Why We Do Engagement Photography

It’s a good question. Why are we taking these photos? Often one partner gets it into their head that it would be a “great idea” to take some engagement photos, and then has to convince the other person that they should do it. And usually, I find that the person who hatches the idea is often the partner that chose the photographer or places a higher importance on the wedding photography.

So what’s the value of engagement photography? There are tons of good reasons to take engagement photographs. First of all, it’s FUN. It’s fun to pose for the camera, and it’s fun to laugh at yourself and say “I can’t believe I’m doing this” and it’s fun when you finally see the photos and realize that you look pretty darned good. And I do consider that a part of my job — making people look good. With engagement photos especially, this is not about “reality” and photojournalism. This is better than your everyday life. For me, engagement photography is about the dream. I crack up when people occasionally ask me about my “models.” I’m like “models?” “Yeah, those people on your site. You hire models, right?” These are real-people — my clients! But if I’ve helped them to feel or look like a model then that’s great!

You can also put engagement photos to good use. They’re great for save-the-date cards. And that online slideshow with music makes a nice email announcement to get people excited about your upcoming wedding. Some people use the photos to create guest sign-in books, or have a print or two framed and displayed at their wedding, or even put them in a wedding day slideshow.

An engagement photography session is also a great way to get to know your photographer better and get comfortable in front of a camera. For me, it’s often about building relationships with my clients.

But what’s best about engagement photography is that you don’t have to be engaged to schedule a session. Anniversaries, birthdays, or just because you feel like it — you really don’t need a reason other than wanting to have some fun and take some great photographs.