FAQ: Do we need an Engagement Session?

Well, ok, of course I’m going to say yes.  But hear me out:

It gives you a chance to get to know your photographer.  Your wedding photography is a huge investment, and you are going to spending the most important day of your life with your photographer.  Doing an engagement session will help you get to know him/her/me before your wedding day so you know exactly what to expect and you know that you actually enjoy hanging out with them.  A lot of couples I talk to are not sure they are comfortable with the idea of having a photographer following them around all day.  Engagement sessions really go a long way to dispelling that discomfort.  Suddenly, we’re not strangers with a big camera – we’re friends!  Moreover, you can be confident that your wedding images will look great because you have already seen images from us.  Just that level of comfort and confidence will help you look more relaxed and happy in your wedding photos.

It will give you a variety of photos to have for yourselves and for your family.  I know, with digital cameras there are cameras everywhere and we all have a million pictures of ourselves, right?  Your computer, your phone, your best friend, all can take pictures.  But how many of those are good pictures?  I think we get so used to seeing bad facebook photos that we forget how valuable it is to have a few really beautiful images.  You can display them, give them to family members, use them for your invitations, save-the-dates, guestbook, etc.

It’s really fun!  After one recent session Kamran put it like this – it’s like going to the spa, before you go you don’t really think you need it, but afterwards you are really happy you went.  The thing is, a photoshoot is not necessarily how you imagine it or remember it from your childhood.  We go someplace cool, hang out, and you and your SO spend an hour or more hugging, kissing, and gazing into each others eyes.  It’s like a love potion, it feels good.  Trust me. 😉

Let me put it another way.  Guys (and girls, too) are often kind of nervous about having photos taken – whether it’s an engagement session or your wedding day.  But after the engagement session they realize that it’s more relaxed than they thought it would be and that we’re ok with being goofy and trying out wacky ideas.  We’ve even had guys who were previously nervous suggest we do extra engagement sessions just for fun.

So, there are a few things, do you have any other suggestions?