6 Reasons to Do an Engagement Session | By Photographer Sharin Shank
Hi SJE readers! My name is Sharin Shank and I’m the owner and lead photographer and Sharin Shank Photography. I absolutely love shooting weddings but today I wanted to focus on the importance of an engagement session. I know, if you’re planning a wedding right now you’ve likely got all your energy channeled on the big day. You might even be wondering if an engagement session is worth the extra time and energy. The short answer is yes!
I personally really love it when our couples choose to have an engagement session. But if you are on the fence at all, here are my 6 reasons why you should do an engagement session.
1. You will be so much more comfortable with your wedding photographer.
Your engagement session is the best opportunity for us to really get to know each other before the nerves and excitement of big day. I find this is especially true for a groom. The engagement session is a way for me to get to know you as a couple, learn how you interact with each other, and what works for you during this time together. We adore telling your love story and it starts with an engagement session.
2. You will be much more comfortable in front of the camera.
We also want to make sure you are comfortable in front of the camera before the big day arrives. Let’s be honest, sometimes getting your pictures taken can feel a bit uncomfortable. Not everyone jumps in and is ready to rock their session. Having your photos taken can make some people nervous and we want everyone to feel comfortable on their wedding day. Think of the engagement session as a warm-up for the wedding.
After your engagement session with us, you will be so comfortable and wedding portrait ready. I have gotten so many messages and texts after the session by brides telling me the groom actually had so much fun or that wasn’t at all what he thought it would be. And the experience and comfort in front of the camera always shows up on the wedding day when I go to prompt our couples and they are immediately ready to rock their portraits.
3. You Get to Know Our Style of Shooting
All photographers are different in the way they style, prompt natural poses, and shoot. We want to get you in front of our cameras so you can get a feel for how we do things. This is an amazing way to get to know us and how we interact with you as well. You’ll be so ready for your wedding day and ready to be your true self in front of us.
4. You Can Take a Break From Wedding Planning and Have Fun
Your engagement session is a great way to get out from behind that notebook of endless to-dos and have fun with your fiancé. You get to dress up, have an amazing session, and ultimately share your unique love story. This can also be a really special time to start feeling like things are coming together! You’ve been planning, booking, and meeting with vendors and it can get stressful. The engagement session is a bit of pre-wedding fun. You’ll get this amazing gallery in your inbox and all the feels to make your hearts happy. Then you can take time to create a save the dates, update your wedding website, and post the fun romantic images to announce that it’s official! You. Are. Engaged!!
5. You Can Make It A Date Night
You are all dressed up and nowhere to go? No!! Most of our couples are so excited after their engagement sessions with us that they get to go spend some quality time together. We are all about quality time. Especially when you are in the midst of finishing up with college or a graduate degree, purchasing your first home together, wedding planning, and whatever else might be competing for your attention. For most couples, planning a wedding is a busy season. Engagement sessions are a great way to get out and just laugh together over dinner.
6. You Can Use It as your Hair and Makeup Trial
A lot of our couples use their engagement session for their hair and makeup trial. This is a great way to get to know your stylists too. We’ve had many brides get their trial makeup done and feel like they have way too much makeup. Then they see their engagement session images and are stunned with how amazing the makeup actually looks on camera/film. Sometimes, this also allows them to make small adjustments with their makeup artist for their actual day. The engagement session can act as a trial run for everything, so you get exactly what you want on your big day.
Hopefully, you can see just how important and fun engagement sessions can be. But ultimately, I love engagement sessions because it allows me to build a relationship with you as your wedding photographer. I get the honor of being with you on one of the most important days of your life and I want to start building that trust and relationship early on. I can’t wait for your engagement session, let's get it booked!!
Hi friends! I'm Sharin. Owner and lead wedding photographer at Sharin Shank Photography. We are based in Southern Indiana serving the midwest and beyond. The heart behind my work is to genuinely capture moments that tell your love story and turn them into tangible memories that can be cherished by you and those who will come after you. We value genuine relationships, which is why at SSP, we offer an experience and not just wedding photography. I am so blessed to work alongside two other amazing women while we do what we love. Together, we serve amazing couples and document life's most cherished memories.