6 Reasons Why You Should Book Engagement Photos
As Pittsburgh wedding photographers, we often take engagement photos of our couples as well. While it’s not a necessity, it is an important part of your love story. And we LOVE capturing love stories!
Our couples bringing their unique love story to the session is our favorite part. This can be done many ways. Sometimes they choose a location that is meaningful to their story, like the couple that wanted photos in the tea shop where they spent countless hours of their relationship. Or wanting to create a specific vibe for your relationship, like the couple that was planning a vintage/70s vibe for their wedding, so they dressed accordingly for their engagement photos. Or wanting to incorporate an activity that is meaningful to your relationship, like the couple who loves to be cozy and scrapbook.
If you’re on the fence about whether or not to book engagement photos, here are a few reasons why you should take the plunge and do it!
1. These photos really show who you are as a couple
In this specific moment in time, your love story has a unique look that is worth creating memories of. The way that you are together now should be remembered. This is an opportunity to be creative, be playful, and to bask in all that your relationship is right now. Knowing that while your love for one another remains steadfast, that we as people are always changing and capturing this moment of your story is totally irreplaceable.
2. It's a great opportunity to work together before your wedding day
Being photographed can certainly feel like a strange experience. By being together with us before your wedding and creating images together in this way, we are able to create an experience that is truly enjoyable for our couples and show that being photographed is a ton of fun when you do it with us!
3. It’s fun!
You basically get to have a date, kiss as much as you want (or as little as you want, that's cool too!), and we'll be there to document all the perfectly beautiful glances, embraces, and goofiness of your own unique love!
4. For your future selves
Imagine you 10 years from now, being able to look back on this time that you are currently in and the unique beauty of your love in this moment. Of course you'll have photos from your wedding day that will be so amazing and special, too, but an engagement session really offers a uniquely beautiful moment to truly capture your love and your story as you want to tell it.
5. Treat yo’ self!
For real though! A lot of times people don't think of celebrating themselves and this is a moment when people will consider taking the leap and want to mark this special time. We are so here for it! It's important to care for and commemorate this moment. The engagement is a natural moment where couples will do this. (Though you can do this every year, you don't need to be newly engaged to want to get portraits made!)
6. These photos can be used for save the dates or invitations
It’s a little obvious, but still a good point - these photos can be used for more than just memorializing your love at this stage in your story!
If we had to choose one main reason that you should book engagement photos, it would be reason number 1. For us personally, we have many more photos of us displayed from our engagement session in our home than we do from our wedding. Solely because we just love to look and see the love that we felt and can feel when we see those photos. Seeing this emblem of who we were as a couple in that moment of time shines so brightly and helps us live our love every day.
If you’re nervous about having your photo taken, you’re not alone! Most couples express anxiety about being photographed. Which makes sense because being in front of the camera is definitely not a normal thing. We are very good at creating the connections and making the space for our couples to feel at ease and be free to be themselves in front of the camera. And doing that before the wedding and hearing our couples say how much fun they have and how much they love their photos also helps build trust between them and us. They know they are in good hands and that really helps them feel at ease when we show up on the wedding day. They feel like, “oh yeah, it's just Glen & Julia, our good friends who also happen to be documenting this day” and know they are going to love their photos before they ever see them!
Ready to capture this very special time in your life before you officially say I do? Reach out and let’s chat about working together!