So I’m often asked by brides and grooms ‘What is an engagement shoot?’ and ‘Why do I need an engagement shoot? We’ve been engaged for ages!’ Well first and foremost let me say, you don’t need a white dress, you don’t need a reception, you don’t need a photographer, and you don’t need an engagement shoot! BUT… you want the most awesome memories to be preserved for a lifetime, and an engagement shoot is one of those steps to help you achieve that!
- Taryn and Josh brought along Samson the dog to their engagement shoot. They weren’t sure how he would behave on the big day! (click to see photographs of Taryn + Josh’s engagement shoot)
- (Click to see photographs of pets in wedding parties)
Taryn + Josh Engagement Photography by Sky Simone
Most people aren’t professional models. I know I am not! So that means that most people are kind of nervous in front of the camera. There are so many reasons to have an engagement shoot, and here are just a few of my best ones..
- Most people don’t have many professional images of themselves. An engagement shoot is a great opportunity to have some fun with your photographer, and get some photos in a couple of your favorite outfits. I like to mix it up in different outfits so that your photographs aren’t all of you wearing the same clothing.
- Do you have a beloved pet? Maybe Fido isn’t quite ready to walk down the aisle with your expensive diamond rings in his jaw, but you’d still like some amazing photographs with him. Bring the dogs, cats, ferrets, and chickens on your engagement shoot! Some couples already have a Brady Bunch of kids already, and an engagement shoot is a great time for the kids to familiarize themselves with the photographer too, so they don’t feel so much like photography is a chore on the big day!
- Perhaps you are limited in wedding day locations for photographs, due to the ceremony and reception venues you have chosen! If you’re getting married on the beach with a nearby reception, it’s not always practical to go into the woods where you had your first picnic together for wedding photos. An engagement shoot is a great chance to utilize those locations that you may otherwise miss out on!
- The last thing anybody wants is to be told ‘stand and pose, and smile!’ on their wedding day. Wedding photographs should be fun, and they’re going to be more fun if you’ve already got your nervous jitters out the way during your engagement photography shoot.
- If you get your engagement photographs done early enough, you can use them for your ‘save the date’ images on Facebook, or print your own cards too. What a great way to ‘outdo the Jones’ on Facebook and social media. When everybody else has smartphone selfies, you’ll be looking wowzers with your professional photographs.
- Maybe you’re a little shy in front of the camera, and I might have to tell some extra dorky jokes to make you laugh and relax a little. It’s far better to figure this out when you have extra time to play during an engagement shoot.
- It always makes couples more relaxed on the wedding day. It makes your day easier, and it makes my work easier 🙂
- Impress your guests with a signing canvas, signing book, or token cards on your tables!
- We all know what to expect from each other on the day! Maybe you blink a lot in front of the camera.. and maybe my jokes about fish, or monkeys, or giggles make you laugh more, or make you laugh less.. it helps us work together best on the day!
So, now you know why I include an engagement shoot as part of my package. Years of experience has taught me that it definitely creates the best results on the wedding day. It familiarizes me with you, and you with me. It helps you feel how I work, my silly jokes to pinpoint your reactions, how I encourage you, and in doing so am able to capture your emotions.
Engagement shoots are fun and as far as I’m concerned… invaluable. As a wedding photographer, an engagement shoot should be your best friend!
xoxo Sky Simone
