You just got engaged and are in the middle of planning your wedding. It's so easy to overcome with stress, but this is a time of your life that should be enjoyed and celebrated. Here are some key reasons why having an engagement (pre-wedding) shoot should be at the top of your "To Do List" this season. Here's why you don't want to miss out. Let me talk you into it. There are many reasons why it’s important to do an engagement photo shoot. First of all, it’s a necessity.
You'll Get to Know Your Photographer
Treat it like your first date with your wedding photographer, where you can get to know them in action and see how well you can work together. Having your engagement pictures taken long before your wedding can be really beneficial for both you and your wedding photographer. For you, it’s a great chance to learn something new about yourself, your good angles and the way you feel about being in front of the camera. For your wedding photographer, it’s a good opportunity to get to know you on a more personal level, build trust and study your good sides in order to take flawless portraits on your big day. Building this first connection with your wedding photographer will make a huge difference on how your wedding photos will turn out. Believe me, knowing the person you are going to photograph really helps create better and more meaningful wedding coverage.
Letting Your Photographer Get to Know You
Personally, I’m using our engagement session to get to know you and your story. You’ll often find me making jokes and chatting with my couples during the engagement session. The reason for it is that I’m establishing a common ground, something I can use in the future while photographing your wedding day. Knowing you and your love story, what’s happening in your life and what you are passionate about will translate into wedding photographs that are true and unique to who you are. Plus, it’ll alleviate stress from everyone involved. You’re letting a complete stranger (your photographer) into your family and into the most special day in your life. Knowing that person beforehand will really help let your guard down and be comfortable with having a camera pointed at you the whole day!
You'll Get to See Professional Photos of Yourselves Before the Wedding
As a couple who has never been professionally photographed an engagement session is the best way to get comfortable fast in front of the camera. It’s a good opportunity to learn something new about yourself, your body and your movement. Being able to see these photos long before your wedding day will help you to know your best sides and be ready when the time comes to take your wedding pictures! Once you receive your engagement photos, study them and let your photographer know if there are any shots you really like and why, and if there are any shots or angles you don’t really care for. All of this will help improve the outcome of your wedding photographs as the photographer will be aware of what you like and things you don’t like. It’s not rare that my brides pinpoint which poses they liked and what shots really made them happy. I always take notes and use them when we meet again – on your wedding day! A little direction in poses is still necessary, but at least you’ll already be comfortable being in front of the camera and able to relax. At the end, being relaxed and comfortable is the key to better wedding photographs. Also, I often suggest my couples do their test run with the hair and makeup artist on the same day as your engagement/pre-wedding session. This way you will get to see how it looks in photos and whether there’s anything in your makeup or hair you’d like to change.
It Will Give You a Chance to Reconnect
Have your engagement photos taken at a location that has some meaning to the two of you. This could be the place you got engaged or where you had your first date, or it could be somewhere you both like to spend time or where you go to enjoy a shared interest. Some locations to consider: hometowns, beach, a favorite restaurant or bar, a museum, the zoo or even your own home. Pick a significant spot and your images will mean more to you than if your photographer took you to the park and snapped a few pictures. You might also feel more at ease in an environment you're familiar with.
You'll Have Nice Photos to Use Before Your Wedding
Once you have your engagement images, there are many things you can do with them. They can be given as gifts to family (your parents and grandparents would especially love a copy), or you can make yourselves a small album or order a portrait to hang in your home. Also, think ahead. Engagement photos make for great Save-the-Date, Invitation cards, and custom art pieces for your home or wedding reception. They’re also great to add to your wedding website, if you have one, as well. Aside from serving this purpose, you’ll be surprised how happy you’re going to be for choosing to take engagement photos in 10, 20, or even 30 years after your wedding! These photographs are for the rest of your lives. When your memories are dimmed, it’ll be delightful to see these images again and remind yourself how happy in love you were. It’s priceless to be able to show these memories to someone new and to be able to say, “Look. This is me and your grandfather when we were young, at the beginning of our love.”
