Congratulations Feyoncé! He put a ring on it! Now you are probably bombarded with wedding plans and steps on how your sister or future sister-in-law or best friend did her wedding and the ins and outs of wedding planning. Not to mention making pins on Pinterest about wedding DIYs and they would probably suggest doing an engagement session with a wedding photographer that they had or know about.
So why do you need to do an Engagement session?
First of all, if you are a budgeting bride that's not a problem! You don't have to do an engagement session if you don't want to. But it is best to ask your potential photographer if an engagement session is inclusive to their wedding photography packages (which most do) or if it won't cost you an arm or a leg so you don't break the bank. This is just a guide on why you should do it if you are seriously considering it. You can still do whatever you want to do for your wedding. So here it is:
1. Because being engaged is a temporary relationship status.
You can be in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship for 10 years but the timeline of being engaged to being married is very short. So what better way to savor these moments than doing an engagement session? Take it from us married people -- It won't last long! It's the start of your honeymoon stage. You're in this LOVE bubble that is progressing into marriage and it is such a memorable yet short period of time that you'd want to cherish it as much as you can (especially if you don't have kids yet). Hence, doing an engagement session.
2. You wanna see if your photographer is a great fit.
Photographers are artists that have distinctive niche and style. Sure you love their work from their Instagram and website but meeting and working with them is a different ball game. You want to know how they work and if their personalities coincide with you as a couple! It is important that you are comfortable with your photographer because he/she will be documenting one of the most important stages of your lives! And if you really like them, you will think of them again when there's another important stage in your life (e.g. maternity shoot, newborn shoot, birthday shoots). For this reason, you want to start a great relationship with your potential photographer.
3. Know your photographer.
And if you end up liking your photographer, ask how they started being a photographer in the first place. You'd be surprised at what their stories are. Knowing how they started will give you a glimpse of their passion and also gives you a relief that you will be well taken care of during your wedding day. You can also ask what a typical wedding day photography would look like, how long it takes to get your gallery, even ask about albums and also be honest on what your budget is. Most photographers will work around you as much as they can and give you the best options you have.
4. Because experience is the best teacher.
Like any science experiment, you have to test it out, gather data and then conclude. So as you walk away after the session, you will know for a fact if your photographer will perform well during your wedding day. Observe how he/she communicated before, during and after your engagement session. Was he/she late or early? Did he/she educate you about what outfits to put on during your session? And lastly, did you walk away having a great experience with him/her? These are observations that will guide you to make a decision to go forward with your photographer and use their services during your wedding day.
Lastly, make a day out of it! Celebrate your engagement! Your kids will cherish those precious photos in the future, you'll have photos to add on your reception tables, and you'll have something to look back when you're gray and old together. Happy Hunting!