With so much to do while wedding planning, it can be tempting to just have a friend take a few quick engagement photos or skip it altogether! However, I’m here to tell you as a past bride and photographer – that would be a HUGE mistake.

Engagement sessions are so important, I actually include one as a gift to ALL of my wedding clients. Read on for five big reasons you need to have an engagement session, with your wedding photographer!

Engagement sessions help you feel comfortable in front of the camera.

If your fiancé is like most guys, he might really dislike having his photo taken – and maybe you do, too! Being photographed can be really awkward, especially if your only experience with it so far has been selfies and stiff school photos.

Your engagement session is all about learning how to feel totally natural in front of the camera. I promise, it’s totally possible for EVERYONE! All you need is someone who knows how to help you feel comfortable, and a no pressure environment to practice in. That’s exactly what an engagement session is!

I’ll make sure you’re both feeling like models in no time, and when your wedding day finally arrives, portrait time will feel like a breeze.

It’s a chance to pause and celebrate this phase of your relationship.

No doubt about it, wedding planning is stressful! There’s so much to figure out, events to attend, details to finalize. Have you ever stopped to consider that your engagement is likely the most fleeting phase of your relationship? Think about it! You might have dated for a few years, and you’ll be a wife for the rest of your life, but you’re only a fiancé for a very short time.

Your engagement session is a time to stop all the hustle and craziness, and to just enjoy some time together. Think of it like a date night!

You’ll get epic photos for your save the dates!

Need I say much more? Instead of sending out a generic templated card, you’ll have a gallery FILLED with beautiful photos to use on your save the date cards. Many couples choose a few different outfits, which often complement their wedding colors so that everything flows together seamlessly.

It’s a time to get to know your wedding photographer.

Think about it this way. You’re going to be spending eight (or more!) hours with your wedding photographer, on one of the biggest days of your life. It’s so important for that person to feel like a friend!

The engagement session is the perfect opportunity for us to spend quality time together before the wedding day. You’ll get to see how I work firsthand, and it just makes the whole wedding experience so enjoyable and fun!

Enjoy a change of season!

This is the perfect opportunity to create portraits that will look totally different than your wedding photos! For example, if you’re planning a winter wedding in a downtown ballroom, you could schedule a summer engagement session at the beach. Or if an autumn barn wedding is more your style, perhaps a springtime engagement session in the mountains would be perfect!

Living in Maryland means we not only experience all four seasons, but that we’re also within just a couple hours’ driving distance from the beach, city, mountains, and everything in between. An engagement session is your chance to get creative and explore the beautiful area we live in!

I hope this list was helpful and has you excited about your engagement session! The AWP wedding experience includes a complimentary engagement session as my gift to you, so if you’d like to chat about having me as your wedding photographer, let’s chat now! Click HERE to send a note!