Real Engagements: Devani Fish

You won't believe this amazing Bonnie and Clyde inspired engagement photo shoot! From the dress and hats to the suspenders, car and guns, they nailed this amazing, beautifully styled photo shoot! I know I want to have a shoot like this now, and I bet you will too!

How did he (or you!) Propose?

*Michael proposed in front of the San Francisco Giants Stadium AT&T Park March 30, 2017 in front of my parents, grammy, sister and thankfully his mom and niece who flew down to visit from Indiana. Did you know the proposal was coming?

*I had a feeling the proposal was coming but I thought he was going to do it at the end of April when we went to Vegas for our two-year anniversary, NOT when he actually did it, haha!

How long is/was your engagement?

*Michael proposed March 30, 2017. We wanted to stick with the same day as he proposed and wanted at least a 12-month engagement, so we chose June 30, 2018 for our wedding. Where did you find inspiration for what to wear?

*Michael and I would always joke around and call each other Bonnie and Clyde. There was no doubt in my mind that we had to do a Bonnie and Clyde photo shoot for our save the dates. My photographer sent me to a vintage costume shop that was closing down, where we found a real paperboy hat for my fiancé, Michael, as well as some awesome bottoms and the hat that I'm wearing. My dress and shoes we bought off of Amazon and the other items we had and she told me to bring.

Bonnie and clyde engagement shoot real engagements

How did you end up deciding on your outfits?

*My photographer took care of everything. I pretty much just listened to her as she knows what's best. Did you get your hair and makeup done? If so, by who?

*My amazing hair and make up artist is Nikki Helms from Bada Bing Hair Salon here in Benicia, CA. Kelley my photographer is a good friend of hers and set this up.

Did you use the same photographer you plan to use for the wedding?

*I did not. Kelley found me on Facebook a couple years ago and she told me she loved the way I photographed. She invited me to do a photo shoot with her at her home and after that the rest was history. Kelley and I grew close and I came to her asking to do a Bonnie and Clyde photo shoot as an anniversary gift to Michael (we were not engaged yet). Our photo shoots kept getting canceled because the car that we were using as a prop would break down or it was too rainy/windy... the weather was always our problem. Finally, two years later we were able to accomplish this photo shoot! And I cannot wait to use these photos on our save the date newspapers we are sending out. 🖤 Who was your photographer and do you recommend them?

*My photographer was Kelley Joye Photography. she is based out of Benicia. I recommend her to EVERYONE!! She literally is a goddess with the camera! And then with Nikki doing makeup and hair by her side, they just knocked it out of the park! I totally felt like I was in the early 1900s and it was solely because of them. Kelley made the session (unfortunately) go by quick, because we were just having a ton of fun! Crazy poses, trying to get in and out of the car, holding up the guns, running with the guns, it was just awesome! I definitely pulled myself and my fiancé out of our comfort zone and we loved it!

How much did your engagement pictures cost?

*Thankfully this photo shoot didn't cost me anything. Just the gas I used to drive 25 minutes to her. Kelley and I have grown very close and I appreciate everything she has done for myself and my fiancé.

Were you or your partner nervous about getting the pictures taken?

*I love being in front of the camera--like I've said, Kelley and I aren't strangers, so I'm not shy in front of the camera. My fiancé on the other hand, is very shy and Kelley is just the sweetest most kind, warm-hearted person out there. She has no kids, but we felt like she's our mom. It was very easy to be comfortable around her! The first photo shoot I had with her, Michael came along as my boyfriend, so he was able to see how photo shoots work. This time he was the one being photographed and he loved it, it was constant laughter with us. You should have seen my fiancé's face when she said she wanted to photograph him more in regular clothes. Now he can't wait to get in front of the camera again!

Do you have any advice for those that haven't had their engagement pictures taken yet?

*Have fun! It's stressful trying to get ready, making sure he's ready, and everyone has the right clothes on! Just have fun. The best photos are when you're HAVING FUN. Listen to your photographer, they know everything! If you could go back and change anything about your pictures, what would you do differently?

*Nothing! Thankfully Kelley handled the set up with hair and make up as well as the car guy. All we had to do was show up. Best photographer ever.

About how many pictures did you get back from your photographer?

*I got about 35 photos back. My favorite part was that she was able to send some in black-and-white and color so I had multiple options of each photo. Which ONE picture would you say is your favorite?

This one!

What season did you have your pictures taken in? What was the weather like that day?

*Summer. Come hell or high water we were doing that photo shoot, whether it was raining or super hot, lol. Thankfully it ended up being just a tad hot. We were planning that photo shoot for two years, but finally everything came together! Of course, it was on a hot day, but we were having so much fun that it wasn't even a problem.