Braces and engagement photos..

So definitely don't send out invites a year in advance. You can send save the dates like 6-8 months beforehand and use engagement pictures for that, but you have plenty of time to get your braces off and get the pictures taken before March.

Isn't that a bit early for invites and SAve the dates? You could probably safely wait to take your engagement pics when you have them off!

I assume you mean sending out save the dates, not invitations. Save the dates are sent out 6-8 months in advance, so you should send those in January, meaning you can wait to take engagement pics until the braces are off.

If you need to send save the dates out this early though, you can always opt for a non-photo save the date. Its much easier

You have plenty of time to wait. When do you get your braces off? Is it too close to the wedding to do pictures then? If you insist on having them done now there are PLENTY of poses and angles where your teeth won't show. I think I'm only actually smiling at the camera in like 3 of our shots. The rest we're kissing or looking at each other.

Wait for your braces to come off for sure. Winter photos are cute too. Snow bunnies!

Okay, thank you all! I had heard mixed reviews on sending them earlier and later. Mostly everybody (nearest and dearest) knows when our wedding is going to be, so I will take y'alls advice and just wait then.

I just really don't want to have photos done when it's a million degrees out! Lol I live in South Carolina and we're going to Cherokee, NC to have them made. So I'm trying to work around both weathers.

Hmmm... okay. I guess it will depend on how the weather is because sometimes they get a lot of snow and it blocks the roads off where you can't drive up. What else do you use engagement photos for? Besides the save the dates? Is that more of a personal thing? I just now thought about this... if we don't have to use them for anything, I suppose we could wait until anytime to get them done then as long as it's cool out.

I used my e-photos for my STDs, and I used two pictures of us on my escort card table.

Even if you don't display them at home or at your wedding,, getting e-photos done is a great way to get comfortable in front of the camera and with your photographer. My H was SO STIFF when we did the e-pics, and although he got more comfortable as the day went on, he was even more comfortable and relaxed on our wedding day.

You could get your engagement photos done in September, but I would hold off on sending STDs that early. We took our photos in April but our STDs won't be going out until September. As for the braces, I'm sure a good photographer could cover them or photoshop them well. Discuss it with your photographer, my best friend had to do this for her high school senior photos and they looked great, I couldn't even tell.

These are all great tips! Thank y'all! So it looks like the problem is solved with these options...

1. Do like Jaci just mentioned, go ahead and get the pictures done come Fall to avoid any bad weather.

2. See how the weather holds out come Nov or Jan and if it's okay, go ahead. But if not, I could just do the STDs without photos and get photos done come Spring.

These are my two ideas for e-photos:

1. Those old timey photos. They give you all the photos on a disc to print how you please. We came up with idea together after getting a picture made back in March. It's different, but it'd be fun.

2. Hire a photographer to take photos on top of the mountain at sunset (we would have to get up there around 4 a.m. to prep for sunrise).

FH has a photographer picked out for the wedding. As long as he knows his stuff, I don't care. I just don't know how far he travels and I'm going to look into other photographers for option 2. One of the best things with the guy he chose is adament about an unplugged ceremony. I want it and a reception unplugged.

I figure we can take a mini trip (only a two hour drive) up there, get a room to get ready in and after photos, just hang out and stay the night. I wanna go for my birthday anyway.

I think you're pushing it with an unplugged reception. I had an unplugged ceremony because I wanted people to be present during our vows, and not have a bunch of arms and cell phones in our professional pictures, but I wasn't going to dictate guests using their phones during the reception. The reception has some of the best photos from guests. Someone even got a great video of our entrance and edited it for us while we waited until we got our trailer film (just got it today woo hoo). Don't do that.

Thanks catlady! Gymrat, the photographer has this rule. Also, I don't want a bunch of phones or cameras in photos. The flash can also mess up his pictures. We're also not putting wedding things on social media and unplugged will help with that. I understand where you're coming from, completely. Just my preference. If they use their phones for other things, that's fine. Just no photos or filming.

Others have already addressed the need to wait.

From experience, I've attended an unplugged reception and felt like I was at a dam daycare. The photogs kept telling people "no photos, no photos" and that shit got annoying TBH.

My thing is a good photog can maneuver around people taking pics so that shouldn't affect the quality of a good photo.

As Gymrat, stated some of your best moments will come from your guests and their phones so from experience I caution you to think that unplugged reception through. Shit was terrible.

Ugh...that sucks. I wish people could follow simple rules to begin with! Lol I guess we'll decide more on this later.

From my research, engagement announcements are sent first (whenever you get engaged - doesn't matter what date your wedding will be) so you can send those early if you wish. About 6 to 8 months in advance your Save the Dates should go out, particularly if you are having a destination wedding so your folks could plan ahead. Wedding invites should go out about 4-5 months ahead. As far as your braces, people know you and whether to you choose to take them off or leave them on doesn't matter. Since they will be off for your wedding, that's good - so don't worry - you're beautiful. As far as your photographer, make sure everything is clear and in writing so he/she won't change their mind. Be sure to agree on a price that is fair and that you could afford. Make sure you see photos that this person has done before - engagement, wedding, family functions, sweet 16's. Those photos will determine his/her style and if that fits into your own personal vision. Best of luck and wedding congrats!!

@Will & Tiara, you're so sweet! Thank you so much! I've never even heard of engagement announcements. We just done that over the phone or in person. That'd be a fun surprise to get in the mail though! But I will definitely do that with the photographer.