After all, a fairytale big day will be the culmination of many smaller decisions. It’s important to make these decisions one at a time so that you can feel fully present and be thoughtful about what will best your needs and those of your future spouse.
Once you have an engagement ring on that very special finger, you will be faced with (what feels like) a million different decisions leading up to the wedding.
One of the biggest decisions made early on in the wedding planning process is the answer to this question: "Should I take engagement photos?"
We recommend taking time to answer this one. Do your research, talk to your spouse-to-be and see what your married friends have done (and if they would have done it differently.)
If you want to know what we think....our answer is: Yes!
Here at Joy Photo and Video, we are ‘pro-photos’ because we believe that taking engagement photos will ultimately lead to better results for your wedding album! Here are reasons to take engagement photos.
Reasons To Take Engagement Photos #1: Get comfortable in front of the camera with your fiancé. It’s highly likely that one of you will be more comfortable in front of the camera than the other.
Taking engagement photos ahead of time will help make the images come across as more natural and increase confidence (individually and as a couple).
While you may think that this will come easily, there are more factors at play when it includes two people in the spotlight.
This will also give you the opportunity to test your poses, body positioning and different angles of your face.
You can even introduce a few variables of your styling, like a lighter and less formal version of your wedding hair or makeup.
Because what you may envision as being picture-perfect could come with a few tweaks to make them even better.
Your perfect pink pout may look too bright on film or your fiancé could need more hair gel…and wouldn’t you want to learn that through your engagement photoshoot? Look at these as test shots because they will give you the option to make changes before the wedding day, if needed.
Reasons To Take Engagement Photos #2: Get to know your wedding photographer with a test photoshoot. Many professional wedding photographers will offer packages which include options for engagement photos.
By partnering with them before the wedding day, this will allow you to learn more about their working style and get more comfortable with them. It will also help the photographer get to know you both better.
Since wedding timelines are often tight, it’s helpful when you don’t have to start from scratch. (There's nothing worse than uncomfortable, forced, or inauthentic wedding photos, is there? Make this your trial run!)
Remember this: trust can come from familiarity and that will lead to better photos with more authentic moments.
And just so you know, an engagement photoshoot doesn’t have to involve three outfit changes and multiple settings---unless that’s what you want! When you find the right photographer, they will help you figure out the best way to do a photoshoot that meets your needs. You can make this as simple or grand as you'd like so that it reflects who you are as a couple.
Reasons To Take Engagement Photos #3: Get photos that can be used for a variety of wedding-needs, and beyond. Take a look at the latest photos with your fiancé: a grainy-selfie, formal poses in front of the Thanksgiving table, or a goofy in-your-element kind of shot (cute but not your most attractive angle).
You will benefit from having numerous options to choose from. This could include an engagement announcement, wedding website, wedding registry, bridal shower, ceremony programs, or even reception signage, slideshows or thank you cards.
These aren’t just for this season in your relationship, though. They can also be used after the big day. Answer this: would you benefit from having professional photos captured of just the two of you?
Then if you ever get that random photo request, for the family-legacy photo album or milestone birthday, you’ll have options that don’t include a wedding dress or tuxedo!
Your wedding photos will turn out awesome but just remember that they will be tied to that very specific moment in your life. This can be GREAT for when you want to reuse wedding photos, but you may need them for something else.
Regardless of location, the feedback is unanimous. From Houston to Dallas, many of the brides and grooms we’ve worked with have benefitted from their own engagement photoshoot and we hope these tips help you to see why.
[Photoshoot in the spotlight: M + B Engagement Photos in Houston, Texas captured by Tori.]
Choose Joy,
The Joy Team