At least one of these points will make you want to book an engagement photo shoot, today!
As a wedding photographer in Melbourne, I am always so thrilled when my couples choose to have an engagement photo shoot session. It’s honestly one of my favourite parts of the wedding photography journey. The whole getting to know each other process, working out how best to communicate with one another – it’s just thrilling.
Unfortunately, however, the engagement session can sometimes get overlooked, or not even considered. With couples often focusing entirely on getting their wedding day over the line, rather than celebrating an event that probably passed some months prior. But I’m here to tell you, if you skip your engagement photo shoot, you’re missing out on so much!
This pre-wedding photoshoot offers endless advantages to you, the marrying couple. And it really helps me out when trying to figure out how best to capture your celebrations.
Create stunning photography for your wedding stationery & website
For parents, siblings, and best of friends, your wedding stationery is typically cherished forever. Mum will never part with your save-the-date, and your mates will love it when they stumble across invites and place cards from the day, long after the event. So why not make those special pieces of stationery, those personalised bits of paper, even more, personalised! By featuring your professional engagement photo shoot session on them.
How much more impressive, and keepsake-like would your save-the-date become if it had a beautiful photo of you both on it?
But, maybe you’re not into physical stationery, and actually, you’re just going to have a wedding website. All the more reason to get a professional engagement session booked! Instead of filling those web pages with generic template designs, and old shaky selfies. You can use your photo shot images to create an impressive, and delightful-looking website that’ll quickly show your guests just how excited you are about the big day.
Become comfortable in front of the camera
Unless you’re a part-time model, or minor celebrity, it’s unlikely you’ve been professionally photographed too many times. Therefore, the whole process can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. Especially when the first time you’re confronted with the process is during your wedding day. When there’s a million other things you need to think about.
Making time for an engagement photo shoot session ahead of your big day allows you both the chance to get used to the camera, and how your body feels in front of it. It can seem quite alien to some couples, moving their bodies, knowing nearly every moment is being captured. And can often lead to some unintentional posing, and unnatural positions being created.
Having some stress-free, relaxed photos taken before your wedding will be an invaluable experience, and benefit you no end when needing to look your best on the big day. During the session, your Melbourne wedding photographer will undoubtedly share their expert tips on how to stand, what to do with your hands and where best to centre your gaze. Information that needs to be put into practice, and have time to sink in, if it is to be at all effective.
Build a connection with your wedding photographer
During your Melbourne wedding, your photographer will be following you around like the paparazzi. They will always be around, either shooting from afar, or capturing those intimate moments up-close before they’re lost. Therefore, you have to like your photographer. And more than that, you need to trust them. Because of all the suppliers you book for your wedding, the photographer is the one you have to place the most trust in.
There’s a reason why wedding photographers regularly refer to their work as an investment. And that’s because it is the one service you’ll pay for that’ll continue to give back, long after your wedding day. Without the photos from your big day, there’s no proof that you guys even pulled off such an epic celebration!
Building trust with your wedding photographer will not only create better, more relaxed images on the day. But it’ll also help you to relax overall. Knowing that the images of your wedding are in safe hands. One less thing to worry about!
Your photographer discovers how best to capture you both
Not only will an engagement photo shoot aid you in getting to know your photographer. But it’ll also help your photographer to get to know you, too. Which is hugely important for us, as it helps to create the best shots on the day.
We love the opportunity of a dry-run. A pressure off, relaxed day when we can work out the best angles to shoot you from. Gauge how you are with direction, and see what kind of shots you like, and don’t like.
It can be really difficult for couples to describe just what they want from their photography, and sometimes sharing other real wedding photos just doesn’t illustrate the point. So, why not explore your wedding photography wishes practically?
Working out these details during an engagement photo shoot is so much better than discovering them as I’m photographing your wedding. And it means everything will be 99.9% perfect from the moment we begin on the big day.
Celebrate You & Your engagement!
As I mentioned earlier, the actual engagement can seem like a distant memory once you’re 6–8 months down the line, busy planning a wedding. The moment was special, sure, but now you’ve got 175 guests to seat, and for some reason, you’re 3 seats short…!
Suddenly, you seem to have countless new priorities, and not a lot of time to remember what this is all about.
Gift yourself a day, half a day even, and remind each other why you’re planning this wedding in the first place. Spending quality hours in each other’s company, rediscovering favourite spots you used to visit, and creating a memento of the moment is honestly priceless.
The most successful wedding planning couples use their engagement photo shoot session as a reset. A pause in all the chaos, and an opportunity to celebrate. They’ll often make a day of it. Shooting with me in the morning/afternoon, and then taking off together to go for drinks or a romantic dinner. Couples sometimes need an excuse to do that kind of stuff, especially when planning a wedding. And an engagement session offers the perfect excuse to let loose.
Bonus tip!
If you can time your hair and beauty trials for the same time as your engagement shoot, not only will you get to see if they’re right for you. But you’ll also have a professionally prepared look for your photos! Win-win!
Hopefully, I’ve inspired you to book an engagement session in Melbourne with your wedding photographer, and convinced you that it’s practically an essential task in the planning timeline! It would be my pleasure to help you one step further, and actually be your wedding photographer!
I capture honest, candid, and vibrant wedding photography that you’re guaranteed to enjoy time & time again. Classic shots you’ll be proud to display on your walls, and adore sharing with generations to come.You are welcome to browse through my portfolio of wedding, and engagement photography. And if you like what you see, feel free to get in touch via my contact page.
