Engagement sessions have recently become one of my favorite things to shoot. I love the one-on-one time I get with couples, the ease of shooting for just an hour, the exploration of new shooting locations, and the interaction I can stir up between two people in love. Engagement sessions are just an all-around good time and very beneficial thing, and I wish more couples would do them.

My wedding photography packages currently include engagement sessions. More times than I’d prefer, couples ask if they can either substitute something else for the engagement session or take it out completely. Their reasons typically include a long engagement, a friend taking them for free, or they simply just don’t want to do an engagement session. Of course I’m not going to force any of my clients to do an engagement session, but I always encourage them to reconsider and share reasons why I love engagement sessions.

I love engagement sessions because…

1. I get to know my couples before the wedding day! I am totally fine with relying on only emails and phone calls before the wedding day because I am a trusting person and I think I book trusting couples. But it’s even better if I get to meet the couples before the big day and engagement sessions are an extra special way to make that happen! Many of the interactions leading up to the wedding day are typically business-related, but this wedding photography experience is also about the personal relationships and connections made. With engagement sessions, I get to know a little about my couples, they get to know a little about me, and before you know it, we’re friends. 🙂 This makes things on the wedding day so much easier! Read on to find out why…

2. Comfort! I spend a ton of time with my couples on their wedding day…sometimes more time than they spend with their parents! But that’s because pictures are a HUGE part of the wedding day! And because there will be so much time spent together, I want to be comfortable with my couples and I want them to be comfortable in return. Being comfortable as a couple-photographer team not only keeps the mood light and fun, but it also translates well in pictures. I feel comfortable directing them and they feel comfortable letting their natural selves out in front of the camera, and we capture pictures like this…

Just pure, genuine emotion and love between the couple…and that equals naturally beautiful images that everyone is happy to share!

3. Practice! I usually get told, “we’ve never done this before” at some point during every engagement session. And that’s ok, I expect it. Unless my couples are models or have a close friend who is a camera fanatic, they shouldn’t know how to act in front of camera. But wouldn’t you rather have such feelings during an engagement session instead of the wedding day!?! Getting professional pictures taken before the wedding day allows for some serious practice for when the pictures really matter! After an hour or so of shooting during the engagement session, we’ll learn the photogenic strengths and be able to use those to our advantage on the wedding day. Add the comfort of the couple-photographer team with practice and that typically means fantabulous pictures on the wedding day!

4. Casual photo op! If wedding pictures are the only professional pictures you have taken as a couple, then all your pictures will look the same…fancy, dressed up and maybe less like you with all the flowers, bows, dresses, and tuxedos floating around (not that having these kinds of pictures is a bad thing). Engagement sessions are an opportunity to be YOU! You in your casual, comfortable clothes, casually taking pictures with your soon-to-be husband or wife. Such casual pictures are good for home decor, save-the-dates and reception features. Besides, who doesn’t love a pretty causal picture of themself for their Facebook profile?? 😉

So if you’re considering NOT doing an engagement session, seriously reconsider. I guarantee it will make your wedding photography experience a hundred times better (and more fun!) and your wedding images will show that! Your photographer will also love you for it. 😉