All of our packages include an engagement session and some prospective clients see it as an unnecessary add-on, but for Olyn and I, the engagement session is a key in doing our jobs well.  The engagement session is a chance for us to get to know our couples, see how they interact with a camera around, learn how comfortable they are together and with the camera and figure out the dynamic of their particular relationship.  When we have our couples come in for their order session, its an additional chance to learn what they like in images and what they don’t– whether its a specific body part, angle, etc. that they don’t care for or a style of shooting that they really love.  Those observations and that feedback allows us to tailor our approach to that specific couple and be confident we are capturing the images they dreamed of.

I strongly encourage every bride and groom to have an engagement session with their photographer– no matter who it is.  You need an opportunity to see how that person will photograph you, get to know their personality and make sure the fit is correct before the wedding day.  Nerves and stress tend to run high on a wedding day and the last thing you will want is a stranger with a camera in your face.  By having that engagement session, you should be friends with your photographer, know what to expect, have confidence in their work and be able to truly be yourself.  So, really engagement portraits aren’t so much about the portraits and is more about the relationship with your photographer.