He just popped the question, you’ve been flashing your left hand any opportunity you get and now it’s crunch time to plan the big day! After booking your venue and date-YAY! The next on your list should be your wedding photographer. Chances are, you’ve had your eye on a few since before you got engaged (it’s ok, your secret is safe with me). The light, the emotions, the chemistry and the joy— all exuding from this photographer’s portfolio of happily married couples! Let me share a little secret with you— 8 out of 10 couples I photograph tell me upon inquiring that:

A) They’re “super awkward in front of the camera”

B) They hate taking photos

MOST people have not spent a lot of time in front of the camera (selfies don’t count), so it’s totally normal to not feel 100% comfortable at the idea of having hundreds of photos focused on you. You want to know one of the biggest ways you overcome & get rad emotion/joy/romantic filled photos on your wedding day? Aside from booking a great photographer you love— you book an engagement session WITH THEM. I’ve never had a couple regret doing an engagement session before the big day! Even though it might be a couple hundred extra on the wedding package or maybe even your cousin who is a hobbyist photographer offered to do them for free (sweet deal, right?)… there are 7 big reasons why it matters to do an engagement session with your wedding photographer:

1) It helps you to get to know your wedding photographer. Think about it— they’re with you ALL day on your wedding, up close, capturing every moment and emotion that unfolds. The last thing you would want is for it to feel like a blind date on the most important and emotion filled day of your life.

2) It helps your wedding photographer get to YOU. Photographing the two of you before the big day is super helpful for your photographer to get to know your personalities, your inside jokes, if your shy or outgoing, if you have a “side” you prefer to be photographed from, if you enjoy moodier/serious poses or playful/laughing ones, get to know your love story, as well as to get an idea the best way to lead you & guide you through photos on your wedding day. Its basically like a first REAL date, but with your photographer.

3) It will help you to be more comfortable in front of the camera. After doing your engagement session, you’ll know what to expect on your wedding… basically like muscle memory for the two of you during your formal photos. A lot of couples get anxious, while having their photos taken, which can sometimes come out in the photos. During an engagement session, your photographer can show you glimpses of your photos during the session (because there’s no rush) to not only put your mind at ease, but to reassure you that you guys GOT THIS. The majority of grooms that do an engagement session with their bride-to-be end up telling me how glad they did it, how much fun they had and how much it helped ease their anxiety for photos on their wedding day. Theres a reason why they say “practice makes perfect” and although perfection isn’t the goal, feeling comfortable is.

4) It will help you to be fully present on your wedding day. With knowing how your wedding photographer takes photos and already knowing how you’ll look in them— you’ll have one less thing to be anxious about on your wedding day. Doing so will allow you to be able to be fully present— focusing on your new spouse and all of the friends & family there to celebrate with you!

5) You’ll have RAD photos for all wedding needs. Your wedding website, save the dates, a custom guest book and photos to display around your reception. Engagement photos fulfill the need for all of these AND they’ll look similar to the style & coloring of the photos from your wedding— I’m all about similar flow & consistency. It’s also a plus that you can print them for family members in advance (think birthdays, mothers day, Christmas, etc).

6) You can use your engagement session as a hair & make up trial. Professional photos versus cellphone photos are completely different. It’s super helpful to see and be able to imagine how you’ll look in your wedding photos done by your wedding photographer with a particular hair style and make up done, if you use your engagement session for a trial run.

7) Lastly, getting engaged is a milestone worth celebrating & capturing in it’s own! Have fun, incorporate different outfits, your personalities, hobbies or things you enjoy doing together (think IN N OUT burger, going to the fair, a baseball field). Your engagement session can be classic & timeless in nature or at the beach OR it can be fun, different and quirky— that’s the perk of doing engagement photos! You have the time, space and opportunity to personalize the session to you two.

Hope this helps encourage you to book an engagement session with your wedding photographer!