The Importance of Engagement Photos in Your Wedding Planning

Congratulations! You’re engaged! Your engagement is a time of joy, excitement, and anticipation. It’s a time to celebrate your love for each other while also beginning to plan your wedding day. But as you start this important milestone, you’ll surely encounter many expectations and norms from the wedding industry, often trying to dictate what is considered proper, what you should be doing, and what you should not. In reality, there are no strict rules when it comes to planning your wedding. The beauty of this special occasion lies in your ability to create a celebration that truly reflects your unique love story, style, and personal preferences. But if there’s one norm that we would highly encourage you to consider, it’s the tradition of having an engagement photo shoot. 

Here are some of the many reasons why: 

Five Key Reasons to Take Engagement Photographs

Get comfortable in front of the camera

Many couples feel awkward when a camera is pointed at them for the first time. An engagement session allows you to get used to being photographed and relax into the process, making you feel much more natural and at ease on your wedding day. Additionally, being professionally photographed is very different from taking casual images. Seeing how great you look in engagement photos (thanks to your photographer’s skills!), will boost your confidence when posing for your wedding snapshots. 

 

Get to know your photographer

An engagement photo shoot is a great opportunity to build rapport with your photographer before your wedding day. This session allows you to get to know each other personally and professionally, discuss any concerns you may have, while the photographer learns about your personalities and how best to capture your unique relationship.

 

Assess your photographer’s style

Getting engagement photos allows you to assess your photographer’s style firsthand. By doing this, you can make sure they can capture your wedding ceremony just as you imagine it. During your engagement photo session, you’ll also be able to observe how they frame shots, use lighting, and direct artistic poses. This process helps you to evaluate their ability to capture emotions during candid moments versus posed portraits, their editing style, and their overall creativity. It also allows you to communicate your preferences and see how they accommodate them.

Practice your wedding poses

During engagement photo sessions, you’ll be able to practice and discover which poses work best for you as a couple. It’s a chance to try different expressions and interactions while learning what feels most comfortable. If you’re on the lookout for perfect posing ideas, try platforms like wedding magazines and Instagram!  

 

Use your engagement photos to announce your wedding day

Your engagement photos can be used to create save-the-date cards to announce your upcoming wedding and make your wedding website (if you’re planning to have one) more visually appealing. Aside from wedding announcements and invitations, engagement photos can be incorporated into personalized thank-you cards to extend your appreciation to those who supported you as a couple. 

Final Thoughts

Engagement photos are a wonderful way to commemorate this special time in your lives together. They provide a collection of beautiful images to display at your wedding, share with loved ones, and look back on for years to come.

 

After your engagement photo session, another way to cherish this one-of-a-kind moment is by throwing an engagement party with family and friends, where you can also flaunt your favorite engagement shots to make your guests feel more intimately connected to your journey toward marriage.

 

Book your engagement session with Meghan Elizabeth Photography today!

 

Post written and contributed by: My Wedding Magazine

Photos by Meghan Elizabeth Photography