Community› Local Wedding Boards› Pennsylvania-Central
Pennsylvania-Central
New Discussion

Engagement photos / save the date HELP!!!

dianaloveserikdianaloveserik member
First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
edited July 2013 in Pennsylvania-Central
Okay. So there are two things I really, really wanted from my engagement photos. 1. I wanted them to be at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square (Google it if you've never been - gorgeous) and 2. I wanted to send photo save the dates w/ a few of the best engagement photos on them.

Now here is the problem. This morning we just had to cancel for the 2nd time due to it raining. The first time we cancelled was May 17, Today is July 1, and the next day my photographer is available is August 8!!! Our wedding is March 22, 2014 and we have a number of guests coming from the other side of the country and in general a lot of friends are getting married next year so the save the dates need to go out ASAP. We wanted to send them out the first week of June but put it off so we could do photos today.

What should I do??? Should I seek out another photographer to do our engagement session who has more availability, even though our wedding photographer is doing it for free? *If so, can anyone suggest a photographer who offers engagement shoots for cheap?* Should I bail on the location I wanted so much and find a place more local so he can squeeze us in to his schedule sooner? *I don't really know this area so I don't know what good photoshoot locations are close to him (East York) so any suggestions would be appreciated* Should we send regular save the dates without the pictures and just get them when we get them? I really don't want to have to do any of these things but it's looking like I'm going to have to.

Just wondering if anyone else has been in this situation and what you did, and if you ended up regretting it or if it was okay. Any advice would be appreciated because I just hate this feeling that it's never going to happen and I hate that I have to make sacrifices because it's my wedding and I should get everything I want, right?? Ugh sorry I'm just upset and venting but seriously any advice would be appreciated. If anyone can think of a suitable location close to E. York that is beautiful so that we can get them done sooner, or knows a photographer who will do just our engagement photos and has lots of availability, that would be super helpful. Okay thanks in advance!
Report Reply to Post

Re: Engagement photos / save the date HELP!!!

  • daria24daria24 member
    First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer
    My choice would be to just send STDs without photos, or with photos of the two of you that you already have. The design of your STDs is such a minor minor minor thing, as long as the info on it is correct, that is all that matters. Trust me that you will not care what your STDs looked like a month from now, let alone a year, 10 years, etc. 

    Personally, I would want to do the engagement shoot with the wedding photographer, it's a great trial run. We actually did an e-pic shoot with one photographer and weren't happy with her work, so we chose a different photographer for our wedding. 
    image
    Report Reply
  • mbendo5338mbendo5338 member
    First Anniversary First Comment

    Agreed with above. Your engagement session with your phtoegrapher lets them know how you photograph, and lets you become relaxed with them. It's very important to do a session even if you don't order any prints.

     

    I understand your wish to have a photo on the Save the Date cards, but there are may that don't have photos. I assume you are doing magnets? You can go to  local portrait studio (Target, Sears) and get a nice headshot done if you want, and still do an engagement session. Those photos you will love until March 2014 when ou will want to display your wedding photos anyway.

     

    Locations can be pretty much anywhere, any local park will work. Remember they won't be sooting the background they will be shooting you. In my memory, Longwood is sper crowded, so you probably have to work around tourists walking into your shot. If you really want a nature scene, look for any nice road lined with trees, as a neighbor for use of their backyard, look for a great rustic barn.

     

    p.s we used vistaprint for our Save the Date magnets and they turned out great! good luck!

    Report Reply
  • Mkincaid2014Mkincaid2014 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Answer
    Lauxmont farms in York (near Wrightsville, I believe) is gorgeous and would provide an excellent location for photos. Some parts of the property are wooded, there's a garden and an old rustic barn, and the river is visible from some locations. I don't know what their photography policies are, but it might be worth checking out.
    Report Reply
  • Smooch711Smooch711 member
    First Comment First Anniversary
    I'm in the minority here, but I think you still have plenty of time for the photo STDs.

    I got married in September and had our engagement shots done at the end of February. They didn't go out until the end of March - so still 6 months before our wedding.

    Just my two cents. Good luck whatever way you go.
    Report Reply
  • corito09corito09
    First Comment First Anniversary
    I agree with what everyone else said.  First, you should stick with your photographer for the engagement pics.  I had the same situation as daria24 where we did an e-session and didn't like the pics, so we went with someone else.  After we chose our photographer and did another e-session (it was included in her pricing), we realized how much we loved her style & working with her.

    Second, I know you may think STDs are a big detail and need to be perfect, but no one else really cares.  Even if it's a magnet, people aren't going to care if a hair is out of place in a picture or if you have another pic that you look better in.  l only say this based on my experience...I wanted everything perfect & ended up wasting so much time on things that no one ever even noticed.  I honestly couldn't even tell you what my best friend's STD looked like & she was married less than a year ago.  As much as I hate to admit it, no one will remember the STD.

    If you really want a picture on your save the date, you can either pick a different location or wait to send out your STDs.  We sent ours out about 8 months in advance & about 75% of our guests are out of towners.  If you wait, make sure to make a wedding website & tell friends and family about it, so they are able to get some of the details (dates, location, etc.).  As for the location, unless Longwood Gardens has a special meaning to you guys as a couple, I would consider changing the location.  While it is very beautiful there, it would be much easier to do the pics at a closer location.  We used Shank Park in Hershey for our 2nd e-session and the pics turned out great!  If you really want a lot of flowers, you might want to check into the Hershey Gardens...they are also beautiful!  If Longwood Gardens has special meaning to you, by all means, keep it!  For our first session we took e-pics at the college were we met & got engaged and I wouldn't have changed that location for the world.  

    We also used Vistaprint for our STD magnets & they turned out great.  If you plan on using them, keep an eye for Groupons...they always have them & its a fabulous deal!

    I'm sure whatever you decide, the pictures and STDs will turn out great!  Just take some deep breaths and try not to get bogged down in some of the little things that aren't as important.  In a few months, you'll wonder why you cared so much.  Good luck to you!!!
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • WonderveganWondervegan member
    First Anniversary First Comment Name Dropper
    I agree with everyone else. People tell me that the save-the-dates can be sent out 9 months in advance, so even if you get the photo taken Aug. 8 and they give it to you right away, you can get them printed and sent out by early September! We have 90% out-of-town guests, so I am freaking out, too, but it should be fine! 

    Like everyone else, if you just want a quick headshot, go to a studio in the mall and get it done. Vistaprint has awesome designs for magnets or postcards where all you need is a head shot. 

    I don't have any advice as far as photographers, as our good friend did our engagement photos but he will not be doing out wedding. 
    Report Reply
  • cowgirl8238cowgirl8238 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer

    I agree with all the pp's here.  I atteneded four (4) weddings within the past year and can't remember what a single STD looked like.  It's really not worth stressing out over them.  I also agree that you should definitly go out and work with your wedding day photographer so you can both be comfortable together, there will be nothing worse then not knowing you and photographer don't work well together until your wedding day!!!

    Also you can take your pictures whereever you want and then just add them to your wedding website later on!

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards