Hey there, pretty brides!! I’m coming at ya today with some wedding advice straight from the heart. Let’s chat about engagement photos, and why I believe it’s SUPER important to have the same photographer capture your engagement session and your wedding day.

Now before I begin, I totally understand this isn’t always possible (like if you’re planning an engagement session out of state, or your wedding photographer lives far away for example!) But if you and your photographer can make it happen, having him/her shoot both your engagement session and your wedding is really the best case scenario! Let me explain why.

1.       Building trust

Let’s be honest, being in front of the camera is straight-up AWKWARD. None of us feel natural about it (unless you’re Bella or Gigi Hadid!) Engagement sessions are a great time to shed some nerves and get more comfortable in front of the camera before the big day. Use this as a chance to get to know you photographer, and to build trust in them! A good photographer will put your nerves at ease and get you feeling comfortable and natural, and that will translate beautifully in photos. Once you see how amazing you look in your engagement photos, you’ll feel even more confident going into the wedding day!!

2.       Practice makes perfect!

You probably haven’t had professional photos taken in a hot minute (high school senior pics, anyone?) Time with your photographer at your engagement session is the perfect opportunity to practice their posing style, so on the wedding day, you can show up knowing YOU’VE GOT THIS. At the same time, it’s a great time for your photographer to learn more about you and what poses/prompts work best with your vibes!! Think of your engagement session like training for a marathon. By practicing beforehand, once the wedding day rolls around you’ll get through photos faster and smoother (meaning, more time for bubbly at the bar and hugging all your guests! Sound good??)

3.       It’s more FUN!!

Sure, you could rope a family member or a friend into taking a few engagement photos off their semi-fancy camera (or iPhone *cringe*). It’ll feel kinda awkward, neither you or them will really know what they’re doing, and you’ll probably end up with a photo or two that looks OK enough to post on a save-the-date. But what’s the fun in that?? The EXPERIENCE of an engagement session with your photographer is something I promise you’re going to actually enjoy! It’s a time to hang out with your fiancé with no distractions, to flirt and giggle a little, and most importantly, to celebrate this amazing time in your lives. Remember, your most special memories deserve being documented!

XO

Rach