As our nation strives to become more budget-oriented within the wedding world, many a client will ask if we could forgo the engagement session to cut down on the price. And I get it, I really do. From their perspective, it's not near as important as time on the wedding day, but not having your wedding day photographer shoot an engagement session is actually removing quality from your big day photos, and here's why.
WHY IT'S REALLY FOR YOU
The engagement session is definitely when you and your fiancé can celebrate this period of your life that will only last a short time. This is also the opportune moment to take your photographer out for a trial run. By having a friend or less expensive photographer take your engagement photos, you're shorting yourself the advantage of experiencing your wedding day tog before the big day. It's as if you decided that you would be wearing that Vera Wang gown you've been in love with, but you won't take the time to try it on and have it altered. Your wedding day is not when you want to wear that dress for the first time. Photography is no different. The engagement session is in a way also that test drive to make sure you're happy with what the wedding will be like.
WHY IT'S ALSO REALLY FOR ME
So while it's also important for you to experience your photographer, it's equally important for your photographer to experience you, individually and as a couple. Each couple is different and the engagement session is the perfect time to see how they interact with each other and the camera. To see how aware of the camera they are versus being able to just enjoy the moment with each other. This is when I stock up on my arsenal of funny moments, new inside jokes, and insights to your personality that I can pull out during the wedding day during moments of stress, nerves, feigning smiles, and just overall wedding day emotions. This is my chance to put you at ease and let you see that this picture-taking thing is really not that bad.
By having the engagement session and going through that process, we can all start your day in confidence knowing what to expect from each other. That's a win-win in my book.