Engagement Sessions // An absolute must!

If you’re engaged and trying to decide whether or not you actually need engagement photos, let me make the decision easy for you:

Do the engagement session.

As a couples and wedding photographer, I am a huge advocate for engagement sessions, not just because I love taking them, but because they can genuinely make your wedding photography experience better.

An engagement session gives you the chance to get comfortable in front of the camera, get to know your photographer, and capture this incredibly special season of your life before you officially become husband and wife.

Here are three reasons I think every couple should consider doing one.

1. You’ll Learn How Your Photographer Works

One of the biggest benefits of an engagement session is that it gives you a chance to experience your photographer’s approach before your wedding day.

Every photographer is different.

Some photographers are extremely directive and will tell you exactly where to stand, how to move, and what to do. Others take a more hands-off, documentary approach and let moments happen naturally. Most photographers fall somewhere in between.

Your engagement session gives you a chance to figure out what works best for you.

Maybe you realize that you love having a lot of direction because you aren’t sure what to do in front of the camera. Or maybe you discover that you feel more comfortable when your photographer gives you a prompt and lets you naturally interact with each other.

Either way, you get to learn what your photography experience will feel like before the wedding day.

And if something doesn’t feel quite right during your engagement session, you can communicate that with your photographer.

2. You Get Comfortable With Your Photographer

Your wedding photographer is going to be around for a lot of important moments.

They’ll be there while you’re getting ready, during your ceremony, during portraits, throughout your reception, and during some of the most emotional and intimate moments of your wedding day.

That’s a lot of time to spend with someone you’ve never met.

An engagement session gives you the opportunity to actually get to know each other.

Instead of your photographer feeling like a stranger with a camera on your wedding day, you’ll already have a relationship with them.

You’ll know their personality. They’ll know how you interact as a couple. You’ll know what makes you laugh, what makes you comfortable, and how you naturally interact with each other.

And that comfort matters.

When you’re comfortable with the person behind the camera, you’re much more likely to relax, be yourselves, and forget that you’re even being photographed.

3. You Get to Actually Enjoy Being Engaged

This might be my favorite reason of all.

Take the engagement photos because it’s fun!

Seriously.

You only get to be engaged once.

This season of your life is so incredibly special, and it’s worth documenting—not just the wedding that you’re planning, but the two of you exactly as you are right now.

You’re young. You’re in love. You’re planning your future together. You’re probably somewhere between incredibly excited and slightly overwhelmed by everything that comes with wedding planning.

Your engagement session gives you an excuse to put all of that aside for a couple of hours and just enjoy each other.

Go somewhere that means something to you. Get dressed up. Go somewhere beautiful. Grab coffee. Take a walk. Laugh until your stomach hurts.

Don’t worry about making every photo perfect.

Just be together.

Those are the moments you’ll want to remember.

Your Engagement Photos Don’t Have to Look Like Your Wedding Photos

Another thing I love about engagement sessions is that they don’t have to be formal.

Your wedding photos are documenting your wedding day. Your engagement photos can document you.

Want to wear jeans and explore your favorite part of town? Do it.

Want to dress up and have a romantic editorial-style session? Absolutely.

Want to bring your dog? Bring them!

Want to incorporate a hobby, a favorite date spot, or somewhere that’s meaningful to your relationship? Even better.

Your engagement session should feel like the two of you—not like you’re recreating someone else’s Pinterest board.

So… Should You Do an Engagement Session?

My answer is a very enthusiastic yes.

An engagement session isn’t just about getting pretty photos before your wedding. It’s about building trust with your photographer, learning how you feel in front of the camera, and creating space to actually enjoy being engaged.

When your wedding day arrives, you’ll already know your photographer, you’ll understand how they work, and you’ll feel much more confident stepping in front of their camera.

And you’ll have a gallery full of photos that capture this little chapter of your story before the wedding day takes over.

You don’t get this season back.

So do the engagement session. Don’t overthink it. Just do it.