As a palatial Georgian mansion set in some 10 acres of stunning countryside, our beautiful setting isn’t just the perfect place to say “I do”. It’s also the first location choice for newly engaged couples and the ideal surroundings to start documenting your journey to the altar. Booking and taking part in an engagement shoot unlocks a number of benefits, yet many modern day couples choose to skip this exciting part of the wedding countdown.
In this blog post, we reveal just some of the reasons why you should have an engagement shoot as part of your pre-wedding activities.
Have a no-pressure practice run
The thought of being followed by a wedding photographer throughout the wedding day itself can fill many couples with dread. Your engagement shoot, however, provides the perfect opportunity to have a no-pressure practice run months before your big day.
When planning your wedding day, you’ll have 101 things to think about, but jitters about your wedding day photography shouldn’t be one of them. Your engagement shoot gives you the chance to get comfortable with the professional who’ll be snapping your wedding pictures. Your engagement shoot also offers the opportunity for you to see the professionally photographed you, giving you the confidence to enjoy, not dread, your wedding photography experience.
Share your moment of post-engagement bliss
On your wedding day, you and your photographer will be concerned about capturing every moment, including capturing shots of all your guests plus those iconic wedding moments, such as walking down the aisle, your first kiss as a married couple, and your first dance. Your engagement shoot, on the other hand, is all about you and your soon-to-be husband or wife. That’s not to say you don’t have to incorporate anyone or anything else into the mix. Your engagement shoot can include your kids or pets, utilise props, or work to a specific theme for a truly personalised feel and finish.
As well as being a great experience that brings you both together, your engagement shoot will produce some beautiful, romantic shots. You’ll be able to look back on these images with just as many fond memories as those created on the wedding day itself.
Get to know your wedding venue
Many couples choose to hold their engagement shoot at the wedding venue that they plan to get married in, meaning they can get familiar with the house and grounds. During your engagement shoot, you and your photographer can work together to identify potential areas to revisit on your wedding day. The engagement shoot itself may also mean that you really make the most of the setting available to you, capturing every bit of beauty that made you pick it as your wedding venue in the first place.
Inspire the next step of wedding planning
Your engagement shoot pictures can be used to inspire the next phase of your wedding plans as The Knot details:
“Once you have your engagement images, there are many things you can do with them. They can be given as gifts to family (your parents and grandparents would especially love a copy), or you can make yourselves a small album or order a portrait to hang in your home. You can also send an engagement picture to your hometown newspaper to announce your marriage, which can sometimes be important to your parents. The shots can also be used in your wedding program, wedding website or save-the-dates. If you do choose to self-publish your engagement images, get permission from your photographer.”
Take inspiration from other couples who nailed their engagement shoots by viewing these engagement photo ideas.
