Should You Have an Engagement Session?
Congratulations! The love of your life has asked you to marry them and you said “Yes!”. You have started the planning process and while on the search for the perfect photographer to capture your day, you come across the question of whether or not you need to have an engagement session. If you ask me for my opinion, and I am assuming you are since you are reading this, I will always tell you “Yes!”.
It’s no secret, I am pretty passionate when it comes to telling love stories.
As your photographer, and honestly just as a human who enjoys happy people, I want you to have the best experience possible when it comes to your own love story being told. I am so sure about how important engagement sessions are that I have complimentary engagement sessions built in to both of my wedding packages. The amount of time I put in for a one-hour session is closer to 4-6 hours. Why do I give away 4-6 hours of my life for free? The answer is quite simple.
Your engagement session is as much for you as it is for your photographer.
For most of my couples, their engagement session is the first time we get to meet face to face. This in person meeting provides the perfect opportunity to further establish our client-photographer relationship. By the end of the session you know that you don’t have to worry about me no-showing your big day (because I am just as excited for it as you are). You know that I am easy going, supportive, and will guide you through your session. You’ll trust me more and I will know you better which will help me tell your love story better!
But most importantly, you’ll know that you can’t do anything wrong.
Knowing that you can’t do anything wrong and being familiar with me photographing you will help you feel so much more relaxed when your wedding day arrives. And when you are relaxed it will show - in your smiles, eyes, and hands. The result of that will be more natural looking photographs that you will be very happy with!
Other reasons you should have an engagement session…
It’s fun! Make a date night of it. Get dressed up, flirt and have fun during your session, then go out of dinner or desert!
It’s the perfect opportunity to trial run your hair and/or makeup.
Engagement photos make the perfect “save the date” cards!
You can use your engagement photos as decor on your wedding day (place them on tables, hang them around the venue, etc.) Your guests will love looking at your photos during the reception/down times.
Some wedding venues will let you use the venue for your engagement photos, which is the perfect opportunity to scout out your favorite spots!
Your engagement is something to be celebrated! You will never be in this moment again and the importance of that deserves a celebration of its own.
Engagement sessions are so much fun and make my heart so happy to capture. It’s a time where the couple is free to radiate joy and celebrate their love without the stress of the wedding day, and the results of that are always beautiful.
I hope this short blog post helps to highlight how important having an engagement session with your photographer is and that it helps you feel more confident when saying “Yes!” to booking your own session!
Don't forget... If you are not engaged yet or are already happily married, couples portraits still make an amazing date night activity and are a great way to capture where you are in life together!
