Grace Layne Photography - 6 Reasons the Engagement Session is SO Important

Engagement sessions are secretly a very important part of your wedding process. I have heard clients say they have enough photos of each other and don't need an engagement session...um nooo. That selfie you took at Christmas last year, or the photo that was snapped of you and your fiance at your friends wedding a few months ago are most definitely not the same thing as an engagement session! These photos are made to be much more, and there are many different reasons why they are so important!

Get to know your photographer

This is probably the most important reason up here, my numero uno, we get to know each other! This is something that makes the wedding day that much more successful, if we know each other and are comfortable, things will flow! And, you won't be lookin at me like I'm coo coo if I tell you to do a pose you are not familiar with.

Get more comfortable in front of the camera

Every single couple that gets in front of my camera starts out feeling awkward and a tad nervous, that is just how it is. It is COMPLETELY normal! The only people that may not feel awkward are models, and they would be difficult to retrain to do the poses I need them to do. With in the first 15-20 minutes of the session I will have you feeling like a pro, and we will be laughing like old friends! Then, when it comes time for your wedding day portraits, you will be a seasoned pro. ;)

Building trust in your photographer

Let's be real, wedding photographers are NOT cheap. (at least not the good ones!) More likely than not, you were a little apprehensive signing up to pay that much, or are just hoping and praying it will be worth it. This is where the engagement session comes in! The engagement session is the first time you will be able to experience the expertise of your photographer, and see the finished product. Then, hopefully, you will feel confident in your choice of photographer and will be even more excited for the big day!

Find YOUR pose

There are a handful of core poses I teach my couples with variations of each pose. These poses are not a one size fits all. Some poses will make you look more flattering then others, and some will just be natural to you. The engagement session gives your photographer time to find the pose that is your "Ah-ha!" pose. Then we can be sure to use the crap out of that pose and variations of it to make you look your absolute best!

Have photos that are not of you in your wedding attire

Wedding photos are EPIC. I mean when else are you and your fiancé

going to be dressed in attire that costs more than your mortgage payment?! But, sometimes you want the normal looking, every day "you" in a photo that gets hung on your living room wall. This is what the engagement session is perfect for!

It is worth celebrating!

You're getting married! This is definitely something to celebrate as much as you possibly can! So, if you can celebrate your soon to be spouse more than once, why not?!

Engagement sessions are actually one of my very favorite sessions to shoot. It has all of the love and laughs that the wedding has, with none of the stress and pressure! Trust me, your engagement session will be worth it, and you will definitely not regret having it done!