4 Reasons Why We Think Every Couple Should Have An Engagement Session
“Getting engaged is one of the most exciting milestones in life. We are both so full of genuine happiness and having Kristina and Jerico capture our happiness and turn them into beautiful pictures that we will have for the rest of our lives means so much to us.”- Carlie
An engagement session is an opportunity to dress up and get your picture taken, right? Yes, thats true but thats not all an engagement session has to offer.
The engagement session is a time for couples to take a step back from the wedding planning process, to be together, be playful, and just be themselves. Below are 4 reasons why we think every couple should have an engagement session. Also, read quotes from real brides about their engagement sessions.
1. Documenting your relationship
The engagement shoot is a great opportunity to highlight the true personality of a couple in a more relaxed and natural environment. A good tip for both you is to choose a location that is comfortable, and is a meaningful reflection of your personality or love story. This adds a personal touch to the photos, and showcases you in a relaxed environment, that is a true reflection of your personality as a couple. Maybe the location you first met or had your first date? Maybe the spot he proposed or maybe your favorite park to walk your pup. We love being able to incorporate places and props that tell your unique love story. If you love being outside, finding a pretty park or going to the beach would be perfect. If you both love art, downtown offers some awesome murals and architecture to add to your photos.
2. To get comfortable in front of the camera
Let’s be honest, it’s not really normal to have cameras pointed at you and its most definitely going to be awkward at first. I promise, the awkward-ness goes away in like 15 mins. Odds are, neither you nor your partner are professional models for a living. (But if you are, you'll be just fine.) That's why it's important to get a "test run" before your wedding day where the photos will likely feel more significant. Not everyone feels natural posing in front of a professional photographer—especially when it comes to taking candid or romantic shots with your partner—and an engagement session should feel, in part, like practice. Not every pose works perfectly with every couple. The engagement session allows your photographer to figure out the most flattering way to position the couple. By having an engagement session, you'll learn how to relax, feel at ease and even look less tense in your real wedding photos. That's pretty important.
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3. You'll get to see professional photos of yourselves before the wedding.
The advantage of seeing professional pics before saying "I do" is you can let your photographer know ahead of time if there are shots or angles you don't care for and you can point out shots you do like too. Remember, communication is key. Maybe you didn’t know that you have a preferred side and now you do because of the pictures. Let your photographer know that way you are 100% happy with your wedding day photos. Tip: Have your hair and makeup trial done on the same day as your engagement session. This way, you get to see how it looks in photos and can let your stylists know if there's anything you'd like to change. Once you see your engagement images and get excited about them, you'll have more confidence in yourselves and in your photographer. When the time comes to tie the knot, you'll look forward to having your pictures taken, instead of dreading the thought of having a camera pointed at you all day.
Photo taken at Jacksonville, Beach.
“Engagement sessions allow for everyone to see the true love between a couple. We laughed the whole time and we felt so comfortable with our photographers. It was a double date! The session also made us more comfortable in front of the camera before our big day!” - Bailey
“It’s great to have an engagement session, not only to become familiar and comfortable with posing with your partner, but also to get beautiful photographs that are memorable and lasting. Not to mention its an exciting date: you both dress up, have intimate moments and can go out on the town afterwards looking your best and feeling confident.”-Kristen
4. Offers a chance for you to get to know your photographer.
In addition to helping you get comfortable in front of the camera, the engagement shoot is also a great time to get familiar with your photographer. Every photographer has a different style of directing and photographing people and this is a great opportunity for you to get comfortable with your photographer and understanding their “lingo.” As photographers, we are often looking to understand and learn the relationship dynamics of our clients – how they interact as a couple and what is their comfort level in front of the camera. Most of our couples will tell you that its like we are on a double date! We just like to have fun! Our posing is more of us positioning you in beautiful light and creating moments for you two to enjoy. Most engagement shoots last an hour or two and this gives both parties plenty of time to interact, socialize, and just get to know you both.
Photo taken at Jacksonville, University.
“An engagement session was a little foreign to me when my fiance brought it up, but it totally makes sense to get to know your crew before the big day! Its also an awesome opportunity to get a feel of what W-Day will feel like and getting cute pictures that you can look back on and even use for announcements/save the dates! So glad it was recommended!”- Jenny
Uses for the engagement photos
Most clients who choose to have an engagement session tend to use the photos as save the date cards, guest sign-in books, wedding website setup, or even placing them around the wedding reception area as part of the reception decor.
“For us, we had been together for so long we just got in the groove of each other and life. Being able to have engagement pictures took us back to when we were all giggly and first together and we were able to capture those feelings as well as catch all the new emotions of the next chapter we’d be starting. Plus, for us, we have 2 kids already, it was one of the best date nights since it was just us being all mushy.”- Brandi
Photo taken in Amelia Island.
“The reason I was excited about having an engagement session was that it gave us a chance to get comfortable in front of the camera and comfortable with our photographers BEFORE the day of our wedding. You have your makeup trial, a hair trial, you taste your catering and your cake before so why wouldn’t you have a trial run of the part of your wedding that you actually get to keep afterwards? I loved having an engagement session because Kristina and Jerico gave me the peace of mind that my wedding photos were going to be stunning” - Emily
We don’t want you to miss an amazing opportunity! We believe engagement sessions are so important that we actually offer them for FREE to couples that book us as their wedding photographers. Are you ready to schedule your engagement session but don’t know what to wear? We got you. Click here to see our engagement session guide.