it as another normal day of the two of you hanging out, doing what you love to do the most. My whole goal
is to capture your unique interactions, special places and inside jokes.
I love engagement sessions because it gives us the opportunity to really get to know each other. Its amazing how much I
bond with my couples and learn about them after a few hours of shooting. And its a great way to help you get more
comfortable with being in front of the camera; because lets be honest, its never a natural feeling!
My sessions are laid back and stylish with a side of goofy. Ill show you what to do with you hands but Im also going to take
a step back and let YOU do YOU, so that I can capture those subtle interactions that are your things. After the session, Im
always open to feedback so that we can make your wedding day portraits perfect! Some couples prefer less kissing photos or
would never naturally touch their foreheads together. Others find out which side is their good side. Whatever the case may
be, its great practice for wedding day.

C OPYRIGH T 2016- 2017 JO DEE DEB ES PHO TO GRAPHY

C OPYRIGH T 2016- 2017 JO DEE DEB ES PHO TO GRAPHY

BOOKING

Ideally, we will schedule your session on a weekday as places are less

crowded and its easier to get those perfect shots with no one else on
the beach, at the bar, in the park, etc., but I understand that
scheduling during the week can be diffcult! Either way, Ill work with
you to

gure out what works best for all us, and we will start your

session about 2 1/2 hours prior to sunset to take advantage of the

best light! Sunrise sessions are available upon request. Most sessions
are approximately 2 to 3 hours.
If you dont have a deadline on when you need the images, lets choose
a time of year thats perfect for you! Ice cream cones and flowy
dresses in the summertime, bundled plaid layers in autumn, bright
colors in the spring, and mittens in the winter. There are so many ways
to make your session unique and special depending on the style youre
going for, and the time of year has a big play in the images especailly
if you live somewhere outside of Southern California where there are
real seasons.
If you do have a deadline and are trying to send out Save The Dates, I
recommend scheduling the session at least 6 months prior to your
wedding so that there is time to shoot, edit and print the invites.
Generally this process takes about a month. Save The Dates are
normally sent out 4-6 months before the wedding.
If you are forgoing Save The Dates and would rather order an
Engagement Guest Sign-In Book or Album to display at your wedding, I
recommend scheduling the session at least 2 months before the
wedding to give ample time for shooting, editing, designing, ordering
and shipping the album.
If youd like to order either Save The Dates or Engagement Albums
through me, let me know and Ill send over all the details for you.

C OPYRIGHT 2016- 2017 JO DEE DEB ES PHO TO GRAPHY

C OPYRIGHT 2016- 2017 JO DEE DEB ES PHO TO GRAPHY

LOCATION
Location is probably the most impor tant and hardest choice youll make for your engagement session, and I m happy to
help brainstorm. It should be a unique spot that s reflective of both of you. Think about things that inspire you; consider places that might have sentiment al value like your f ir s t date spot {even if it s a bar} or perhaps it s a quirk y
hobby or passion that you may want to incorporate. The best locations are personal. Maybe it s a home session if you
love drinking your morning cof fee together or it s a rollercoaster because youre both dare devils. Maybe you love ar t
and want to shoot at a museum or you met at a concer t and want to shoot at a record store. Or maybe youre huge
foodies and a picnic would be delicious and per fec t for your session! If it helps to include props {or pet s!} to showc ase
who y all are and what makes you dif ferent bring them along! These are jus t a few ideas to help you get s t ar ted choosing a location. Our shoot doesnt have to be over whelming or conceptural but it helps if you love where we are. And if
you have a mood, concept or a theme you want to incorporate but arent sure on the exact location, let s talk! Im
always up for location scouting to find the perfect place for your session!

C OPYRIGHT 2016- 2017 JO DEE DEB ES PHO TO GRAPHY

C OPYRIGH T 2016- 2017 JO DEE DEB ES PHO TO GRAPHY

WARDROBE

ike the location, your outfits should be a reflection of YOU. If youre casual, be causual for both outfits. Or glam it up if
thats more your thing. Youll want to keep the location in mind when planning what to wear; but at the same time, con-

trast can be super cool! Like a gold Oscars-status dress on the beach or ragged jeans in a swanky bar. Ive put together an
inspiration board and some DOs and DONTs to help:

https://www.pinterest.com/jodeedebesphoto/what-to-wear-couples/

DO...

DONT...

W ear s o m et h in g t h a t gives you lots of con dence because th at s se xy .

B e t oo m at c hy m at c hy . I k now y a l l

W ear s o m et h in g c las s ic that will look good years f rom now! I d hat e f or y ou t o b e

d on t c oor d i nat e out f i t s on a d ai l y b a s i s

u n h ap p y wit h yo u r p h o tos because hats are now out.

{ or m ay b e y ou d o} b ut whe n d r e ss i n g a s a

B e o n t h e s a m e at t ir e level. Think fancy dress next to bow ti e , not ol d t -shi r t . I n f ac t ,

c oup l e t r y t o av oi d showi ng up b o th w e a r -

l e a v e t h e o ld t -s h ir t a t home.

i ng j e ans and whi t e shi r t s.

L a y er . Yo u r lo o k g et s an umph of depth and interest when y ou l ay e r up t he e nse m -

F or ge t nai l p ol i sh. You hav e t o s h o w o f f

b l e . If it s a h o t s u mm er day though, this doesnt apply.

t hat b l i ng!

Ac c es o r ize w it h a s imple necklace, pop of color, beanie in the wi nt e r , e t c . A c c e sor i e s

W e ar b aggy b ut t on d own shi r t s, l i g h t

a r e t h e key t o p o lis h in g an outfit.

d e ni m , p ol os, t e nni s shoe s or l ogo s h i r ts .

S c hed u le yo u r ma ke up trials on the same day as the shoot. T ak i ng p hot ogr ap hs i s

B r i ng p r op s f or p r op s sak e . Your s e s s i o n

t h e b es t exc u s e t o g et all dolled up! Simple eye make up with d ar k l ashe s nor m al l y

shoul d b e p e r sonal so i f t he r e i snt a n y -

l oo k s b es t in p h o t o s .

t hi ng t hat st and s out t o y ou i m m e d i a te l y ,

P l an o n c ar r yin g t h e bare minimum and try to leave purses, c e l l p hone s, e t c . i n y our

we r e p r ob ab l y b e st wi t hout p r op s .

car.
B r in g o n e ext r a c h a n ge of clothes in case we get dirty. This i s e sp e c i al l y t r ue f or
b e a c h s es s io n s ! Br in g a towel to those as well!

Now with all that being said, rules are meant to be broken. I truly trust your personal style
and I know Ill love what you choose if you do! And if youre still not sure, bring a few
looks to the session and we can talk about what I think will photograph best.

C OPYRIGH T 2016- 2017 JO DEE DEB ES PHO TO GRAPHY

I HOP E T HIS STYL E GUIDE HAS

BE E N HEL PFUL .
A ND IF NO THING EL SE, I HO PE
Y OU GOT THE MESSAGE THAT
THIS S ESSION IS AL L AB O UT YO U.
W HEN IT GETS DOWN T O I T, MAK E
I T P E RS O NAL , MAKE IT AB O UT
Y ALL AND HAVE FUN! B ECAUS E
Y OURE FREAKING IN LOVE AND
THAT IS THE BEST!

C OPYRIGH T 2016- 2017 JO DEE DEB ES PHO TO GRAPHY

jodee@jodeedebes.com

/jodeedebesphoto

512 657 6758

/jodeedebesphoto

@jodeedebesphoto

www.jodeedebes.com

@jodeedebesphoto