One of the biggest questions I’m asked when talking with potential brides is whether or not they can opt out of their engagement session to lower the cost of their collection! It’s a completely legitimate question – weddings are incredibly expensive and it’s always nice to be able to save a bit here and there on the things that don’t seem absolutely necessary. So the questions is, what makes engagement sessions so important anyways? Why do they matter?
I include a complimentary engagement session in every single one of my collections for so many reasons! First and foremost I do this because I want to know my couples. It’s important to me that my business is personal. If you’ve hired me to be your wedding photographer, you have invited me into one of the most sacred and intimate days of your life – I don’t want to be a stranger! I don’t want to simply be a hired vendor that shows up, does their job, and leaves. In order for me to best capture WHO you are as a couple, I have to know you. Engagement sessions give me the perfect opportunity to get to know my brides and grooms! I get to hear about how you two met, your favorite thing about each other, and see the way you interact and the little things that make your relationship special.
Secondly, engagement sessions cultivate trust between between my clients and I. In order for me to fully capture the depth of your relationship (and the biggest day of your life!) there must be an element of trust involved! When we have already gone through the engagement session process and you know how I work and the result of our time together, it builds your confidence and trust in me as your photographer! When my clients trust me to do my job, that is when the most powerful and genuine images are created.
I don’t photograph professional models – I photograph beautiful, real people who are genuinely and passionately in love! All that being said, most people are not incredibly comfortable in front of a professional camera (at least at first!). It’s not exactly something that happens every day! Your engagement session is the perfect opportunity for me to help you relax, warm up in front of the camera, and enjoy your time with your love! You will understand what the experience is like and by the time your wedding day rolls around, you two will be total pros! I promise that it will be absolutely worth it!
Last but not least, it’s a chance for you two to simply enjoy each other! I very fondly like to refer to my engagement sessions as “cuddle sessions” – because that’s really what they are! (Side note: it’s much more convincing when you tell your man you are going to have a cuddle session instead of an engagement session! ;) Engagement and wedding planning is such a fun season, but it can also be incredibly stressful and hard at times! It’s easy to forget to enjoy the season you are in and just be itching for the wedding day to arrive already! But the truth is, this is a once in a lifetime season. You will only be engaged once! It is truly such special time for you two to cuddle and kiss and just enjoy this time of your life – together! And let me tell you – my favorite images are ALWAYS laughing shots, so we will do our fair share of that as well!
I hope this gives you a little taste of why I am so passionate about engagement sessions!! They are truly such a blast and one of my most favorite parts of my job. :) I can’t wait for warmer weather to arrive this spring and for all the incredible engagement sessions I have on the calendar – it’s going to be amazing!!
Much love,
Jessica Lauren
