Engagement shoots have a bit of a bad reputation as being cheesy, some people actually find the idea of them mildly terrifying! Now allow me to let you in on a little secret, they absolutely don’t have to be!
If there’s one thing I don’t do it’s cheesy photographs of any kind. Chances are you’ve booked me because you like my natural style and how relaxed everyone always looks in my images. This doesn’t just apply to my wedding photography, it definitely applies to my engagement shoots too!
Let’s get to know each other
An engagement shoot is a brilliant way for us to get to know each other. They’re always really chilled out, we pick somewhere nice to meet and we go for a wander round, chatting about life, the two of you, your wedding plans and everything else in between! I’ll stop every now and then if I see somewhere with some beautiful light or scenic background to grab a shot of the two of you having a cuddle, a chat, a laugh and maybe even a kiss here or there. I don’t really do posing. I’ll just tell you roughly where to stand and give you a bit of direction, usually along the lines of “turn and face each other and have a cuddle”, or “put your foreheads together.” The main rule for every engagement shoot is “ignore me!” which is actually surprisingly easy to do!
Engagement shoots can help with wedding day nerves
If you are someone who’s nervous about having your photo taken on your big day (if I had a penny for every time I’ve heard the “I do the Chandler smile” thing…) then an engagement shoot if definitely for you! They’re a great way to completely get rid of that worry and help you to focus all of your energy back into your wedding planning and getting excited for your big day! It will give you an insight to how I will work on your wedding day and after it you’ll feel far more comfortable about being in front of my lens.
I don’t often get a chance to meet my couples before their wedding as my schedule’s often very hectic so booking an engagement shoot guarantees a meeting with me in person where we can have a good natter about your wedding plans. We can go over the timeline of your day in detail and if you need any help with any planning bits, like finding certain suppliers I can give you some help with that too! I love getting to meet my couples in person before their wedding. I love getting to hear about their plans and watching their eyes light up with excitement when they talk about it! We always build up a real rapport during the shoot so by the time your wedding day comes around it’s as though I’m just another friend that’s in the room with you!
The photographs that you will receive from your engagement shoot could also be put to use in your wedding itself. If you book your shoot early enough you could use them on your Save the Dates, or if you have your shoot closer to your wedding you could frame some prints and have them dotted around your venue as part of your wedding décor.
Engagement shoots are also one of the things you can do in the lead up to your wedding to really get you excited for it! I know a lot of aspects of wedding planning can often be quite stressful, basically anything involving logistics and money (so basically everything!). I like to think of engagement shoots as the photography version of cake tasting and menu tasting. Food tasting is definitely a part of the planning process that is the most fun and engagement shoots can definitely be at the same level. They’re always really laid back, we have a good laugh and at the end of it you get some really lovely images to treasure. And if you like, when the shoot’s over, we’ll even pop into a café for a slice of cake!
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