here's the werid thing

creativity doesn't start where we think it does.

Often times when we see a gorgeous post someone made on Instagram where they're dancing in the rain at sunset on horseback with a gown that's the right kind of wet with a rainbow flowing magically out of their hair, you might sigh and think just how creative that person is. You might think about them waking up at 5am with a matcha, tapping their Ticonderoga against their lip and coming up with just the right idea. How unique and amazing. I'm here to tell you that creative ideas can be really counterintuitve . Here's how you come up with your own, and a few ideas to get you started.

wear formal clothes & go to literally any ordinary location

This is an easy way to add a hint of uniqueness. Dress up really nice, like rent a gown from Rent the Runway & a nice tux fancy. Bonus points if you're wearing a bright pop of color. Then let's hit the bookstore, a cafe, an art gallery, a bodega, or your favorite corner of IKEA.

go somewhere & bring something weird

You don't even have to go somewhere that's completely out of the box to make this one unique. A lot of people love going into nature for their engagement shoots, which is not in itself super unique (even if it is gorgeous!) but you can bring it there by taking along a cool object. This one is really led by your style, but here are a couple of ideas. Let's take that nature location, like a field at sunset or a sunlit patch of woods, and bring that cool mirror that you love in your house, or have a "picnic" but instead of food there's a TON of something you love, like flowers, books, candles, bananas, (I bet nobody has done that before and it could be a lot cooler than you think ;) ), or draping pretty fabric.

be completely out of place and introduce some contrast

This one can work in a lot of different ways and is a bit rock-and-roll in my mind, like you're both wearing bright red clothing in your swimming pool (can you SEE THE JUMPING IN SHOT?), or you're wearing bright colors among evergreen trees, a pop of color and a bouquet of flowers against a mural in your town, or all white during the dusky blue hour in the headlights of your car, with a red rose in one of your mouths. I could go on.

alternatively, bring on the monochrome

This works best for bright colors or neutrals. You can go a few ways with this, so I'll list a few examples. Picture the Philadelphia Art Museum--lots of light-colored stonework, stairs, etc. It's a beautiful location for an engagement shoot, but you can elevate it if you're both wearing all white or all tan. Here are a few other ideas: we can use a studio space where we can roll down a colored background that you match; we can find an AirBnb or a boutique hotel with a cool accent wall that you coodinate with; a dark space/room and you both wear all black. For this one, I love indoor spaces because they often have interesting colors that are less common in nature.

rent something, anything, and let's ride the back roads

Renting vehicles can be tricky, especially when you're looking for something outside of a Hyndai. You can try posting to your local Facebook group to see if anyone has anything they'd be willing to lend, check out Turo or Vinty for cool car rentals in your area, or ask a relative to borrow theirs if you're super lucky. Think outside of cars, too--what a bout a canoe, a rowboat, a pair of horses, or one of those paddle swan boats? A moped or motorcycle? Even cute bikes and you can wear a giant sun hat.

buy a ticket to somewhere

Picture a train ride, glamorous hats, a quick glance over a newspaper page into your honey's eyes. We could even stage an imaginary meet-cute at a train station, vintage suitacases at your ankles as he takes off his hat to take your hand for a kiss. What about a ferry ride, complete with that Jack and Rose moment? If you're in the right location, you might be able to find a sailboat that would catch the evening sunlight just right.