Remember the first time you rode a bike? Super. Scary. You might’ve had someone there to help you get your feet off the ground, but it probably took more than one try to get the hang of riding that thing!
Much like anything in life, usually the first time we do ANYTHING, it doesn’t come first nature. It feels weird – awkward, even – just because we’re not used to it or have never done it before.
The same is true for having your photo taken! You may have had experience having your photo taken when you were a senior in high school, or as a professional for a LinkedIn headshot, but if you’re getting married, more than likely you’ve never had your photo taken with someone else. And trust me, having your photo taken with someone else is totally different than having it taken by yourself!
But how? For one, an engagement/wedding photographer is looking to capture an interaction. So instead of you interacting with the camera, the goal is to get you and your fiancé interacting together. And while some couples are total naturals in front of the camera, most of us (yes, I’m raising my hand too!) need a little guidance and practice before we catch on.
So… let me ask, very boldly: if you’ve never had your photo taken with your significant other before your wedding day, do you want to go in without EVER having practiced, on one of the biggest days of your life?
If you do, I give you major props, because you’re much braver than I was! Even as a wedding photographer, I was a little uneasy getting in front of the camera for my own engagement photos. But once I did – I slowly started catching on. I started to see what our photographer was looking to capture, and I learned how to play into those moments to get the best interactions possible with my now-husband! And let me tell you – we LOVE those photos and have many of them hanging up around our apartment, because they capture who we genuinely are.
On my wedding day, I was able to go into the day worrying less about one thing. I knew that we had practiced having our photo taken before and that we were total naturals (well, maybe not TOTAL naturals, but not too bad ;) ), so I knew we were going to get awesome photos the day of our wedding, too.
And that, my friends, is one pretty awesome reason to have engagement photos taken. But just to recap and add a few more points – engagement photos…
- …allow you to test out your wedding photographer before the wedding day to see how they work (and to see their work!).
- …allow you to get more comfortable in front of the camera before your wedding day.
- …give you some photos of you and your husband or wife-to-be in your everyday clothes, looking like yourselves, which are great for save the dates, bridal shower decorations, Christmas gifts, wedding décor – the list is endless!
- …give you an excuse to have a date night. Planning a wedding can be CRAZY. Trust me, I understand – I planned mine while I was starting a business, going to school full time, and working part-time! But the day of our engagement photos, my now-husband and I were able to relax and just enjoy being in the presence of each others company without worrying about anything else.
So really – what you are you waiting for?! Schedule that session today! And if you’re looking for a local Pittsburgh engagement photographer, I’d love to talk with you to hear more about you and your fiancé!
