Engagement Sessions

I have an engagement session to shoot tomorrow (weather pending of course) and I am really looking forward to it. We will be shooting around sunset to hopefully get some really great pictures of the future bride and groom just hanging out on a Sunday. Congratulations to Melissa and Teddy on their engagement.

These sessions benefit both the client and myself in many ways and I really think the engagement session photos add to the story of the wedding. For one, these images are going to look nothing like the wedding photos. They are natural, not posed and he bride and groom are not in costume. We also do not have the time constraints of the hectic wedding day and if the weather doesn't cooperate, we can always reschedule. I always urge the client to book the engagement session well in advance of the wedding just so weather and scheduling does not become an issue with either of us. The last thing anyone wants is to have the stress of wedding plans visible on their face while in these photos. That may actually tell a different story.

These sessions allow the client to get to know me a little better and visa versa. I walk away feeling even more comfortable that I know what the client is looking for.

I always love to present the clients with their engagement photos in person, just as I do for the wedding photos. When I did my first engagement session almost 4 years ago, I presented the client with their photos and they were floored. It was a great feeling. Their wedding was not for another 8 months at this time. After they left to go home, I felt that something was missing. OK, they got their photos and now they get to go home a look at them. Great, now what? I thought about it that evening and came up with the idea of displaying the photos at the wedding reception for all to see as a surprise to the couple. I did not charge them additional for this of course. I decided to assemble a poster-sized collage that I could display in a large frame just outside the entrance to the wedding reception ball room.  I quickly realized I was going to need a very large professional and elegant wedding-style frame with a nice easel and a picture light because most of these places are very dark. Oh, and the picture light had to be battery powered so no wires. What was I getting myself into. By the time I was done spending money, I don't think I actually made much on the wedding. It's all good though.

When we arrived at the wedding reception venue, my assistant and I unloaded all the equipment and as we were bringing the frame into the lobby, the maître d’ approached us and asked if he could help with placing the picture in a safe spot. It was perfectly placed outside the entrance doors to the reception ball room while safely out of the way of harm. Everyone that entered the room saw the collage as they entered the room and most stopped and looked. I was fortunate enough to catch some really nice comments about the collage. It truly was an appropriate presentation for the wedding. The bride and groom saw the collage when they arrived at the reception and I received big hugs for the surprise. Oh, and I also got a ton of requests for my business card. My assistant handed out over 100 cards.

The client gets to take the collage home while I keep the frame and easel. I always include this display when a client books an engagement session with their wedding package.  It is a huge hit for both the client and myself. It makes me feel pretty good too while I have to walk past it a few times during the event.

If you are getting married anytime soon or thinking about it, ask your photographer about an engagement session. It is the Icing on the Cake!

If you would like to check out some more engagement photos, click right here.