Engagement sessions explained
Two out of three of my wedding packages include an engagement session, but really, it can be anything you want it to be!
Here is why you need an ‘engagement‘ session and three different ways to use the one that’s included in your wedding package.
Engagement session
There’s arguably no better way to celebrate this new journey you’re embarking on than by hanging out with each other whilst having your photographer capturing those moments for the two of you.
Full disclosure: my favorite thing to do is head to the beach at sunset to capture your love with that beautiful glow in the background, but here are a few other ideas that you might want to consider for your engagement session:
- go for a walk around your neighborhood with your four-legged best friend (if you know me at all, you know there a few things in life that I love more than dogs at shoots/weddings)
- hang out at your place to get photos of the space you share together a.k.a. your little love cocoon (ew, Alice, ew)
- head out for a drink/pizza/ice-cream/coffe/fish and chips
- make new memories at the place where you got engaged
I want to document your relationship, not someone else’s. So, if the beach isn’t your thing, I’ll tag along for literally anything else you want to do, anywhere else you want to go. Nothing is off limit — you make the call and I’ll make it happen.
Pre-wedding shoot
Depending on how long your engagement has/will last, you might already have put a ring on it for a while by the time you book me as your photographer.
In that case, I like to refer to this kind of session as ‘pre-wedding sessions’. It essentially means we get to hang out closer to your date (a couple of months or even a couple of weeks before your big day). We can use this opportunity for one last catch-up and finalise your timeline, or just to touch base if you want to have your session early on and your day is still a few months away.
These are great because we’ll hopefully have gotten to know each other a little by then, so these photos will feel more authentic and you will more likely feel somewhat comfortable in my (and my camera’s) presence.
Just like for an engagement session, we can do anything you want and feels authentic to your relationship — you just name it.
Pros of engagement sessions and pre-wedding sessions
I’m sure your phone is full of cute-looking selfies and other memories together, but how many of these photos will survive the test of time? How many of these would you actually get printed?
One of the many pros of having professional photos of the two of you taken before your wedding day is that you could have some of them printed prior to the day. Here are some ways to use your favorite picture taken on your engagement or pre-wedding shoot:
- print in on your wedding invites or wedding website;
- create a puzzle that your guests can try solving on your wedding day;
- use it as the cover photo of your guest book, etc.
By choosing to have your sessions prior to your wedding day, you are doing your future selves a big favor. This session will be the perfect opportunity for you to get used to being in front of the camera – it will most definitely take some of the edges off on your big day and you’ll feel more relaxed and comfortable around me and will be familiar with the way I work.
Anniversary shoot
If you book me as your photographer last minute and having an engagement session just isn’t feasible due to a lack of time, there is always the possibility to ‘save’ your engagement session for later.
You are free to decide when you’d like to use this session, but I highly suggest celebrating your first anniversary by heading to your favorite place (or even head back to the location we did your bridal photos) for a fun shoot. Have a little picnic, bring some drinks or your favorite board game, and let’s do this!
‘Just because’ shoot
That being said, you definitely do not need an excuse to have a couple session! I am a firm believer that everyday life is just as deserving of being documented (if not more) than weddings. Do yourself a favor and get every season of your life together captured. I can guarantee you that when you look back at those photos of the two of you (or more, if your family gets bigger) you won’t regret reliving those moments all over again.
So please, don’t wait for a reason to hang out with each other and have your favorite photographer documenting those moments for you.
Engagement session, pre-wedding session, anniversary celebration, or ‘just because’… Choose your player
By now you’ve probably realised that what I refer to as an engagement session is essentially a couples session that you can decide to use whenever you see fit! Whether you want to feel more relaxed around me on your wedding day by having an engagement or pre-wedding session, or you’d like to celebrate another year of being happily married with a fun shoot, I believe including this kind of session in your wedding package adds so much value to it.
I don’t want to only be your wedding photographer, I want to capture other big – or not so big – life moments for the two of you to remember and relive through photographs for the years to come.
Liked this article? You might want to read this one for some tips to nail said couple shoot and have the best time while you’re at it.
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