“6 Reasons That Engagement Photos Before Your Wedding Should Be Mandatory”
You get to meet your photographer.
- You may have booked your wedding over the phone, via Skype (modern technology…crazy!), or over a cup of coffee. Now it’s time to actually hang out and see what this crazy person with a camera is all about.
- This is your chance to ask questions, make real connections, and just have some fun!
See your photographer in action
- Here you can get a feel for your photographer’s style. Do they communicate clearly? Do they have a knack at making you feel comfortable? Do they seem like they know what the heck they are doing?
- You should take some time to observe their behavior. Too much fiddling with dials and frustrated sighs might be a red flag that this Photog is struggling to make these photos happen. You should be shown photos along the way as they are being created. Make sure to comment on photos you like or do not like.
- The photographer should be able to accommodate your requests and ideas while coming up with their own creative images as well. You should be blown away.
See how you look on camera.
- Yes, you’ve seen yourself on camera. But not on this camera. Depending on the lens choice, lighting, or angle, you can look very different. Your photographer’s job is to know how to control these elements to make sure you both look your best! A photo taken with a fisheye lens (super wide angle) may look crazy and cool on the dance floor, but this will not be very flattering as a portrait of your face.
Time to ask questions
- Feel free to use this time to ask lots of questions. Your photographer should not be annoyed by this, but welcome the chance to explain things to you so that you will feel completely at ease with how everything will flow on your wedding day.
- It should be your photographer’s goal to spend this time building trust so that when they show up on your wedding day, it is like an old friend is there to capture these moments with you.
Build a relationship
- The most important aspect of the photographer client relationship is the relationship itself! Can you trust that if you need to talk to your photog, you can pick up the phone and actually get through? Are you comfortable doing so? I hope so. It is all about this relationship. You need to feel that your photographer sees you as a person and is thrilled to be part of your wedding day. If you feel like you are just a number, you may be. Use the engagement photo session to build a rapport with your wedding photographer.
Have Fun
- Engagement photos are awesome. Get dolled up and have beautiful photos taken of you and your sweetie. What is better than that?! Ladies, go all out. Get your hair and makeup done for this. These photos can be used for save the dates, guest books, table decoration at your wedding, or just used to make your place feel more like a home.
- This day is meant to be fun, and your photographer should be excited to spend this time with you.
I personally love to shoot engagement photos. Relationship building is at the heart of what I do and there is no better way to do that then to book an engagement session. It always feels like an adventure to me. Most of my collections come with a free engagement session for this exact reason. I want my clients to understand what I do, how I do it, and to know that I am there with them through their wedding day and beyond. I do not have any “former clients”, only clients who I’ve worked with in the past and will likely work with again in the future. I like to call them friends.