4 reasons why a pre-wedding photoshoot should be essential

Is a pre-wedding photoshoot necessary? Well, that’s hard to say, but the short answer is, yes. And the long answer is, well, yes as well! So what is a pre-wedding photoshoot? The best way to think of it is as a trial run for your wedding photographer. Consider booking your hair, makeup, dress, cake. What do they all have in common? You get to ‘try before you buy’. Don’t get me wrong, this usually comes at a cost, but at least you can be confident in your decision come the big day. Wedding photography is no different, if anything, it should be more carefully thought about. Remember, you only get one chance at your wedding. You want to make sure the person tasked with capturing the big day is going to get it right.

A pre-wedding photoshoot is something that can be used to ensure you picked the right photographer, you get along with them and they get along with you. Some wedding photographers will have this built into all their packages, some may offer it as an add on for you to choose if you want to do it.

Regardless of whether it is included or an additional option, it is an option that is well worth having, and can heavily impact how smooth your wedding day runs, and how happy you will be with not just the day, but the outcome. Below are 3 of the biggest reasons why a pre-wedding photoshoot should be considered essential.

1. Pre-wedding photoshoots help to ease feelings of awkwardness

“But I am so awkward in photos, I always look bad. I hate getting my photo taken.” This is easily the most common thing I hear from couples during my first consultation. What if I told you I had the solution? The solution that was going to make you look stunning in your wedding photos? Well I don’t, sorry, but what I do have is pretty damn good. Pre-wedding photoshoots!

Pre-wedding photo shoots give you a chance to work with your photographer, and your photographer a chance to work with you. This is going to allow you to feel comfortable with the photographer pointing a camera at you, and gives an idea of how they operate, and what to expect from them on your wedding day. Furthermore, it gives your photographer a chance to work out how to pull the best out of you as a couple. They will notice how you react to the camera, and how to get you to feel natural and comfortable with each other.

Don’t feel bad. Of my hundreds of couples, not one has felt comfortable in front of a camera. You are totally normal! But trust me when I say, it usually takes no more than 5 minutes to alleviate nerves and break down awkwardness, at which point you will find yourself having a lot of fun. Once you realise your photographer is a professional, and does this for a living, there is no reason to feel awkward, it becomes a walk in the park. And don’t worry, your photographer will give you hints and tips to get you feeling natural. I get my couples to whisper inappropriate things to each other. It gets them laughing and relaxed, and takes their mind off my camera.

I guarantee you will never regret doing a pre-wedding photoshoot, but you may well regret not doing one. Check out my top 5 engagement photoshoot locations here, and see for yourself, how at ease doing these shoots makes people!

2. Pre-wedding photoshoots help to get to know your photographer, and help them get to know you

Probably the most important reason for a pre-wedding photoshoot is simply…weddings are a huge day! The biggest day of your life! Like mentioned in previous articles, it is important to really get along with your photographer. What better way to work this out than shooting with them before the big day? Take a chance to get to know each other. For example, on my pre-wedding photo shoots I like to take some food and maybe some drinks, and take the time to chat and really get to know my couple on a more personal level. Find some common ground and before you know it you end up feeling like good friends. Do not overlook the importance of feeling this comfortable with your photographer, it can make or break your wedding, and the engagement session is the place to start working on this!

3. Pre-wedding photoshoots give you beautiful images to use on stationary

This one almost goes without saying. How many weddings have you attended where the couple are displaying professional images of themselves? How many invitations have you received with a professional photo on it? The list goes on forever about how the images that are taken prior to the wedding get used, but you get the point. Instead of paying a graphic designer to design all your stationary, why not use beautiful images of yourself? After all, that is what people are coming to your wedding to see!

I know it isn’t part of stationary, but think about it, there are a lot of things you can do with these images. I’m not going to hold punches here, and if my family are reading this, I am sorry…but it gives you Christmas and birthday gifts for family members for at least 2 years (by which point you will have wedding photos, so boom, another 2 years of gifts)! Stuck for a gift idea for mum or dad? Why not a beautiful framed shot of you and your fiance on a stunning clifftop? I guarantee you, this will please them.

Pre-wedding shoots – The answer to life’s problems!

4. They capture a very important time in your lives.

Let’s not joke about it yeah? Your wedding day is a massive one. Honestly, one of the biggest in your life. Why wouldn’t you put in 110% effort in order to make it perfect? Are we on the same page? Good!

But the wedding is what, 10-14 hours? Maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less? So why so much emphasis on half a day, and such neglect for the preceding 12-18 months?

Your engagement is going to encapsulate about 12 months of your life, on average. That is a long time. In fact, that is 365 times longer than 1 day (maths was my best subject at school, just saying…). So why do people so often overlook capturing this time period in their lives, only to focus on the big finale? Big mistake! Focus on both!

In the engagement phase, you will be planning for the start of your lives as a family, things get real, and sometimes they get heavy. This is where you really see if you have what you need to make it as a family. You will look back on this stage of your lives one day, assuming you have photos. Otherwise, you will try and recall it, probably fail, and cry to your army of cats. You don’t want to be that person, so enjoy yourself, get involved with a pre-wedding shoot and just smile.

Why do a pre-wedding photoshoot?

Hopefully by now you realise the importance in having a pre-wedding photoshoot. Many couples who have done these shoots with me have stated “it gave us confidence, at least we knew how our photographer would be” and that “we didn’t realise it would be so fun, can’t wait to do it again!” The reasons to get a pre-wedding photoshoot, engagement photoshoot, engagement session, whatever you want to call it are numerous. Think of it this way, your photographer will be by your side for 10-12 hours on your wedding day. Capturing the most intimate moments of your life on camera for you and your family to remember forever. Do you really want to trust that to a stranger you’ve never met before? If you want to chat about these sessions, or learn more, please just drop me a line and I would be glad to help in any way.