In the early stages of my business, I would exchange an engagement session in my package for an extra hour of wedding day coverage, or even just take money off the collection. The couple would tell me so and so took their photos already, and they didn’t need more engagement photos.
I get. I really do.
But here’s the thing. You do need those photos with your WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER! The person you’re spending eight-plus hours a day with. The person who’s giving your direction on your wedding day. The person you’re trusting to capture your day in a way that tells the story perfectly so you can remember the big and small moments alike 50 years down the road!
So are my top four reasons every couple needs an engagement session with their wedding photographer.
1. You’re going to feel awkward
Would you rather feel awkward for 20 minutes at a shoot that lasts two hours versus feeling awkward on your wedding day for portraits that lasts 20 minutes? (If you’re lucky portraits last that long!) This is an easy answer. You’re nodding your head with me, right?! You’d rather feel awkward for the engagement session? Good! Me too! Here’s the deal…you haven’t had professional photos taken since your senior year in high school. You don’t know whether you’re supposed to smile or give the model look, and your soon-to-be hubby has no clue where to put his hands. Let your wedding photographer work out any posing concerns you have at your engagement session instead of on your wedding day. I promise you, if you’re not comfortable in front of the camera, that stiff body language shows through in your photos. Let that stiffness happen at your engagement session. Not on the most joyous day of your lives thus far!
2. You want to be best friends with your Photographer
If you don’t spend time getting to know your photographer before your wedding day, they are going to feel like a stranger to you on your wedding day. Imagine the unpleasant feeling you’ll have stepping into your wedding dress with a stranger holding a camera photographing your butt hanging out!! Wouldn’t that moment be less weird if your photographer felt like your best friend and not a complete stranger?! I’m going with a yes on this one. Having an engagement session with your wedding photographer allows the three of you to spend time getting to know each other, and feeling our your personalities. Brides spend more time with their photographer on their wedding day than they do their grooms! Your photographer needs to feel like a long last best friend and not some sap behind a camera crying during the first look!
3. It’s an fun Date Night
Life is busy when you’re planning a wedding. There are lots of meetings with vendors, too many decisions have to be made and let’s face it, there are varying opinions on every stinking thing. If you and your fiance haven’t experienced one argument while wedding planning, are you really wedding planning?? Partaking in the engagement session is a fun date night for the two of you. Take this time to buy a sleek new dress, have your hair and makeup professionally done, go to the nail salon for a fresh manicure! Then show up to your engagement session ready to hold hands and share about a million and one kisses in front of the camera!
3. You have professional photos to share on your wedding day
My past brides have loved taking their engagement photos and making guest books. Or they’ll print off a canvas and have their guests sign that. 90% of my weddings, Brides have printed 4x6s or 5x7s and displayed them various ways at the reception. Your guests love seeing the happy couple and witnessing such joy in the photos!
Let me know in the comments below if this post changed your mind at all! I’d love to know how I’m doing here! ❤️
To read more helpful resources for brides, click here
If you found this post helpful, be sure to share the photo below to your wedding Pinterest board
