Classic Engagement Teaser

Knowing what a dedicated blogstalker I am, our fabulous photographer, Tanja Vogt, posted five teasers from Friday's classic engagement shoot today! All I can say is:

Oh. My. God.

First up, I do NOT generally photograph well. I always have this silly blank look, or I appear to have a hot potato in my mouth, or I just close my eyes at an inopportune moment and look vaguely drunk. But these turned out sooo spectacularly! Not only was it my dream to look like a 1940's film star (Veronica Lake, eat your heart out!), but I just really wanted fantastic photos of myself and Mr Ruby Slippers. Well, I have succeeded on both counts!

Ok, so Tanja has succeeded, really. Because no way do either of us look this good without some pretty impressive camera and editing skills. Seriously, WOW. We are both in awe. I'm already planning the matching picture frames.

Just so you get an idea, these are the pics I took to the hair and make up salon for inspiration:




Isn't Veronica Lake soooo gorgeous? Anyway, these are just the first five teasers, but this is what we got:
Holy sweet mother of awesomeness. Seriously. These could not BE any cooler.

We're not worthy, we're not worthy...

Classic engagement

It all started when Mr Ruby Slippers and I decided we wanted to incorporate more classic film type stuff into our wedding. We already had the general Old Hollywood feel (well, hopefully we do) and the table names being classic stars. But what that table name discussion led to was a realisation that we couldn't agree on the perfect name for our head table! I, of course, was all for Judy Garland, but Mr Slippers had a point when he said that it would just look like I made every single decision about everything to do with the wedding (Um, didn't I?). Anyway, so that was off the table (haha), as was BM-Best Friend's suggestion of using a classic couple like Fred & Ginger (which I really loved, but apparently it was also too much Miss and not enough Mr Ruby Slippers). So anyway, at some point, Mr RS suggested that we just name the table after ourselves. Which I immediately vetoed, because how was it going to fit into the classic movie theme without a picture of classic movie stars on both the table and the table listing?


Aha. Here's how:


We take our engagement shoot (which is included in the photography package we chose) and make it Old Hollywood Style.


Sometimes I am just too brilliant.


Not only will it serve the purpose of being used at the wedding and fitting in with the theme, but I love the idea of having photos of me in that screen goddess, 1940's style.


Bring on this:

Ok, I know I've just picked the three most beautiful women in classic film, so there is no WAY I am ever going to look that good, but pictures of me that even begin to emulate this style will be A-ok by me! (by the way, the three are Veronica Lake, Lauren Bacall and Gene Tierney. They are my absolute top classic film beauties. I won't be using any of them at the wedding, though, partly because none of them are in my top favourite four actress list, and partly because, hey, I don't wanna look bad!)

So then I started hunting around for pictures of engagement shoots done in this style. I found a couple, mostly by accident, so there might be more out there...but it's good, because it means it's not a whole big wedding rage, idea of the moment thing! I want to do something slightly unique!

What I did find a lot of was pictures of Katherine Heigl (man, that girl looks good in Old Hollywood!) Look at these two pics from a great Vanity Fair shoot she recently did:

Smokin' hot! Pictures of me looking like this would also be pretty A-frikkin-okay!

And yes, I know Mr Slippers has to fit in there somehow too. Which is why I found actual couple e-shoots in this theme too:

Image source on Weddingbee

Two pics above by Tanja Lippert

Photo by Julie Mikos

Photo by Angelica Glass

And these, which aren't specifically e-shoots (some are weddings, and some aren't even really "themed", but the photographer has conveyed the look I want:

Photo by Christina Craft of Funkytown Photography

Photo by BlueDaisy Weddings

Photo by Neil Van Niekerk

Photo by Victor Sizemore

Photo by Kelly McCord

How stunning are these? I can't wait for September! - which is when, after speaking with my photographer, Tanja, we've decided to do it. The weather will be better and any outside shots will look greener and just generally prettier. Now all we need is a location! At first I was thinking an old-style hotel, with chandeliers, wood-panelling and a grand piano (Ha, I'm just picturing myself stretched out on it!), but then both Tanja and my friend Henni suggested Gold Reef City. My first reaction (and Mr Slippers'!) was, "Um, theme park? Rides? In the quiet words of the Virgin Mary, "Come again??"" But when I thought about it, it made sort of sense. There will be olde buildings and, best of all, an old theatre! Love the ideas of photos in an old theatre! But I haven't been there for at least eight years so I can't really remember. Also we'd have to pick the quietest day we possibly could, because a theme park is, well, BUSY, to put it mildly! Any suggestions?