Is a pre-wedding shoot necessary?

You’re engaged, you’ve set the date and you’ve booked your wedding venue. Next step, you’re booking your photographer but you keep coming across this whole pre-wedding shoot thing and you’re wondering, what’s the crack with that? Is a pre-wedding shoot necessary? How much will it cost? Do you even care about one?

Let me help …

What is a pre- wedding shoot?

A pre-wedding shoot (also known as an engagement shoot) is a short photo session with your wedding photographer approximately 2 months before your big day. The sessions will generally last around an hour and where the session takes place is entirely up to you. You may have somewhere special you’d like to go, like a romantic beach stroll at sunset. Or you may prefer to take the dog for a walk somewhere local to you. If you really can’t think of anywhere then I’d be happy to pitch in with some ideas for you to consider, but the shoot is yours and exactly what you want it to be.

Why will a pre-wedding shoot benefit me?

There are loads of reasons why a pre-wedding shoot is a good idea;

1. It allows you to meet your photographer in person and get to know each other! Your photographer should not feel like a stranger, you need to feel comfortable around them, especially on the big day.

2. It gives you some insight as to how your photographer works so you know what to expect on the day.

3. A pre-wedding shoot allows you time to get used to being in front of the camera. It can take a little while to feel comfortable with someone taking photos of you, you really don’t want that stress on your big day along-side everything else. A short session before the main event will help you put your fears to one side.

4. The meet up gives you chance to discuss your plans for the big day (and any special requirements) with your photographer. A good chat is much more beneficial than twenty emails or phone calls!

5. It gives you chance to celebrate your engagement and get some lovely photos of you both together. You may even decide to use these photos on your wedding day, such as blowing up a large photo and asking guests to write messages on the frame! Or why not pop a few in your wedding guest book?

How much does a pre-wedding shoot cost?

Pre-wedding shoots can range in cost, personally I include a pre-wedding shoot as part of my full day package, this is because I feel these are hugely beneficial to do before your wedding. Alternatively, if you’re after a half day package but would still like to have a pre wedding shoot I can include this as an optional extra, see my packages and prices here: Packages

How do I prepare for a pre-wedding shoot?

Once you’ve set a date, time and location for your shoot you might start thinking, how do I prepare for this? There are a couple of things to consider for the day:

1. Carefully consider your outfit choice. I generally suggest smart/casual and try to complement each other. Try not to go for clashing colours or huge bold prints as it can distract from the overall photo. Bear this in mind with huge logos and writing on clothing too.

2. Hats and sun glasses. The aim of any photoshoot is to capture the connection and relationship you have with your partner, and that is generally seen in the eyes. Let me see those beautiful eyes, don’t cover them up!

3. Try to leave excess baggage at home, bring the bare minimum with you. Huge bags can look clunky on photos, you want your photos to look light and fuss free.

4. Consider the weather! There’s no way of getting away from the fact that we live in a…changeable…climate. I don’t want you freezing for an hour with blue lips in the photos! You can always discuss an alternative location that may be a bit more suitable to our wetter days!

What’s the most important thing? That you enjoy this, I always hope that a pre-wedding shoot

allows you to relax and start getting excited about your big day. It almost gives you a taster of what

to expect! So, smile, relax and have fun with it!