One thing that I talk about in my wedding pricing guide is why engagement sessions are important. Engagement sessions aren’t just to give you some amazing photos of this wonderful season of life. This session also serves a huge purpose in your wedding planning process! I think it is so important to have your wedding photographer take your engagement photos instead of hiring someone else. This is exactly why I include an engagement session in each of my wedding packages. Today I’m sharing four reasons why engagement sessions with your wedding photographer are important!
Meeting Your Photographer
I always try to have a Zoom consultation with my couples when they book me for their wedding day. (I used to do mostly coffee shop consultations, but you know – pandemic. 😂) I think it’s important for us to talk about the wedding, their expectations, how I work on the wedding day, etc. However, I think it is even more crucial to meet your photographer in person and work together at least once before your wedding! You’ll be spending more time with your wedding photographer than any other vendor on your wedding day, and it’s super important to make sure you enjoy being in their company.
Getting Experience in Front of the Camera
Most of my engagement clients haven’t had professional photos taken in a very long time, if at all. Even if they’ve had family or senior photos taken in the last few years, most of my clients haven’t had a romantic photoshoot with their significant other before! Everyone feels a little nervous and awkward in front of the camera initially, and it’s important to get used to being on camera before your wedding day. If you’ve had a successful engagement session with your wedding photographer, it’ll take a lot less time for you to loosen up in front of the camera on the wedding day!
Learning Your Photographer’s Prompting and Posing Style
Every photographer works differently. Truly. No two photographers are the exact same. If you have an engagement session with one photographer and your wedding photos are taken by a different photographer, you’ll probably have two completely unique experiences. My husband and I have had photos taken with three different photographers, and each photographer has had a completely different style! Some photographers do more posing and less prompting. Some photographers are really quiet behind the camera, while others give a lot of direction and hype you up the entire session! You never want your wedding day to be the trial run. It’s super important to learn your photographer’s shooting and posing style before your wedding day!
I am a photographer that believes in prompting over posing. Instead of saying “look at each other and laugh”, I’ll give you a prompt that will create that reaction naturally. I also rarely do poses that are super high fashion/editorial. Instead, I like to do 50% fun and 50% romantic! (After all – you aren’t just soulmates, you’re also best friends!)
Learning Your Comfort Level
Just as every wedding photographer is different, every client is different as well! Some of my clients are up for any pose I throw their way – whether it’s running, tickle fights, or piggy-back rides. Others prefer more simple and subdued posing. Some clients don’t mind kissing in front of the camera, and others prefer to have a little less PDA. That’s definitely something I need to know before your wedding day. I can’t find that out with a questionnaire. It’s something that has to be learned in person during an engagement session! This is because some clients don’t know what their comfort level is until they’re already in front of the camera. An engagement session is a great way to see exactly how I’ll pose and prompt my clients on their big day!
I hope this has been helpful in understanding why it is important to have an engagement session with your wedding photographer! Want to see more wedding planning tips? Click here!
I’m a wedding and lifestyle photographer based in Knoxville, Tennessee but available anywhere. If you have questions about booking me for a session or wedding, click here! To follow me on social media, check out my Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
