Why is an Engagement Session Important?

We are going to be honest with you, not just because we are wedding photographers but because we have been there! We think engagement shoots are pretty important.We were once in that in that beautiful “engaged” stage. We admire looking at our walls adorned with our engagement and wedding photos now, adorned with family photos of our son and we are reminded of the legacy we are building. We think engagement portraits are so vital that we price them accordingly so, that couples are able to afford them easily. But if you’re newly engaged, you might be wondering whether or not YOU should think engagement photos are important. Here are few reasons why we think you should definitely value engagement photos and get them taken:

Scottsdale Arizona Engagement Photography

Get to know your photographer & your photographer will get to know you

Your wedding photographer is so much more than just a lens and a clicking shutter! This is a person who will be with you for HOURS on your wedding day, capturing intimate moments and special details, witnessing and recording one of the most significant and emotional days of your life. Let’s face it, if you don’t have a good rapport with your photographer, things have the potential to get pretty awkward. An engagement session allows you to spend productive time with your photographer. Use this opportunity to get to know them!

They’ll get to know you and figure out how to photograph you in the most flattering way possible. You see, not every couple photographs the same. we have seen some couples who were way more quiet and intimate and in turn, their photos were more quiet and intimate. We had other sessions where the couple was giddy and giggly, and in turn, so were their photographs. Everyone is different and there is no wrong way, but by doing an engagement session you allow your photographer to figure out your dynamic so they can then highlight this during your wedding day photos. These sessions also allow for you to get a feel of how your photographer poses you, which leaves you better prepared for your special day.

Grow more comfortable in front of a camera

So many people feel threatened by a camera pointed in their direction! If you’re one of those people who goes stiff and awkward in front of the lens, don’t fear! (no body wants photos having the Chandler Bing face, am I right?!) Once you have a chance to get used to being photographed and to relax into the process, you’ll be amazed at how comfortable and natural you can feel! Having an engagement shoot gives you a chance to develop that comfort BEFORE your wedding day.

Build trust in your finished photography

Wedding photography is a big investment, but you won’t even get a peek at the finished product until after the wedding. That can be nerve-wracking for a lot of couples! Even after you’ve seen samples and galleries from the photographer’s previous work, many couples have trouble imagining what their OWN photos could look like. Having engagement portraits taken is an amazing way to ease your mind! After you see your beautiful portraits, you’ll have a much clearer sense of what kind of images your photographer can create for you and that will allow you to relax and know that you are sure to love your wedding photos as well!

Capture the fleeting time that you’re engaged

Being engaged is a time of transition — shifting from a dating couple to a married one. It’s such a happy, exciting time, but it won’t last forever. Having engagement pictures taken can be a wonderful way to preserve memories of this brief period, so that you can look back on them for years to come. It is the start of your story, the start of your legacy your two are building. Capturing that in photographic form is a beautiful, iconic way for your children, grandchildren, great-grandchild to see where it all started – with you two.

Express yourselves

An engagement session is a perfect opportunity to get beautiful, flattering photos taken of the two of you together just being your unique selves. This is your chance to capture your connection to one another and to express yourselves. You can make your engagement session personalized and be a definition of you two.

Enjoy an unexpected bonding activity

Sometimes it can be hard to find time just for the two of you when you’re not distracted by computers, phones families, friends, work or errands. During your engagement shoot, you’ll be a team, working together and focusing on one another, nothing else … in fact, your photos will turn out SO much better if the two of you really focus on the connection and love between you while you’re being photographed.

Create portraits of the two of you in non-wedding clothes

Your wedding portraits will be cherished forever, but having professional portraits of the two of you in more everyday clothing gives you additional images that you can use in so many different ways. Your wedding photos will be very clearly tied to that specific event, but your engagement photos can be super versatile! Plus, when is the last time you two have had beautiful, professional photos taken of the two of you?

You’ll have photos to use for wedding purposes

We have had clients have prints and canvases made, save the date cards, custom invites, thank you cards, a wedding website, a guest book … all of these are important aspects of your wedding planning that will benefit SO much from beautiful engagement photos!

Are you convinced? We hope so! We adore engagement sessions, and we would love for every couple to have one!