Congratulations! We are super pumped that you found someone who is willing to spend the rest of his or her life with you. It’s a pretty incredible feeling and we hope that your friends, family and yourself are very proud of this next step in your life.
Once the “dust” settles after the initial question, there is probably an overwhelming amount of planning that has to happen leading up to the wedding ceremony. But before you start thinking about the wedding you may be planning to capture the feeling in the form of engagement photos.
We support it. We really do. But we do offer up some advice on how to go about it in a way that is both beautiful and memorable for not only you and your spouse, but everyone who has the privilege of seeing the photos.
So before you start snapping away, here are our “dos and don’ts” for engagement photos:
Do Be Yourself
There can be a lot of pressure to have the “perfect” photo shoot, with the perfect light and the perfect location. We say the only way to ensure that all of above are “perfect” is to be yourself and embrace what you and your soon-to-be spouse love. If you love being outdoors, then take your photos in jeans, a flannel and around a campfire. If you love dining out, then grab a bottle of wine and a cheese plate and have the shoot around a beautifully set table. There is no wrong way to go about it as long as it represents you.
Don’t Do it for Social Media
Seriously. We don’t mind seeing some really happy couples on our news feed, but it’s really obvious when engagement photos are taken simply to show off. Your love is not made or broken by how many likes you get on Facebook, so don’t have that as a catalyst to cataloging the memory. Our suggestion for social media etiquette and engagement photos is to pick a couple that you really like and put them up. Would you want to see 63 pictures of someone else and their future spouse? Likely not, so do onto others.
Do Find a Friend to Shoot Your Photos
If you have a friend who has a DSLR, then you should reach out to them first for your engagement shoot. Not only is your friend probably going to cut you a good deal, they likely know you better and can make you feel more comfortable in front of the lens. And that’s important. Authenticity makes for wonderful photos and if you can find a comfort level with your photographer, that authenticity level is likely to increase. And you can have a round with them after the shoot. It’s a win-win.
Don’t Feel Obligated
Listen, you don’t have to take engagement photos. They’ll be plenty of photos taken for you by friends and probably too many to frame at your wedding. If you want professional engagement photos, then we say go for it -- there are a ton of great photographers in the industry. But if you are being talked into it by your family and you’re not that convinced, then no worries. Grab your cell phone, go on a hike and send your family a selfie from the top of a mountain. Engagement photos done.
Deciding whether to take engagement photos or not is only the first step in planning a wedding. If you have any questions or need some advice on wedding planning, drop us a line. We’ve been in the industry for a long time and have a ton of connections. If you’re in the market for some live wedding music, let us know. We have some great packages that we know you’ll love.
