Today’s topic for “Tips for Bride’s” is all about engagement sessions. The why, the when, the where and everything in between! While most people in the area are familiar with engagement sessions, for those who are not quite sure what they are, it’s very simple! It’s a photo session with your wedding photographer where you go out and get some amazing shots of you and your fiancé before the wedding. Simple as that! However, as simple as they are, there is a lot of reasoning behind them. This article will give you some insight on why I include an engagement sessions with all my packages and hopefully you’ll be able to get a few tips along the way as well!
Why are they important?
One of the major reasons behind the engagement session (e-session) is to get to know your photographer. You should already be familiar with the photographer’s work, style and personality before booking him, but the session will allow you to get closer on a more personal level. By learning more about your photographer, you will become more comfortable with him which will translate into better photographs. Wouldn’t you be more willing to laugh and be romantic in front of a camera with your friend rather than a complete stranger?
The e-session will also allow you to understand certain poses and help you take better direction. You will understand why the photographer will ask you to stand a certain way or hold each other a certain way. By the time the wedding day comes around, you might remember certain posing tricks which will help to accelerate the photo session so you can quickly go join your guests at the reception. Plus, it’s a great way for the photographer to learn how well you take directions. Do you need lots of direction, or should the photographer just let you do your thing? All of this will be worth it more than you know.
Another great reason for an engagement session is: “why not”!? It’s a perfect way for you to get some great photos of you and your fiancé to hang on your wall, send to family members or simply share online. Plus, they are a lot of fun! My engagement sessions are usually very relaxed, not too posed and by the time we are done, the both of you will probably agree that it was worth the quality time together!
Finally, one more reason for the session is for the great photos you will get and what you can do with them. I offer a variety of quality products to showcase your beautiful images, such as archival prints, huge canvases for your wall and guest sign-in books. Check out an example of my guest sign-in books by clicking here!
Things to consider for your e-session
A question I get asked a lot of times is: so where should we shoot the session? Engagement sessions should be all about you and they should represent who you are as a couple and what you love. Are you very outdoorsy and enjoy spending your Sunday afternoons walking in the park? Then let’s go to the park! Or perhaps you are very urban and love the downtown scene. If so, let’s head downtown and get some great shots over there. Plus, if you have a location that is very meaningful to the both of you (where you met, where he proposed, etc.), it can make for a great starting point!
This also goes hand in hand with what you should wear. While I encourage you to wear what you want and in the style you like, here are a few tips to consider:
– Try to avoid bright white shirts as well as heavy/busy patterns/stripes and anything with large logos or writing. We want to put the focus on you and not the cloths!
– Make sure you dress comfortably so you can easily stand, sit, jump, …
– Be sure to consider the location of your shoot. A downtown/urban shoot will call for very different clothing than a shoot at the beach!
– Finally, dress in the same style! (I didn’t say same cloths! Remember that cheesy “jeans and white shirt” look for both the guy and the girl?) If you are wearing a pair of jeans with a t-shirt and flip-flops, your fiancé shouldn’t be wearing dress pants, a dress shirt and dress shoes!
Another thing to consider is when to schedule your session. While there is no set amount of time before the wedding when you should have it done, it really depends on what you want to use the photos for. If you plan on using a picture on your invitations, be sure to give enough time to have the session done, your proofs ready and the design of your invitations made. If you want a guest sign-in book for your reception, it’s a good idea to plan the session at least 2-3 months ahead of your wedding day to account for production times, etc.
Finally, the only thing left to say is HAVE FUN! Don’t take yourself too seriously during the session and let yourself go! I won’t be standing behind the camera thinking “what are they doing?!?”. If you want to start dancing and twirling, go ahead! If you want to be all romantic and just spend a few minutes in your fiancé’s arms, do it! This is a time to spend a few hours with your fiancé and have a little fun!
Here are a few examples of engagement sessions showing a variety of looks.
Outdoorsy, summer look: (from Rachel & Jason’s session)
.jpg "Outdoors - Summer")
Don’t rule out winter completetly! Winter scenes make a great look for an engagment session! Plus, you might be cuddling more because of the cold! (from Erica & Mathieu’s session)
.jpg "Outdoors - Winter")
While I certainly don’t recommend indoor sessions, sometimes you just don’t have a choice because of the weather. (from Chantal & Mathieu’s session)
.jpg "Indoors")
And finally, probably one of my favourite looks, a downtown/urban session. Especially downtown Montreal! (from Karine & Sebastien’s session in Montreal)
.jpg "Urban - Downtown")
