February 24, 2023
If you are going to listen to any wedding planning tips that I give you, let it be this one. Please, please, please get your engagement photos done. While that may come across as biased, since I am a wedding photographer it is with good reason that I say this! There are many reasons why I absolutely love engagement sessions and delivering a perfectly curated engagement gallery. However, many couples nowadays look at engagement sessions as negotiable. While technically, yes, in my eyes it most certainly is not.
Below are just a few reasons on why you need engagement photos and how impactful they can be on the entire wedding planning experience.
Get To Know Your Wedding Photographer In Advance
One of the most important reasons why I recommend booking an engagement session is so that you can get to know your wedding photographer in advance. This is particularly the case if you are working with the same photographer as your wedding day.
Your engagement session may be the first time that you are meeting your wedding photographer in person. Wedding photographers look to the couple to help them in telling and curating their story. Through a series of email correspondence, questionnaires and getting to know our couples, this is how we can best tell your story. During the engagement session, is when we are able to see how you act in front of the camera. This will help us in guiding you and making sure we are capturing you and your partner as authentically as possible.
This alone should be one of the most important factors when it comes to deciding whether or not you should book an engagement session.
Document Your Engagement
This is pretty self-explanatory, but your engagement session is there to document your engagement and love! This is such an exciting time in your life and it shouldn’t go undocumented or cherished. While yes, there is always the small photoshoot via your iPhone, nothing will compare to the power that professional engagement photos will have. #sorrynotsorry
Get More Comfortable In Front Of The Camera
Having an engagement session with your wedding photographer will also help you and your partner get more comfortable in front of the camera. For many of you, this may be your first time getting professional photos taken. This is a big deal! With “first timers” it can be incredibly nerve-wracking having to prepare and take engagement photos. There are so many steps that go into preparing alone, that this can make you incredibly uncomfortable in front of the camera. Which, if you’re looking for some engagement prep tips click here!
Your engagement session is basically the practice run for your wedding day. Spoiler alert: uncomfortability shows on camera even if you deny it. We can tell. So rather than winging it on the day-of, let your photographer be there to help guide you! Your photographer is there to help you look and feel your very best during your engagement session so let them do their job!
Your Engagement Photos Can Be Decor On Your Wedding Day
Something that tends to get overlooked is how well you can repurpose your engagement photos. One of those being incorporating your engagement photos in your wedding decor! I have seen plenty of couples incorporate their engagement photos all throughout their wedding day decor. This can include wedding signage, guestbooks, centerpieces and tiny momentos to showcase your love story. Your engagement photos do not need to just live on your social media feeds and cell phone. Instead, make the most of them and use them to tell the story of how you met and make your wedding day just *that* much more intentional.
Read more about how to get the most out of you engagement photos!
Use Your Engagement Photos For Save-The-Dates
Another way you can incorporate your engagement photos throughout the wedding planning process is through your save-the-dates! You are able to print them on your save-the-date cards or even post them on your wedding website to help inform guests of changes/rules/etc. Your engagement session is more than just one and done, it can be used for a ton of different other wedding planning aspects.
Keep in mind that if you are planning on using your engagement photos for your save-the-dates, to communicate this with your photographer. Depending on your photographers turn around time for edited images, you will need to book your engagement session with enough time to receive your photos to send out your save-the-dates.
Perfect For Hair & Makeup Trials
For all of you planning on getting glam for the big day, your engagement session is the perfect trial run for your hair & makeup! Many people who choose to have professional hair & makeup done, will often book their engagement session on the day that they have their hair and makeup trials. That way you are getting the most bang for your buck and are looking fab for your engagement session. We love a two for one deal!
Use It As A Bonding Experience With Your Partner
Best of all, having an engagement session allows you to use it as a bonding experience with your partner. It can be easy to get distracted with all of the logistics of planning a wedding. You may end up becoming more irritable or annoyed at certain things throughout the process. Don’t worry though, you’re not alone. However, I encourage you to take your engagement session as a time to bond with your partner. Experience this moment together and remember why you fell in love and why you’re getting married in the first place. We can get so caught up with wedding planning and just life in general, that sometimes we forget how and why it all started.
Use your engagement session as the perfect opportunity to get cozy with your partner. Even make a date night out of it and use the day to your advantage. After all, this engagement session is all about you and your love story! So treat it as such.
Wedding Planning Tips | Why You Need Engagement Photos
Reminder, at the end of the day you are getting freakin’ married and don’t you forget it! Your engagement photos are more than just “getting pretty pictures”. They are an opportunity to celebrate this moment in time with your partner, get glam and have fun. Your engagement session is not meant to be a hassle, in the slightest. In fact, this is one of the parts of the wedding planning process that most couples look forward in celebrating!
So if you’re ready to take the leap and book your engagement session, fill out my contact form and let’s get to planning!
Wedding Planning Tips & Resources
If you’re looking for some more wedding planning tips and resources, check out some other helpful blogs below!
