Pre-wedding shoots
There aren’t many other things in the wedding planning process that makes the colour drain from people’s faces than the mention of pre-wedding shoots, or engagement shoots, as they are also known. The thought of having to look lovey-dovey in front of a practical stranger with a camera? “No outward projection of feelings please, we’re British!”
I get it, I really do. When my husband and I did our pre-wedding shoot back in *cough* 2013, we too were similarly horrified at the thought. Well, I’ve come a long way since then, and I’m here to dispel and debunk all the myths surrounding pre-wedding shoots (hereby now referred to as PWS), and to reassure you that they’re actually kind of great! And yes, I still do look at my photos from my very own PWS.
Below is some frequently asked questions about PWS, including some top tips that will help take your PWS photos from “meh” to “aMEHzing!”.
Let’s get into it.
Pre-wedding shoots: what are they?
I call them PWS because they’re usually done once your wedding planning is under way, and you’ve set your wedding date, rather than calling them engagement shoots which might occur shortly after the proposal, and makes me think of it being very “I said yes” focussed.
PWS essentially are a practice, a dry run, an opportunity for you to have some photos taken by your wedding photographer before the big day. I get to see what you’re like in front of the camera, and you get to see what I’m like behind the camera. I have no doubt your family will scrunch up their nose and peer over their glasses with “What on Earth is a pre-wedding shoot?” and mutter something about Americanisms, but pre-wed shoots have been a thing for as long as I’ve been a photographer. So get on board, grandma.
What they’re not:
You hear ‘pre-wedding’ or ‘engagement shoot’ mentioned and all of a sudden your mind wanders to a terrible, soft-focus photo of the two of you sat on a hay bale with your hands clasped under your chin. It’s no wonder people get anxious at the idea of them — because that isn’t what they are at all!
What’s the benefit of doing a pre-wedding shoot?
If you’re feeling anxious about doing the couple portrait photo part of your wedding day, pre-wedding shoots are ideal to help take away your nervousness before the big day. It will help put you and your partner at ease, as you’ll see exactly what I’ll be asking you to do on your wedding day. It’s quite normal to feel a little self-conscious about having your photo taken, and it’s my job to put you at ease. And you get some beaut photos of the two of you, too!
How long do they take?
Up to an hour and a half, usually. Just enough time to get into the swing of things and get loosened up.
Where should we go?
You’re welcome to decide where we go, in fact I encourage you to think of somewhere you like, particularly if it’s meaningful to you. For both of our comfort, I suggest we go somewhere that isn’t too crowded, and this will help put you at ease if there’s not lots of people around. I also suggest we go somewhere during the week if possible, as again, less people will be around. A Saturday morning / afternoon at a popular park will always be busy.
Location ideas
It’s a good idea for you to choose somewhere you feel comfortable, I encourage you to have a think about some suggestions, particularly if there’s somewhere meaningful to you. It’s helpful to have somewhere mutually convenient for the both of us; as much as I’d love to drive 3 hours away to conduct a 1.5hr pre-wedding shoot, it ain’t gonna happen. So somewhere that’s convenient for both of us, it may be a forest/woodland, the beach, next to some water, I’ve been to marinas, even the fields opposite my house!
What should I wear?
What you choose to wear for PWS is actually quite important. Wearing lighter, brighter colours really helps the photos pop, and helps define you from the background. Please avoid wearing lots of dark colours, eg dark jeans and a dark top. I’m not saying you both need to wear all white or hot pink, but a bit of colour or even a pattern will really make a difference. Take a look at the couples in my previous PWS photos and see how their outfit choices help them stand out from the background.
Any other advice?
Practical advice: the time of day is important. At midday the sun is at its highest and harshest, casting nasty shadows on your faces, so it’s better to do your PWS a couple of hours either side of it, either around 10am or 2pm. Even better than that, is doing it later in the day where possible, 4pm, 5pm, or even on a summer’s evening we can even meet around 8pm when the sun is going down and it’s dreamy golden hour time.
Sunsets in Thaxed, Essex.
Bring your well behaved kids/dogs - as long as they don’t bite! I’m more than happy for you to bring your little immediate fam with you, as long as we’re also able to take some photos of just the two of you. If this means someone else needs to come to look after the kids/dog, that’s cool with me. Many of my couples bring their dogs; I could write a whole blog post on that by itself.
Emotional advice: If you feel in your heart of hearts that you and/or your partner won’t enjoy doing a PWS, that is absolutely no problem. They’re not obligatory and I would always encourage you to listen to your instincts about whether it will be an hour and a half well spent. I’m always confident you will both come away from it feeling relieved (!), pleased, and emboldened, as the initial nerves disappear and you see it wasn’t such a terrible experience after all.
Even if I’m not photographing your wedding…
…I can still do the bits either side 😎
Have a butcher’s at my selection of photos and remember: most of the couples you see in these photos also felt nervous about their pre-wedding shoot. They turned out pretty good, eh?
Don’t just take it from me. Here’s what previous couples have said about their own pre-wed shoot:
“We were both slightly apprehensive before our pre-wedding shoot, however, Sally made us feel entirely at ease and took some stunning photos. We knew from the pre-wedding shoot that we were in for a treat with Sally shooting our wedding!”
“Initially I was dreading a pre-wedding shoot. Fearing posey, cheesy photos that are just not us but what Sally achieved for us are beautiful natural photos that we have framed in our house. We also had a lovely afternoon strolling round the park chatting!”
“Going for the engagement shoot package was also a great way for us to meet Sally before the big day and see how she directed us too. She gave valuable tips ahead of the wedding which massively helped us to plan ahead to make sure our photos were top notch.”
“We were so nervous about the photo shoot and, as we drove to meet Sally, we were discussing how we couldn't wait to get it over and done with! When we met her, Sally put us at ease right away. She had us laughing the entire time and knew exactly the right things to say to get us feeling natural and relaxed. We ended up loving it! The photos looked incredible and we knew we had absolutely made the right choice choosing her for our wedding day.”
