Should I Do An Engagement Session with My Wedding Photographer?

You are engaged, congratulations! This is a once-in-a-lifetime season and it's time to celebrate! Yes, there is a bit of chaos mixed in with the love and affection and an engagement session is a great way for you both to commemorate that you have found the person that you have chosen with whom to spend your life! All of a sudden, your to-do list has grown exponentially (lets be real, planning a wedding is like a second job), so is it REALLY that important to do an engagement session with your wedding photographer?

In my perspective, engagement portraits are more meaningful and have more purpose than just for getting a good photo to use for your save the dates: it’s also a way to connect and have this wonderful time captured to be cherished forever. It’s not every day that you get a chance to have a professional photographer document your life so why not take advantage? On top of that, if you choose to have your engagement photographer also be your wedding photographer, you will likely be more relaxed and familiar with your photographer’s approach on the wedding day (when there is a bit more chaos and timelines to adhere to!).

Now you may be thinking “But I feel so awkward in front of the camera!” I want to tell you that you are not alone. The majority of people that I encounter (including myself) feel uncomfortable at first in front of a camera. Here are a few tips to help you feel more comfortable:

3 Tips for Preparing for Your Engagement Session

1. Get a little glammed up, but not too much that you don’t feel like yourself. Back to the theme of celebration, since this is such a special time, it’s a great time to get a little fancy and pick an outfit that makes you feel like a queen and king! Maybe it’s splurging on a new dress,necklace or heels and putting on a button down shirt paired with slacks(gentlemen). More than the outfit itself, choose something that you know makes you feel amazing about yourself (and that you are comfortable in for some light walking and adventuring).

2. Ladies, if you can schedule your makeup trial on the day of your engagement session, this can help give you that extra boost of confidence with the added benefit of seeing how your makeup will look in photos before your wedding day to see what you may want to tweak.

3. Trust your photographer; focus on your fiance and the moments you are having together. Leave the pressure behind to match what you see on pinterest and social media from others. You can share some ideas before your session but remember that your relationship and your portraits will be uniquely yours and so much sweeter when you focus on each other. As a photographer, I will step in, give you cues, and direct you as needed, don’t worry!

Your life is worthy of documentation because I promise you these will be moments that you look back on with joy and that your family, friends, kids and grand-kids (if you choose to have them) will want to see and cherish as well!

Katherine Elizabeth Photography is an Annapolis and Baltimore Wedding Photographer who specializes in capturing creative, authentic, and vibrantly heartfelt moments throughout Maryland and beyond.