As a wedding planner I get asked all kinds of questions about what couples should or should not spend their money on. Engagement photos are a great example of this kind of add-on. Ever wonder if the cost is worth it? In my opinion - Yes!
Think about it:
* Similar to your cake and caterer, an engagement photo session is an opportunity to take your photographer out for a test run. You can get a feel for how interact with you, how they motivate you from behind the camera, and what kind of a professional they are. You get a firsthand account on how long they take to set up a shot, if they are good on the fly, and how they work with the environment around you. And you get actual pictures from them where you can assess the quality and delivery speed of the finished product. And you get all of these experiences before your wedding day. You can learn a lot about your photographer from a simple engagement session - all of which are sure to be good - but if you weren't happy then you may still have time to fix any of the problems. This is a unique opportunity that you don't get with all of vendors.
* Want to put an engagement photo in your newspaper? Add a picture of the two of you to your save the date magnets? Or need an image to put in the signature "guest book" frame at your reception? Instead of using a fuzzy shot from your digital camera you can use one of the professional images from your engagement photo session. Trust me, it will look better!
* Do you want your only formal pictures of the two of you to be ones where you're in a white dress and tuxedo? Most people only have wedding photos to frame and display in their home, but after an engagement photo shoot you will have dozens of great images of the two of you looking more like you do everyday. You can look back on these for years with fond memories, not just of your wedding day but of this special time in your lives.
Plus, these sessions are fun! Some of my couples have done engagement photo sessions and have had a blast with them. Check out some of these images.
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This is Danielle and Nick, and they are getting married at the Albany Country Club this May. Their fabulous photographer, Tracey Buyce, took these shots of them last summer down around Washington Park and the Empire State Plaza. Tracey captured their personalities beautifully, and you can see the love these two have for each other. How can you not love these? http://www.traceybuyce.com/
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These shots are of Lindsey and Adam, a couple who got married last year in Saratoga. Their photographer was Shannon DeCelle and they wisely decided on an engagement session with her the winter before their wedding. Shannon did a combination on in-studio and outside shots, and even did a big "family" photo with the couple and their two dogs. Love it! http://www.shannondecellephotography.com/
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Here is a picture from the Casey wedding this past November. Michael Grace-Martin was their photographer and he did an engagement photo session with the couple the previous spring. They used one of their engagement photos in the signature frame at their reception. It was beautiful! MGM also took this photo - a photo of his photo! http://www.mgm-photography.com/
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So if you're considering an engagement photo session I say go for it! It's a great opportunity to work with your photographer before your wedding, and a chance to have some beautiful formal pictures of the two of you. Definitely worth it.
Still not convinced? Or perhaps you have questions? E-mail me! shannon@weddingplanningplus.net
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