Colorado Wedding Photographers - Our Thoughts... "Should I do an Engagement Session?"
I've had a few brides who were undecided as to whether or not they wanted to do an engagement session and so I thought it was time to post about it! The benefits are definitely plentiful but in the end, the decision is yours and if you feel like it 'just isn't your thing' - then, trust yourself! However, here is a short little post about some of the great reasons to consider booking your engagement session...
First, and I truly believe most importantly, is that an engagement session allows you the chance to get to know your photographer and how s/he works before the stress of your big day. You can see if you truly like their style and if what they produce for you is up to par with what they are displaying on their website. You definitely don't want to be surprised when you get your wedding photos back! Think of it as a "second interview" - you've made it past the initial consultation and now it is time to see your photog in action! I can surely atest to the importance of the e. session from the stand point of the photographer and also being a bride myself.
As a photographer I personally looooove e. sessions! They are so much fun. I get to know my clients so much better with time to ourselves and less pressure of the where to be and when of a wedding day. I never understood how important this was until Eric and I did one session with a potential bride and groom who were so shy and obviously uncomfortable in front of the camera. I was actually thrown off by their bashfulness but by the end everyone was laughing and they were posing like Vouge models instead! It ended up being one of my favorite e. sessions! And I was so glad that all of the camera-shy butterflies were gone by their wedding day because they now felt comfortable with us.
When I was a bride I had so much trouble finding a photographer because... well, I'm a photographer and have very high expectations! We thought that we had found someone who we really liked and we were actually ready to sign a contract when we decided to do an e. session first. Although the photos were wonderful, both Eric and I were so turned of by this particular photogs' dismal work ethic and attitude that we decided to find someone else. We ended up going with Michele, from MMB Photography - The best decision ever! If you would like to see some of our wedding pics on her gorgeous blog click here.
Other than scoping out your potential photog, there are many other great reasons to do an e. session...
Save-The-Dates
Announcements
It used to be that people announced their engagment in the local newspaper with a portrait of the bride-and-groom-to-be. I don't know if a lot of people still do this; we chose not to but I remember going through my mom's hope chest one day to find the clipping of her and my father's engagment from their home newpaper. It was pretty cool! More likely, you will change your facebook status and have a fabulous new gallery of all of your engagment photos!!
Guest Book
Okay, now one of my favorites... custom designed guest books!! I love them. Yes we offer them and we even made one for our own wedding. It is so great to pull out and look at some of our favorite engagement photos along with signatures and kind words signed from friends and family.
Other Uses
I love seeing how our brides and grooms use their engagement photos. One really awesome idea that we got was from Bethany & Reuben and their wedding that we did back in July. They framed a bunch of their favorite e. session pics that we did and had them beautifully displayed with candles on a table to welcome guests to their reception:
Another great use of engagement photos is displaying them on your wedding website. It is a more personal touch that you can share with your guests.
Well, that was me, shedding a little light on the mystery of the e. session :-) If you're interested and would like to see more engagement photography, visit our website, and look at our engagement gallery under our portfolio section.
ColoradoPhotography | Colorado Wedding Photography | Colorado Photographer |
Colorado Portraits| Colorado Senior Portraits | Northern Colorado
Photography | Northern Colorado Wedding Photography | Northern Colorado
Wedding Photographer | Fort Collins Photography | Fort Collins Wedding
Photography | Fort Collins Wedding Photographer
