Engagement sessions are a beautiful thing. We love it when our brides and grooms book them with their photographers! The biggest benefit of an engagement session is that you and your fiance get a chance to work the camera prior to your wedding day. Practice makes perfect, as for most people, comfortability in the presence of a lens is the key to great shots.
What does all of this mean? An engagement session can equal better photos on your wedding day! Your photographer has already gotten a chance to see what your shooting style is as a couple, and you've already gotten out all of your pre-lens jitters. So, you can expect seamless shooting, and far less "awkward moments" than if you had not elected for an engagement session. Here are some engagement session tips from us to you:
The shots featured here are from the wonderfully talented Steven Mastroianni. Our couple, Timothea & Pat, plan to be married at a private home in North Bloomfield, OH in June of next year. The home is positioned on over 125 acres of gorgeous grounds where these shots were taken just last week.
We always recommend choosing sites that are personal to you not only for your engagement session, but for your wedding
day photos as well. Every element of your wedding helps to tell your story as a couple, so the places "in the background" should mean something to the two of you. For Timothea & Pat the site of their wedding made perfect sense as their were so many different areas in which to shoot and the homeowners are lifelong friends of the bride's family.
For you, a personal site might mean your favorite restaurant or bar, a city park, a coffeehouse, a bookstore, or your favorite place to spend a Sunday. What matters, is that the spot you choose, matters to you. Trust us, if you're shooting somewhere close to your hearts, it will shine through in the photographs as it does here with Timothea & Pat.
Some couples like to schedule their engagement session during the season in which their wedding will be held, and some like to shoot during their favorite time of year regardless of the season of the wedding. We think either are great. However, if you're planning on using shots from the engagement session for your save the dates, keep in mind save the dates should be sent out to guests no later than 6 months prior to the wedding. Talk with your photographer about your timeline and schedule accordingly.
Last but not least, we love engagement sessions bound into guest books. This is a lovely way to put a twist on the traditional guest book, by allowing your friends and family to leave personal messages among your favorite engagement shots. Guests love it too! Ask your photographer if this is an option they can provide for you.
