Why Have An Engagement Shoot
Personally, I think engagement photography sessions are mint! But I’m bound to say that, right? Well, let me ask you this: how many pictures do you have of the two of you that aren’t selfies? How many really nice pictures do you have of you as a couple? I’ll bet it’s not a big number. So that’s the first thing, an engagement shoot will give you; a selection of beautiful pictures of the two of you.
What’s that you say? You’re going to have wedding pictures soon and they’re going to be lovely pictures of the two of you. Alright, that’s a fair point. But they’re wedding pictures, and they’re going to be very different. An engagement shoot is all about you; no guests, or balloons, or table decorations, or DJs, just you. And you’re going to look your very best in a really cool every day way. Don’t get me wrong, the wedding aesthetic is grand, but it’s different. This will give you an opportunity to show off in a more low key way.
Ah, but you don’t like “showing off” and you’re not a fan of being in front of the camera? In which case an engagement photography session is a particularly good idea. It’s a great way to get comfortable with the camera. It means that, come the big day, you’re not as worried about your photography and you know the kind of results you’re going to get too. You’ll have a much better understanding of how to stand and pose when it comes to your formal pictures. Not only that, you’re going to be relaxed from the start because you know how it all goes.
Am I sure about that? Yup! I’ve been a professional wedding photographer for years now, and can hands down say that an engagement shoot makes the world of difference. One of the biggest differences is how couples interact with me. Those who have had a pre-wedding shoot know me that much better and are more comfortable by far when it comes to the big day. I know I sound like a broken record, but getting along with your photographer is so important! Your photographer is going to be with you through your whole wedding day and it’s just that bit nicer when they’re already kind of a friend.
So you get nice pictures, practice in front of the camera, and better images on your wedding day. Pretty neat, huh?
You can choose to have your pre-wedding photos taken pretty much anywhere you like. We can go to the beach, or the city, and I know some really great woodland hikes if you fancy it! I’ve done shoots at the Angel of the North, Durham Botanical Gardens, Alnmouth, even been as far as Whitby! That was a good day out. We can plan around a season if you like? Do a big autumnal thing with cosy sweaters and a picnic among the fallen leaves? Or how about capturing the sunset in the city centre? High summer at a ruined abbey? There’s so much scope!
The only thing to bear in mind is that as a wedding photographer most of my weekends are already booked with weddings. Winter isn’t too bad for weekend scheduling, but my summers are usually quite full. That’s not to say there’s never any days free, just that weekends are a bit scarce between April and September. Weekdays are good though!
So check out some of my previous engagement work and if you fancy one yourself you can drop me a line!
