Engagement Session Photography – 5 Reasons to Book

I’m excited to add another post in my series on wedding photography planning. Two weeks ago I shared why you should consult your wedding photographer when creating your timeline and last week I helped you pick the perfect wedding photography package to bring you joy. This week I’m telling you why booking engagement session photography with your wedding photographer will get you the amazing wedding photos you’ve been dreaming of!

You’re already paying X amount of dollars on your wedding photography, so why should you invest in engagement session photography as well? Read on to understand the five reasons I think engagement session photography is a *great* idea…

1. It builds rapport. You may not always meet your wedding  photographer in person when you decide to book them, depending on your location & everyone’s schedules. But even if you do meet them in person, the dynamic that exists between photographer & client when there’s an actual camera involved & photos are being taken can’t be replicated. During your engagement session photography, you’ll have the chance to get to know each other & understand how each other works & reacts in a way you wouldn’t fully grasp if you weren’t to do an engagement session before your wedding day.

2. You’ll get to practice when the pressure is off! Even the best planned wedding brings some level of stress for the bride(s) & groom(s). There are butterflies, nerves, & excitement! Add a camera to the mix and sometimes those little anxieties can multiply. Think how confident you will feel on your wedding day if you’ve already practiced having your photo taken with your honey. You’ll know how your photographer works, will have your poses down to a T, & can be relaxed and at ease in front of the camera because you’ve done it all before. One less thing to worry about on your wedding day! 3. Your photographer will get to know you. Just as it’s important for you to get to know your photographer & feel comfortable in front of the camera, it’s a great bonus that your photographer gets to know you before your wedding day! If you’ve already done a photo shoot with him or her, your photographer will know your quirks, your personality, & how you interact as a couple and will be able to give you the most appropriate posing queues based on that information. They will know what poses & angles make you come alive, and will understand what photos you liked best from your engagement session. Every little bit of insider knowledge like that helps to bring you the best wedding photography experience on your wedding day!

4. You get a wider variety of portraits! Of course you’re going to look amazeballs on your wedding day in your gorgeous gown & dapper suit. That will be you at your best! But there’s also something to be said for having commemorative photos of you as your natural selves, for documenting your engagement. It’s such a precious time in your lives, it should be captured with photos of you in your everyday or dressed up clothes at a location that holds precious meaning to you as a couple. Plus these images are great to use on your save-the-date cards & your wedding website. And hello Facebook profile pic! haha 5. And last, but maybe most importantly, you’ll have more time to enjoy your wedding. If you’ve already practiced your poses with the photographer during your engagement session photography, your photographer knows you & your beloved, & you all feel comfy together, you’re going to be able to move through your wedding day portraits like pros! That leaves you more time to get back to your guests OR to get extra poses in for your portraits (extra time alone with your new husband or wife!). Either way you’ll be getting beautiful photos while having more time to enjoy your wedding day & in so doing, get the most out of the investment you’ve made in all of your vendors. Win win!