Aimee, aka Marvellous Mrs T, married Craig in September 2018 and I was fortunate enough to have been their photographer.
I have always seen the value of an engagement shoot for anyone unsure about having their photos taken at their wedding.
For ages I have been thinking about writing an article about the value of having an engagement shoot, then I discovered that Aimee had already written one on her blog. For couples considering an engagement shoot, hearing this advice from a couple who have been through the process recently is infinity more valuable (and believable) than coming from me.
Aimee has very kindly given me permission to reproduce this from her own blog. All the photos were taken by me at either their engagement shoot or wedding.
Why I Would 100% Recommend An Engagement Shoot
Before we start, if you’re anything like me, an engagement photo shoot sounds like another unnecessary expense for an already pricey occasion. How wrong I was.
When me and my now husband got engaged, we decided I would plan everything and he would watch on from a safe distance. A DIY wedding sure saves money, but it’s still up there with one of the largest spends of my life… but that’s for another post. My point is, we were trying to save, and to pay for someone to take pictures of us a few weeks before we had paid for them to take pictures of us was a laughable notion.
We met our photographer, James, at a local hotel for a coffee and a chat, as you do. Although first meets are usually a little awkward, I quickly realized; for someone who is often behind the camera, or face only in selfie mode, I was nervous about the idea of having my photo taken. I knew I would look FABULOUS! Who doesn’t on their wedding day? But I wanted natural, fun photos, not posed and staged ones, and so he suggested the engagement shoot.
We met just a few weeks before the wedding, at the estate where we would be holding our reception. We walked around a field, stood too far apart from each other, and I was either looking at the floor or donning a fantastic double chin.
Needless to say, the photos weren’t the best. No matter how hard we tried, we just felt so awkward. However, we did spend an hour getting to know James a little more, and seeing the photos we knew exactly what we needed to do next time we were in front of the camera. Being stalked around a field by a man whose laughing with you one minute and hiding behind some leaves the next will do wonders for you.
It was a great practice run, and although some could see it as a waste (by the time I’d edited out my extra chins I actually had some good shots anyway), but when you’re spending just over 1k on a wedding photographer surely you don’t want that ‘practice run’ to be during the real thing?
I mean…. the difference is phenomenal!
Not forgetting, this person will be quietly stood in the corner of your hotel room while you and a bunch of your favourite females get ready together…. it might be worth breaking the ice before that. Just saying.
If you haven’t found a photographer yet, or you fancy having a candid family shoot with someone amazing, you can check James out on the link below.
This article was originally published here.
You can follow Aimee on Instagram @themarvellousmrst