With the new wedding season underway, I’m filling my calendar with engagement sessions for Autumn. I LOVE having this time with my couples before their wedding day.
I always explain to my couples that engagement sessions are a great chance to get to know each other prior to their wedding. We learn more about each other as people. I learn more about how they feel in front of my lens, and they get a feel for my shooting/posing style. I really treasure this time with my brides and grooms.
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Having that relaxed time together means my couples are already pros by the time their wedding day portraits come around. Why is this important? Because my Bride and Groom already know what to expect, we can jump straight in if the timeline gets crunched!
Couples will often feel awkward to begin with during the early stages of engagement sessions, and that’s absolutely fine! They’re just getting used to me, and being in front of my camera. I understand they’re not professional models, so I don’t expect them to know what to do without a bit of direction from me. I talk a lot from behind my camera at engagement sessions. It’s how I get to know my couples and helps make them feel as comfortable as possible.
If we skipped an engagement session, and a couple’s wedding portraits are crunched for time? They will spend the first 15-20 minutes getting “warmed up,” then just when they’re hitting their stride, we have to stop! Of course, not every couple wants an engagement session. In these instances I like to ensure we allow more time for portraits on the wedding day, so we still get beautiful, natural photos.
And really, who wouldn’t want more pretty pictures with which to adorn their walls?
