Well hey there blogland, long time no see! We are now just over 6 weeks away from the wedding day so I thought it was about time to show you some of my favourites from our engagement shoot last month and why I think they are necessary for every bride. Our photographer did just a beautiful job, I have to say I'm just thrilled with how they turned out!

They give you and your photographer time to loosen up before the big day

While I do have some experience being in front of the camera as a blogger, I typically take all my own photos which is definitely an entirely different experience than a professional shoot. I'm so grateful we were able to take the time to learn our photographer's style of working and personality, so that we can be totally relaxed when it comes to getting photos done on our wedding day!

They will come in handy for multiple wedding-related projects

Already we have used our photos for our wedding invitations and website, and we are currently in the process of getting some printed in a book that will be using as our guest book on the day. My bridesmaids even used one or two for my bridal shower! People love seeing photos of the happy couple, and there are so many ways you can include them in all the steps leading up to your special day.

You'll have professional photos that you can use for years to come

While formal wedding photos are obviously tied to a very distinct day, more casual photos of you and your future hubby are timeless. Thank you notes and cards, gifts for close family, social media, all ways your engagement photos can live on far past your engagement period. You can even ask your photographer to capture some headshots on the day for use in your professional life. You're already all dolled up, so why not put your best face forward?

Simply, this is one of the most exciting times in your life.

Why wouldn't you want to remember it? 

All photos copyright of Rachelle Rousseau Photography
Come along on our wedding planning journey: Our engagement story Finding a dream dress Wedding mood board keep up with me: bloglovin' | instagram | pinterest | twitter  

Linking up with: Lauren |  Laura | Lindsey | Sarah | Saumya

Last week I shared that I had officially found my wedding dress and venue, and now that we've settled on a date (which is less than six months away, eek!) it's been a bit of a whirlwind moving from the big picture to focus on some of the smaller details. To help give myself some direction for the choices going forward I wanted to put together a mood board to capture some of my inspiration and vision for the big day!

I don't own any of these photos

Originally we were planning on getting married up in cottage country, but since there are limited venues and they get booked up super far in advance, we decided that we wanted to prioritize date over venue. Instead, we've decided on an old estate home just outside the city that is a beautiful balance between the elegant and vintage type feel that I love.

If you haven't already noticed from the design of my blog, I have always love the soft combination of dusty seafoam/sage green and grey, but seeing as it will be a fall wedding, I wanted to add in a bit of richness and warmth into the mix in some of the smaller details. The estate has an outdoor arbour and beautiful grounds that we're planning on using for the ceremony if the weather cooperates so I love that we'll still get some of the fresh outdoor feel that we originally wanted. 

I can't wait to see how some of my thoughts come to life over the next few months! Catch up on our story: The Proposal Finding the Dress What details would be/were the most important for your wedding?
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If you follow me on social media you'll know I had my first wedding dress shopping experience two weekends ago. I no idea what to expect, so of course I headed to the blog world to read a few ladies' different experiences. I found it really helpful to read real brides' perspectives so I thought I would throw in my two cents while doing a run down of my experience!

The first dress (or second, or fifth..) may not give you the feeling you expect. I was expecting the first time I tried on a dress to have the overwhelming feeling of excitement and "I'm getting married!!", but the first couple of dresses I tried on ended up being super unflattering. I couldn't help but think "oh great, is this going to be worse than going jeans shopping??" but don't give up!
Be firm with your budget before you try a dress on. The worst feeling I could imagine was to try on a dress, fall in love and then realize it's totally out of budget. Most bridal stores are good at keeping within but if they bring you something and don't tell you how much it is make sure you ask! Remember alterations are typically always an extra cost. Ask if they offer any discounts/alteration credits - the one I ended up choosing was originally over budget, but since it was an in-house designer they offered a discount that put it back into my price range.
Bring any accessories you already have. I knew I was going to be wearing my great-grandmother's veil on my wedding day so I had my grandma bring it to my appointment. Because it's 87 years old and has been worn by multiple brides in my family, though it's in very good shape it's obviously not pure white and so I didn't want my dress to be either. It wasn't really until I tried my dress on with the veil that I really had that "bridal moment"!

Try on at least one dress that your mother loves. If you've come with photos of what you have in mind for your dress, your consultant will be pulling from that when bringing you dresses to try on. What I thought I wanted wasn't looking the best on me (hence tip #1), but my Mum asked if I would try on a style that she thought would look good on my shape. It wasn't anything like the styles I had in mind but I said OK and it ended up being the one I chose! Even if that's not the case, you can always just move on to the next!
Don't feel bad if you don't find the one at your first appointment! There was a girl in the change room next to me that seemed to look perfect in every dress she tried on, but she just happened to have a figure that looked great in everything! Not everyone is going to have that experience. Don't get down though, there is something out there for every body and style!
Once you find the one stop looking. I loved a dress at my first appointment but left empty handed as I wanted to know what else was out there. I went to another shop and found another dress I really liked, and knew after that I wasn't going to look at any more. For an indecisive person like me too much choice can be overwhelming, so I took a few days to think and then went back to the first shop to try on the first dress again. They asked if I wanted to try on any more while I was there but I said no. Once I had the dress on again I knew that was it! 
Now two week from my first appointment I've ordered my dress, and chosen my venue, date and photographer. It's amazing how quickly things can start moving once you've made the biggest decisions! Next week I'll share some of my vision/inspiration for the day so keep an eye out for that, and thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging and sharing their tips during the first part of this process!
If you're married, what was your dress shopping experience like? 
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Some big news happened this weekend, and I couldn't wait to share it with all of you: Tyler and I are engaged! I am so grateful for all of you who reached out after my sneak peek on snapchat with your well wishes and congratulations, and I'm excited to be able to capture and share this next step in our journey on the blog for both you and I!

I don't think I've ever mentioned this, but Tyler and I live around an hour apart, which has probably been the toughest part of our relationship because it takes quite a bit of planning to decide where we will be spending our free time. This weekend I had planned to be at home because I was taking my Grandma out to see the theatre in the city. I had stayed with her Friday and Saturday, but Tyler lured me back across the city for Sunday by saying that we were going to look at some puppies. If you know me at all, that was the perfect ruse!

After church, we headed to the "breeder" but had some time before the appointment, so we headed to a nearby pier that I had always loved walking. It was actually where he took me on one of our first dates, and was where we got the first photo of us as a couple. It had been raining a bit before we arrived, but when we got out to the pier it was just a little bit of mist and the most amazing sky. 

It seriously looked like a sunrise or sunset in the middle of the day! I had brought my camera to take some photos of the puppies, and was busy snapping away as we walked down to the end of the pier. Tyler took over the camera and told me to look out at the water for a photo, and when I turned around he was down on one knee asking me to marry him. It was so beautiful and special, it will be a day I never forget.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind, telling all our friends and family that are spread out across the country. I'm not the type of girl that's had my wedding planned out in my head, and am typically not so great at making decisions, so I really have no idea where to begin. I humbly ask for your prayers any would be so grateful for any advice!

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