Recently a few camera-shy clients have asked Dom whether they HAD to have an engagement shoot before the wedding. For anyone who maybe hasn’t heard of an engagement shoot before it’s something that many photographers now offer as an extra pre-wedding shoot, generally in more of a relaxed environment than the wedding itself. Now I know Dom does enjoy doing engagement shoots for her couples but it’s never something she’d insist upon them having unless it’s something they wanted themselves. Some photographers though do insist upon having a pre-wedding shoot, and so, although we’re actually pretty much in agreement on this one, we thought we’d present the arguments for and against in our typical style…
After all, Friday is definitely Fight Night!
DING DING! Ladies and Gentlemen, tonights fight will be in contention for the world heavy lightweight Bride Vs Groom fight-out championship. No Dom you don’t look fat in that, I was just quoting the… look I didn’t mean anything ok just let me type!!!
In the Red corner, fighting like a true photographer in favour of the pre-wedding shoot, she once defiantly and perhaps somewhat foolishly challenged the weather gods to make the conditions any worse on one memorably wet engagement shoot to which the gods responded with suitable aplomb and practically a hurricane, it’s Dom “The Tog” Bride.
In the Blue corner, as ever fighting the corner that involves spending less cash, when Dom first started talking about engagement shoots he thought she was talking about the number of times she had accidentally “shot down” his plans for the proposal (about 48 at last count) it’s Matt “The Gormless” Groom.
Engagement Shoot Vs Meeting Only… FIGHT!!!
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Dom: An engagement shoot is a great chance to really get to know your photographer and help you to click with them before the big day so they can understand more about you and get the kind of photos you really want.
Matt: You can achieve much of the same thing with a simple meeting. Sometimes an e-shoot can help but really any photographer worth their salt would be able to quickly figure out how best to work with you and get great images.
Dom: For the camera shy the e-shoot is also a great way for you to get used to being constantly photographed and help you to relax in front of the camera a bit more so you can be nice and relaxed on the wedding day itself.
Matt: But for a lot of camera shy people the trauma of having to do it twice is far worse than just having to be all smiles on the wedding day – a day when you’re naturally going to be smiling rather a lot anyway!!
Dom: It’s a whole extra shoot! A shoot where you can be more yourselves in your own everyday clothes! You can get some really cool pictures taken together commemorating the engagement period which can either go with the wedding album or make some cool prints to hang up on the walls! How often do you have an excuse to get an amazing photographer to take your picture professionally?!
Matt: In the run up to the wedding it’s difficult enough getting everything planned and ready to go without having to fit in an engagement shoot as well! Trying to find the time and arrange time with the photographer as well can be really tricky, particularly if the photographer is coming from further afield.
Dom: The engagement shoot can generally take place wherever you’d like so can be somewhere really special to you, perhaps the place he proposed or where you first met. These can sometimes make for some of the most emotional and beautiful photos of the whole wedding period.
Matt: It’s hard enough getting decent wedding for the wedding day itself without throwing an e-shoot in as well!
Dom: Lots of people use the e-shoot pictures as part of the wedding itself, perhaps to go on the invitations or put up as a nice, personal decoration at the reception. This can work really well and it’s much better with professionally taken shots!
Matt: Price – An engagement shoot can add quite a lot to the overall price with the best photographers charging a reasonable but substantial rate for an engagement shoot on top of the wedding.
So where do you stand on this argument? If you’re getting married and have had to decide on whether to have an e-shoot or not, or if you’re a photographer who does or doesn’t offer them we’d love to hear from you! Leave your comments below or catch us on twitter!
