Keep reading for our favourite reasons to book an engagement session…
We’re sure it will come to no surprise that we love photographing couples… Kind of our main role of being wedding photographers! So of course, we also love it when a couple asks to book an engagement session or pre-wedding session; but that doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
There are loads of reasons why you should do an engagement session. We won’t talk about all of them here as it would be thousands of words long and we’re sure most people wouldn’t want to read all that. But first, let’s get one thing straight – you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, and no wedding suppliers should tell you any different.
If you’re reading this post and have come to the conclusion that an engagement session isn’t for you, then that is absolutely fine and you’re under no obligation to do so. But perhaps you’re on the fence about an engagement session and if so, we hope this post can help you to decide if it’s right for you.
So, here are some of the main reasons to book an engagement session …
When couples come to us and say ‘I’m not photogenic’ or ‘I’m really awkward in front of a camera,’ we often think of two things. The first is that almost everyone feels the same way as you, which statistically means that you’re likely not un-photogenic at all!
The second is when was the last time you were photographed by someone that makes a living from making non models look super comfortable in front of the camera? We promise when you work with someone that prioritises how their couples feel over how they look, you’ll end up with photos where you don’t look or feel awkward whatsoever.
So if by the end of your engagement session you’re feeling so relaxed that you almost forget that our cameras are even there, then we’d be doing our job pretty well if we say so ourselves!
Having an engagement session is a great way to experience a little of what it will be like on your wedding day. Hopefully you’ll see that it’s not actually that scary and you both look fantastic in photos! You’ll find that it’s not all about scary poses and that it’s pretty relaxed and fun!
One of the most obvious reasons to book an engagement session is that you’ll get great pictures of the two of you to do whatever you like with! Pop them in a frame, a photo album or even an instagram post. These will be pictures that you’ll be able to look back on in years to come. Not to mention you now have professional photos that you can use for your ‘Save The Dates’ and wedding invitations.
It’s good to double check with your photographer that you’re okay to do this but most photographers will have no issue with this.
We’d like to think that you two know each other pretty well already… what we’re really trying to say is that both of you will have the chance to get to know your photographer a little more before your wedding. You’re paying us photographers no small amount of money, so us getting to know you a bit better is always a good idea. We get to learn more about the humour between yourselves, funny stories on how the two of you met, even what your go-to drink is at the bar. Getting to know new couples is one of our favourite things about being photographers and we always want each experience to be as personal to each couple as possible.
This point kind of ties into ‘You get to know each other’. Some couples like to use an engagement session almost as a ‘try before you buy’ sort of thing. You’ll get to know your photographer, their personal style, how they work and most importantly how you feel when being around them. The last thing you want to do is pay for a photographer and later find that they weren’t quite the right fit for you.
You’ll need to stick to a time schedule on your wedding day so its understandable that we may not have quite as much time to spend getting creative. However, during the engagement session we’ll have plenty of time to do exciting and silly things together without the stress of the fast paced environment that often comes with weddings.
So there we are. These are just a few key reasons why you should book an engagement session with your chosen photographer. Engagement sessions are a great laugh and we encourage anyone who is thinking about booking one to go ahead and give it a go. We’re sure you’ll have a great time!
However, if you still don’t feel swung towards having an engagement shoot then that’s perfectly okay! No photographer should pressure you into doing something that you don’t want to do.
If you’ve decided that an engagement session is right for you or you’ve already decided to book an engagement session, then why not check out our post on ‘How to get the most out of an engagement session’