Written by: Megan Alissa Glanville
With so many couples having engagement sessions these days it’s hard to know if this is purely narcissistic nonsense or if there is something to this growing trend. Whether you’ve had one in the past or are thinking of having one in the future, there are a few practical reasons that will guide you to a greater awareness as to why an engagement session can make or break your wedding.
Let’s face it, some of us are captivating and wholly photogenic, while others, ahem, need a little time to “warm up” when in front of a camera. No one wants to be “warming up” on his or her wedding day. No one. Think of an engagement session like this, at the very least it’s practice (!) but truly, it ends up being so much more. This type of session is one in which the engaged couple is photographed sometime between the proposal and wedding day. This is the ideal setting for a couple to relax and get accustomed to being photographed and generally just figure out what works for them and the photographer. Generally speaking, it is unlikely a couple will have experienced being continually photographed together. If either you (or your one and only) aren’t the most natural when in front of the camera together, you certainly don’t’ want to discover this on your actual wedding day, or repeatedly across many social media platforms for years to come.
An engagement session also affords you a comfortable, no pressure environment to develop a rapport with your wedding photographers. You will likely spend more time with them than anyone else on your wedding day. Seriously. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel completely at ease seeing a friendly face on your big day, totally confident in their ability (since you have a working history together)? An engagement session is like wedding photography insurance. When you consider your wedding as a whole, you plan and practice everything else, why on earth would you not rehearse perhaps the most important aspect? Give yourself peace of mind and book it, you’ll be glad you did. We are forgetting however, one of the most important reasons, which is that engagement sessions can be fun! Whether on location or in studio, engagement sessions should be easy and enjoyable. Your wedding photographer will know how to guide and pose the two of you –and better still, how to capture some amazing candid moments. This is a time to relax, laugh and think 
about the life you will share. If you are feeling nervous, talk to your photographer in advance. Many times including some kind of props(think umbrella, baseball and glove, a favorite antique book, retro bicycle or sparklers) can really lighten up the atmosphere and keep you focused on enjoying the moment. Engagement sessions often include an outfit change or two. It is not uncommon for couples to style their shoot, be it in connection with their wedding, a common interest or something else entirely. Consider your outfits in unison; after all you will be photographed together! A great concept many couples choose is to do two separate looks, one casual and the other more refined. Ultimately this will allow for a great variety of photos and you will feel (and photograph) differently in each ensemble. The photos from your shoot also serve perfectly should you decide to send out save the dates or use particular photos as part of the décor at your reception (and later, your home). Wall portraits are a common consideration, while wedding photos are exquisitely beautiful; there is something quiet and moving about photos from an engagement session. You will be newly weds for a year or two, so consider having your engagement photos on the walls as these are timeless. Wedding photos are focused on the big picture (venue, the gown, the flowers and family portraits etc.) whereas an engagement session is more about just the two of you. It crystalizes that ephemeral time when love is heightened by the excitement and contentment one has at the thought of saying “I do”
There are many practical reasons to have an engagement session but the main undertow is this: you will only be engaged for a very short period of time. This is a slice of your life that is fleeting and the true value of your engagement photos will last far beyond the engagement. An engagement session tends to be less fanfare than the wedding, it is intimate and beautiful and definitely something to be treasured. It is a love story and it is yours. Document it and enjoy the results for the rest of your life.
Photographer: Melanie Zacek for dani. fine photography
Couple: MJ & David
