“I see that you provide engagement sessions with all of your packages, but I already had an engagement session… could I have an extra hour free or a discount for not having another session?”

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Let’s say that you had some engagement photos done, and you absolutely adored the photos! Good thing! But wait, your photographer has just told you that they don’t do weddings.
Or another scenario: You didn’t love your experience, or heaven forbid, your photos just weren’t everything that you wanted them to be. Fast forward to now, you’re looking around and you see that your options include an engagement session in what they offer you. So you think to yourself,

“I’ve already had one of those, so I bet they’d be willing to lower their rate, or extend the working time instead of shooting my engagement session.”

While it seems like a compelling argument for a penny saved, I’d love to share why I will still include the engagement session as a part of the process.

Here’s a general overview: This helps YOU. This helps ME. This helps US together! It has to be good, right?!

Having a session with me helps YOU.

Most people haven’t modeled their whole lives and now they’re engaged and ready for their effortlessly perfect photos. Some have, and what a blessing for them, but that’s not the usual circumstance.

Having an engagement session with me allows for mistakes to be made, and adjusted so that we end up with a gallery that you’re proud to show your family and friends.

Your engagement session is practice for your wedding day.

Practicing for your wedding photos sounds a little absurd, but it helps the lighten the pressure on your wedding day. You’ll be so much more comfortable and familiar with the posing system that your photographer uses. My couples are relaxed and comfortable with the poses that we learn and perfect in the engagement session.

You and your Groom will learn new things and build confidence during your engagement session. Sometimes guys have this expectation that taking photos will be absolutely horrendous. This is our opportunity to soften his opinion of photos before the wedding day. Encourage him that he’s going to do wonderfully. Before your session, take some time to show him which poses his favorite. You can look at the engagement galleries here.

Having an engagement session with you before your wedding day helps ME.

Say what, aren’t all sessions created equal? Not even close. Every person, photographer and couple, is incredibly different from one another. We need to ensure that we work well together and that our personalities are an ideal fit. Having an engagement session with me allows for that time to get comfortable with each other. We will be spending SO much time together on your wedding day. It would be so hard to do a wedding day with a stranger photographing all of your most important and intimate moments. That first look would feel really strange with someone you just met photographing the entire thing.
It also gives me time to recognize any areas that you as a couple may struggle with certain posing prompts, and allows me to alter them so that the two of you look stunning for your picture perfect wedding portraits!

It helps us both on your wedding day!

Man, this is the one that makes it ALL so much easier. When you’ve learned your part (don’t worry, it doesn’t feel like learning), and I’m aware of how to help you best; your wedding day can go seamlessly and quickly from getting ready, to the first look, bride and groom portraits, ceremony, family formals, to just married portraits and so much more!