The Case for an Engagement Shoot
Not sure what we were trying to do here…
I’ll preface this by saying, we didn’t do an engagement shoot. We did pay for it and wanted to plan for it, but before we knew it, it was time for the wedding! Though we did use the extra hours with our photographer at another prewedding festivity, it would have been really nice and helpful to do a shoot even 3 months ahead of time. I really wish we had, and I strongly suggest going for an engagement shoot.
For us - it would have been helpful because we would have gotten used to our photographers telling us how to pose, where to move, how to tilt our heads, where to put our hands, etc during a more relaxed shoot. We would not have felt weird and awkward when we were just wanting to get to the party AND would not have been making weird faces and over exaggerating (what seemed to us as odd) movements - we would have been better listeners and had even more amazing pictures!
Just an awkward pose..and my best weird face to accompany it.
Our talented & very patient photographer managed to get many gorgeous shots, but she definitely had a few John or I are making weird faces in! Here are some of the awesome benefits of doing an engagement photoshoot with your wedding photographer.
You’ll know how much time to allow for pictures of yourselves, and have a more accurate gauge of how much time it might take for your family/friends during the wedding. I always think - oh it will just take a few minutes. In actuality it can take much longer. Especially when you have kids involved, a large wedding party, a large family, anyone dramatic, any sort of action shots, outside shots and inside shots, etc.
You’ll try out various poses and creative ideas, get a feel for what looks and feels fun and natural for you both, and have the time to do so rather than being stressed about getting to your guests and party.
Photographers will have their own ideas on shots, angles, etc - and you DO want them to have the time to experiment. Again - it will help narrow down what type of shots work best for you as a couple.
As you prepare for your engagement shoot, you’ll be looking at photo ideas, and planning shots that you want to get. It’s less overwhelming to try fresh ideas during your engagement photos than it is during the actual big day!
You can do your shoot anywhere that’s meaningful to you! It is much easier to plan for a photoshoot outdoors than a wedding outdoors, especially with the unpredictable weather here in MN.
You’ll have awesome pics to share with family and friends for your save the dates, wedding website, thank you cards, and even holiday cards.
Many photographers do include an engagement shoot in their wedding packages, or offer them at a discounted rate when you book the wedding.
If you are not certain about the photographer - it may be a good way to try them out. If you want to get dressed up for your shoot, what a great way to utilize a hair and makeup trial.
Sometimes during wedding shoots, family pictures and wedding party pictures may become more of a priority - or you may be interrupted by guests, this way you have focused time just for you as a couple.
It can be a really fun date!
We did much better on day 3!
If you are looking for great ideas to be more comfortable posing, check out my photographer Mariah's blog post!