We all know that weddings are pricey! With all sorts of little details out there waiting to take a small fortune from your bank account it’s tempting to cut a corner here and there.

Don’t let your engagement photos end up on the chopping block!

Some wedding photographers (like Paisley Layne Photography) include an engagement session with their wedding packages, and I highly suggest you take advantage of it. Below are 5 reasons why you need to book an engagement session…now! 

 

 1. Get Comfortable in the Hot Seat!

With as many cameras as we have floating around these days, it’s a mystery why most people get a bit fidgety in front of the camera.  Perhaps it’s the big camera or maybe it’s the thought that these photographs may be on display for the rest of your life, but regardless of the cause, being photographed by a professional is not a natural experience!

But, just like riding a bike or learning the guitar, practice makes perfect!  It never fails that the best pictures come from the last 30 minutes of the session because you are the most comfortable at that point.  The first half-hour of a shoot is more about teaching couples  how to relax in front of the camera.  It’s a lot better to do this during a pre-wedding session than on your big day!

 

 2. Know Your Photographer

Wedding photography can be a difficult thing to choose!  Photographers don’t have certifications or licenses to prove they are good at what they do.  And even if they did, picking one based on your particular style can be daunting.  Think of an engagement session as a sort of insurance policy.  If you really don’t like how they photograph you, it’s a lot better to learn this before the fact than after your wedding has finished!

A personal relationship with your photographer is also more important than just about any other vendor/couple relationship.  There is no problem if you don’t work well with the person who made your dress or the person who arranged your bouquets.  Your photographer, however, is creating a visual memory of your day.  Somehow, there is always a bit more sparkle in our client’s eyes when they already know and trust the person on the other side of the camera.

 

 

3. Start Learning What You Like

Feedback always helps before the big day.  We photographers tend to have a personal style like a fingerprint, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t vary on our shooting style.  An engagement is sort of a ‘style test-run’ in this sense because in-between an engagement session and the wedding, we love to hear your feedback, both good and bad.  It helps us to know what you liked and didn’t like.  Maybe you didn’t even know what you liked and didn’t like.  This way, however, both photographer and client can be on the same page when it comes to shooting style.

 

 

4.  Save The Date’s Made Personal and Easy

Some of my favorite Save The Date mailers have been photographic.  Photographers are usually willing to create a few photographs during your engagement session specifically tailored to creating a great, personal save the date image that will be memorable and add personal flavor to your wedding!

 

5. Expressing Yourselves Creatively

Speaking of putting your personal touch, when was the last time in your adult life you hired a photographer to take excellent, carefully created still images to mark a particular moment of your lives?  If you’re like most people, you’ll say never.  And for many of you, this will be one of the only chances you get.

During your wedding, the photographer will cover your day to the best of their ability.  However, very little opportunity for taking creative, conceptual, illustrative pieces will present itself.  I mean, it’s a wedding!  It has a schedule and a million people to please.  What I am getting at is this: why not take a small but great opportunity to work with an artist to express your love and personality creatively?  This may be your only shot to truly visually say, ‘This is us!  In all our youth and vitality!  This is not only how we looked but how we felt about each other for all the world to see!’  Why not?

 

 

Want more wedding planning tips – check out these other great resources:

Creative Engagement Session Ideas 

8 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Venue

The Best Bridal Boutiques in Dallas/Ft Worth