Photos are so important to us all. We all have thousands of them on our phones and we are desperate to capture the moment and treasure it. I am always reminded of that when I watch the New Year London fireworks and there is always a sea of people watching them through their phone camera rather than with their own eyes. People are desperate to capture a moment, remember it and for many, share it with their world. So why are engagement photos any different? Well, for some, they’re not. For others, engagement photos might be considered as a luxury that they can’t/don’t need to afford and by others, just unnecessary! In this blog, we discuss the pros and cons of having an engagement shoot - really to help you make your mind up on whether it is worth having one!

The pros…

One of the biggest reasons to have an engagement shoot is to prep to get the best…here is what we mean:

• Nerves: I hate having my photo taken…One of most common lines we hear is ‘he hates having his photo taken’ or ‘we both feel so awkward in front of the camera’ so it feels counter-intuitive to have engagement photos taken. But part of the reason why we don’t like something is because we think we won’t like the outcome or that we haven’t previously liked it. Some people just don’t like themselves in photos. What an engagement photo shoot actually does is help you understand and see that it’s our job as photographers to help you so that you love the outcome (because when was the last time a professional, experienced (with people who are not models) took photos of you) and an engagement photo shoot also helps you to be more relaxed on your day! 

• Connection: We get to know each other before the day. You spend more time with us than most other people on your wedding day and it’s lovely to have that connection and have had time to ask questions and laugh. You want your day to feel relaxed, easy and comfortable so knowing us will really help.

• Knowing what to expect: You get to see how we work and get to know what to expect from us which really helps you to be more relaxed on the day. Not only that, but we get to see how you are together and what feels natural to you. We want to take photos that naturally reflect you and so having the opportunity for us to see that and for you to see us work means the photography on the wedding day feels even more easy. Relaxed photos are better photos.

And then there are the added bonuses:

• Non wedding photos: Again, how often do we have photos taken by a pro? It’s a given that you get a pro to take your wedding photos but having ‘normal photos’ as well is amazing. Lots of us celebrate what we have by displaying them and having them up in our houses but it’s unlikely you will only have wedding photos up. So having those ‘other’ ones is brilliant. We had one and felt so shy at first but actually, we ended up having a lot of fun and it felt good to invest in us. It made a memory we always talk about and we just love those photos which marked a time before kids. So precious. 

• Investment. One of the reasons we are photographers is because we believe in relationship, in marriage and in family. Photos are an investment in those things. They celebrate what we have and they remind us of what we felt and what we had back then over the years to come. I absolutely look back on those photos and remember how we felt.

• You won’t regret it. We don’t know one couple who regretted having an engagement shoot…

  “The engagement shoot was a great way to help us loosen up in front of the camera and also get to know them a bit better.” Callum and Lex

  “They brought out our true personalities and ensured that we relaxed in front of the camera with the engagement shoot which led to our confidence being carried over onto our wedding day, which is apparent to see in the fantastic shots they got.” Max and Charlie

  Read what some people have to say through their testimonials here and in google reviews here.

The Cons…

• The cost - At a time you are spending an obscene amount of money on a wedding, finding another few hundred can feel extravagant and unnecessary. It’s difficult to have it all and to find the money if you are on a budget. It depends on how important photos are to you. If you love them, the investment is worth every penny. 

• It feels awkward - yes we get it. We also felt awkward on a shoot we had…but only to start with. We surprised ourselves by how much we really enjoyed it in the end. It felt like a real investment in us and we had a lot of fun. So if you feel awkward in front of the camera, we’d actually recommend facing that before your wedding.

• I’m so busy - this doesn’t get easier! Life seems to get more busy the more you go on. Carving out time for things can be hard but it just takes intentionality which as a couple you will always need to do. 

• I don’t need that many photos - that’s a valid point. Some people don’t. 
  

Having engagement photos is understandably not for everyone. But for others it is the best idea. If you dislike photos of yourself and you know you can’t really not have them on your wedding day, it’s such a good idea to have a practice and gain some confidence through having some engagement photos. In our opinion, you can’t put a price on photos. You will never regret putting the money aside for them. We feel a mix of total gratefulness that we had our engagement shoot and all the family shoots we have had since, and regret for not having better photos to capture important times like our own wedding!

We really understand either way. Here are some engagement shoots to have a look through here. Do contact us if you would like to book - whether we are shooting your wedding or not.

We have lots more videos packed with advice. Click here for tips about honeymoons and even things we learnt from our own wedding day. Read more about our approach here.