How about we see how many reasons we can come up with for having an engagement session:
You can establish a comfortable relationship with your photographer
You can relax/gain confidence in front of the camera in a fun & casual environment (we nearly always meet up with our local couples prior to the wedding day but there is a big difference between sitting down over a cuppa and being on the other side of a lens); quieten those “I am really awkward in front of the camera” voices in the back of your head
Relaxing goes both ways: the more we know about both of you (what makes you laugh, and so on), the more we can help you on your day
Engagement is such an exciting time in life and will not last forever; embrace & preserve the season with some images
The session provides a clearer point of reference for determining wedding coverage/expectations as you personally are in the frame - this makes it easier to see what you like and dislike
You can practice the kind of shots important to you and that you want from your wedding
Try out your hair and makeup style - or mix up the content so you have different looks
Include some of your favourites in your wedding stationery suite (save the date, thank you cards or guest book… or just create a Facebook album and share your love with your loved ones)
The wedding day is about so many things - love, family/friends, emotions - whereas the engagement session is really about just the two of you as the focal point
In amongst the crazy that is wedding planning, an engagement session can ensure a bonding session/opportunity to reconnect for both of you and remind you of what is most important at the end of the day - a really nice pause button, in a way. Make it a date!
Engagement, just like the wedding, is a milestone in itself and worth celebrating one way or another
As time goes by, you might find that you treasure both: images of you in your wedding attire and images of you that are more relatable day to day
Express your personal style (very often, there are multiple people involved in a wedding day with different opinions - puffed sleeves, no train, peonies like grandma’s bouquet, save the dates or no save the dates, Polaroid cameras on each table or no Polaroids… we could go on and on) - this is your day really! No traditional expectations!
While we are creating images different to your wedding day, why not mix up the location, too! Sometimes we hear from couples that they would love images at a location sentimental to them but it is too far from the wedding venue to reasonably expect people to travel/wait. This is your chance.
Speaking of traditional expectations, if you are wanting something unique from your session, there is a greater chance of that happening at your engagement session than on your wedding day - don’t be shy and work together with your photographer to create some unique magic!
Tell your story as there is more to both of you than a wedding day
You might even learn a little more about each other during the process - embrace it! <3
As always, if you don’t want to do something (including an engagement session), don’t. No one should make you do something you do not feel comfortable with. If this is you, focus on the things that are important to you and, if you go with the flow, your wedding day will come together perfectly!