An engagement session is a photography session where you and your partner pose for photography with a professional photographer. An engagement (also called a pre-wedding session or e-session) is a portraiture session of a couple that will soon be getting married. Some people like to schedule an engagement session to get photos for their Save the Date cards or to use them on their wedding websites. Couples also use the photographs to enlarge and frame to display at the wedding reception site.
Your perfect Charleston photographer might have taken you a while to find to document your day. So now that you have seen a photographer, your primary objective is to get AMAZING photos on your wedding day. The engagement session is a practice session. It is a way to get in front of the photographer before your wedding day! Some couples feel comfortable in front of the camera, But the majority of couples feel awkward when they first get in front of the camera. The engagement session gives you time to practice being yourself in front of the camera. Hopefully, by the end of the engagement session, you feel comfortable enough to be yourself and act naturally while taking pictures.
In addition to getting some fantastic and professional engagement photos, We will spend a lot of time talking about your wedding day. You are going to learn a lot about photography! It's fun to spend some time with my clients explaining lens choices and the way I see the light. It's also fun to curate spaces and find some killer places to take photos. I like to explain why I pick the place that I do during an engagement session. It's a great subject of conversation. The engagement session will give you a sense of how I work. And most important you will have the opportunity to get to know me and my personality. Of course, the primary objective is to help you get comfortable. I want you to be my friend on your wedding day. When I arrived at your getting-ready room, I want you to be so excited to see me.
How do I prepare for an engagement session?
Three simple words!
I recommend that you spend some time online searching for photos that you like on Pinterest and Instagram. Search terms like, "Charleston Engagement Sessions" "Engagement Session Ideas" or "New England Engagement Photos." These search terms will bring up a lot of photos that will help you to start thinking about the mood that you want for your photos. I would recommend making a Pinterest board. I would love to see what you are feeling as far as your preferences and style. Of course, please go to my website and picked photos from my past engagement sessions to let me know your favorites. I'm looking for your style and preference. I don't look at your Pinterest pinboard and is a shot list, but more as an inspiration board. Send the link to your board if you make one.
Here is an example of a Pinterest board that I have received from a past client.
It depends on what you are thinking! Some props photograph very well. Other props that might be a good idea on paper might not work out. Here's a short list of accessories that my couples have used in the past. Engaged Banner. Dog Engagement Sign, Bride Mug, Engaged Balloons, Custom Engagement Sign, Personalized Engagement Kite, Engagement Champagne Flutes, Engagement Date Sign, Engagement Sparklers. If you do decide to use props, we will use them at the beginning of the photo shoot. If they are getting in the way, we can always put them back in the car.
I love photographing antique cars. I think they look really awesome and engagement session photos. If you have an antique car, I say go for it!
I am all about publishing your engagement session. My clients love it when they are published. I will say though that it is a competitive market. Even though there are a ton of wedding blogs out there,
it is very competitive to get into the good ones. My favorite wedding blogs are Style Me Pretty, The Knot, Green Wedding Shoes, and One Hundred Layer Cake. These wedding blogs get hundreds of submissions every day so it's very important to plan ahead if you want to try to get your wedding or engagement session published. Basically, you need to step it up. Wedding blogs love to see people dressed impeccably and they love it if you use props. Stylized engagement shoots are definitely most likely to get published. If you're interested in learning more about getting published, just let me know. It's good to know that this is something that you're interested in as we are working through our initial plans for the session.
If you desire to have your engagement session published in a wedding blog, it will be good for us to make some advance plans. You will need to spend a little more money preparing for the session. Rent or buy some new clothes, and purchase or borrow some props. It is worth it and instantly increases the perceived value of the photographs. We would need to make a session plan. Maybe even outline or storyboard the session. We will want to photograph in a location that is editorial quality, which means a place that a magazine would choose to photograph! It would be smart to increase the number of hours that we shoot. Usually, an engagement session takes about 1 to 2 hours. An engagement session, with the goal of publication, might take 3-4 hours as we will need to photograph you in multiple outfits and make use of the props that you bring, I would highly recommend that you hire a professional hair and makeup team for the session. We want to put the "styled" into a styled engagement session. These are all things that will help to improve the odds of being selected for a feature in your favorite wedding blog or magazine. Themed engagement sessions are very popular in wedding magazines.
Charleston Photographers Amy & David Bennett | 1559 Gemstone Dr, Mount Pleasant, SC
802.825.7505 | www.amybennettphoto.com | amybennettphoto@gmail.com