Importance of an Engagement Session

Do you know what the importance of having an engagement session is? The engagement session is a critical part of your wedding photography experience. The benefits, reasons, and importance of an engagement session outweigh skipping one. However the number one question on a wedding consult call is if the engagement session is required. I believe this comes from an attempt to save money in the budget. But that is why I include an engagement session as a booking gift. There is no monetary value and therefore no reason not to take advantage.

In addition to the engagement session being a gift, I have provided many reasons below as to the importance of an engagement session.

Fun Engagement Activity

Catering and cake tasting are some of the top rated aspects of wedding planning and understandably so. Especially for the guys because everyone loves food and cake. However your engagement session is something that can be fun too. It’s a time for you to be together, holding, kissing, and enjoying being engaged. Some couples plan their engagement session around their hair and make-up trial so they are pampered prior to their session. Then most enjoy a delicious dinner after the session. Above all, it’s a great afternoon/evening together!

Practice & Confidence

Practice makes perfect. Many couples share they are not models and don’t know what to do. So would you rather not know what to do at your engagement session or on your wedding day? I say engagement session. At your engagement session we have more time that is relaxed. I always tell my couples the engagement session is a time for us to get to know one another and practice the poses. By the end your confidence will have increased and you will feel better about what to do with your hands. This way, come wedding day when we have less time and are more urgent to get to the reception we can work quickly and efficiently. Being in front of the camera isn’t always easy. So having that moment to do so before your wedding is key.

Getting Comfortable

One thing most couples don’t do before they get married is have professional pictures taken, individually or together! The groom always seems to be the one who is hesitant to get in front of the camera. Many people, in general, don’t enjoy having their photo taken but many men loath it. Having the engagement session allows you to become comfortable in front of the camera. It gives you an opportunity to see how easy it is to pose, which really just means being together with your partner. It also confirms the “awkward” poses that felt weird during the engagement session are actually really amazing once you see the gallery. This empowers you to redo those poses at the wedding for those intimate and romantic photos in your wedding attire! So that by the wedding day, you’re are a pro at being in front of the camera!

Find your poses

This is the time when we will try out different poses. You can tell your photographer (me) what you are comfortable doing, versus not. I always ask about insecurities, and preferences to ensure that you are comfortable. That way when it comes to your wedding day we know what poses you love versus ones you may not like. But always remember to trust your photographer. We are trained to know what poses work best for each situation, scenario, grouping, etc. So while something may feel awkward to you, it just might end up being your favorite shot!

Beautiful Images

Who doesn’t love photos? They are great gifts, wonderful to look back on, and share! Whether it’s your save the dates, wedding website, or scattered throughout your wedding, photos are always a good choice. It documents this season of your life, being engaged. With an engagement session you get to have more than just your wedding photos to look back on! Photos sessions can then continue after your wedding on anniversaries or milestones such as adding a pup or baby. All of these photos capture your family year after year to show the growth. Your legacy!

As you can see there are no bad reasons to grab your guy, get dressed up, and have beautiful photos taken. Please don’t remove this from your photography experience.