Congratulations! It’s official…you’re engaged! As you plan your wedding day, the two of you will be making countless decisions. One of the first things you will decide is whether or not you will have an engagement photo session. There are lots of reasons why couples choose to have an engagement session. Let’s talk about four of the most important reasons! That way, you can make an informed decision and be happy with your choice for years to come:

Reason 1: You will get to know your photographer

Your engagement photo session provides you with the perfect opportunity to break the ice with your photographer and build a genuine connection before your wedding day. Because, like most people, you probably feel more comfortable around friends than you do around complete strangers, getting to know and work with your photographer before your wedding day is definitely in your best interests! This is true for a couple of reasons. First, you and your significant other will feel more comfortable and relaxed in your wedding photos. This means the photos will truly capture memories you will cherish forever. Second, your photographer will come to know you as a couple during the engagement session. That means they will be familiar with which poses you both prefer and how you are comfortable showing affection in front of the camera. As you work with your photographer during the engagement session, they will also get to know what is important to the two of you. Your photographer can then incorporate these things that matter to you into your photos. This authentic connection between you and your wedding photographer leads to mutual trust that translates into epic photos.

Reason 2: You will become more comfortable in front of the camera

When did you last have a professional photo taken? A family photo years ago? A graduation photo? However long ago it may have been, most of us are not routinely in front of the camera. Because of this, a photo shoot can feel intimidating. You may wonder if you can feel comfortable in front of a camera. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have a practice session to overcome this awkwardness before you are in front of a camera for numerous hours on the most important day of your life? You can!! Look at your engagement photo session as precisely that: a fun, more relaxed practice session for your wedding day! A little camera shyness is completely understandable, though. So here are two tips to help you be more comfortable during your engagement session:

• Wear clothes that you are comfortable and confident in. If you feel great in more fitted clothing, go for it! If wearing something tight will make you feel self-conscious, you will thank yourself later if you choose something you feel more natural in.
• With all this being said, it may feel unnatural or awkward at the beginning of your engagement photo session, so have fun together and get your minds on something else. Make your partner laugh by whispering inside jokes or whatever the two of you share that is special just between you, and you will suddenly feel more joyful, relaxed, and natural. Your photos will absolutely reflect this!

Reason 3: You’ll understand what poses work for you & how you photograph before your wedding day

At some point, we’ve all seen a photo of ourselves and wondered what we were doing with our hands or what we were thinking turned at such a strange angle. Choosing the right poses and angles definitely matters. Wouldn’t you prefer to learn which poses work best for you both individually and as a couple without dozens of eyes watching on your wedding day? Again, you’ll be relieved to know that your engagement photo session is a relaxed practice session for your wedding day! You will have the luxury of a more relaxed setting during your engagement session while your professional photographer works with you to perfect the poses.

You should feel comfortable asking your photographer questions. Ask things like:

• Where am I supposed to look?
• Can you photograph my best side?
• What should I do with my hand?

Communicate openly with your photographer so they know if you are uncomfortable with a certain pose or if you love a different one. You will leave your engagement photo session armed with increased confidence in your wedding photographer, and you will feel much more comfortable being in front of the camera on your wedding day! Lastly, after you’ve seen your engagement photos, you will be way ahead of the game because you’ll know which poses you love best and already know some of the photos you want to have taken on your wedding day!

Reason 4: You can use your engagement photos for save-the-dates, a guest book, or a wedding gift

The fourth major reason couples choose to take engagement photos is all of the things you can do with your photos! Engagement photos are perfect for your save-the-date cards. They will make them stand out and much less likely to be misplaced. You could also use them to personalize the guestbook for your wedding day. You can customize your guestbook by simply adding an engagement photo on the front cover. However, if you would prefer to make an even more personalized guestbook, you could use an album of your engagement photos. You might even want to include some key details from your love story in your book—how you met, fell in love, and decided to spend forever together. Or, have you considered displaying these beautiful photos at your wedding for everyone to be able to enjoy? You could use your engagement photos in your table numbers or have a photo wall displaying them. Engagement photos also make wonderful, thoughtful gifts! You could incorporate them into your gifts for the wedding party. Also, your guests will cherish wedding favors that include engagement photos such as candles, framed pictures, tiny snow globes, etc. Lastly, your parents would likely love to receive a photo album with heartfelt sentiments included along with your engagement photos as a wedding gift to them. 

When you and your spouse choose to have an engagement photo session, you will no doubt feel more comfortable on your wedding day and will have truly stunning photos! During this “practice session,” focus on your upcoming marriage and the love you share and, most of all, have fun—your engagement and wedding photographer will take care of the rest! Looking for an engagement photographer? Contact me today!