Short answer- it’s up to you. A few quick reasons I think an engagement shoot is a good idea:

• Photos in normal clothes at any location/time you like.
• A practice-run in front of the camera.
• Treasured images in your current life season.
• Beautiful images to use for pre-wedding purposes.

I’ll go into these in more depth below, and a few bonus reasons too. You may not be bothered at all about an engagement shoot. That’s totally fine. I’m not here to twist anyone’s arm. In case you’re on the fence, maybe this will help…

Still need convincing?

Photos on your wedding day are epic, a momentous occasion. Engagement photos are a chance to get more of a lifestyle vibe. Capture who you are in everyday life, in your normal (maybe favourite) outfits. You can choose a location you love – that you may not get the chance to go to on your wedding day. You could do an at-home engagement session. Think: making coffee, hanging out in your home, with your pets, living life. You could go somewhere special, meaningful to you. Your favourite date spot, where you first met or your favourite spot to catch a sunset. We’re not restricted by timelines or weather like a wedding day, we can pick the perfect time, lighting and if needed, adjust for bad weather.

Engagement shoots are an opportunity to get used to being photographed and to get to know how your photographer works. It will help you feel relaxed on your wedding day. It’s a great time to connect with your significant other, soak up the moment and enjoy each other. Just think of it as a date. Hanging out together, plenty of walking, talking, cuddling and kissing…. with someone slyly capturing it all. I promise you’ll relax into it and realise being photographed is actually not that scary, it’s fun!

What will I use them for?

The result of this shoot will be beautiful images capturing a brief but important season in your life together. In the grand scheme of things, engagements aren’t very long. It’s a season of life filled with excitement, anticipation for the future, love and connection. And it’s over in a flash. How cool to have images of you at this moment that will bring back all the emotions of this time for years to come. One day you might show your kids these images, and look back on all your memories since then. I love looking back at photos of my parents and grandparents as young couples and imagining them during that time. What a beautiful legacy to create.

As well as all the feels and emotions, these images have a tangible purpose too. They can be used for your wedding website, invitations, guest book or, prints in your first home. You can even make a little album. We’re all guilty of having thousands of images hidden away on our computers and hard drives. Getting them off the dark corners of the cloud and printed for you to touch and hold… mmm it’s a whole other level I tell you!

Alright, a couple of bonus reasons, in case you needed more:

• Do your hair and/or makeup trial for your wedding the day of your shoot, photos will be extra fab!
• Bring an outfit change, and get a few different looks during the shoot.
• Make it an adventure! You want to go for a surf, climb a mountain or take a roadtrip for your shoot? I’m down!
• A couple of favourites: this beautiful evening at the park, this gorgeous seaside one, this epically rainy (hailing) day in a blossoming orchard, and this dreamy west coast sunset (with puppy included).