If you are going to listen to any wedding planning tips that I give you, let it be this one. Please, please, please get your engagement photos done. While that may come across as biased, since I am a destination wedding photographer it’s with good reason! There are many reasons why I absolutely love engagement sessions and delivering a perfectly curated engagement gallery. However, many couples nowadays look at engagement sessions as negotiable. While technically, yes, in my eyes it most certainly is not. Below are 6 reasons to take engagement photos and how impactful they can be for your overall wedding planning experience!

Get To Know Your Wedding Photographer In Advance

Getting your engagement photos taken gives you a chance to get to know your wedding photographer well in advance. Especially if you’re working with the same wedding photographer for your wedding day!

When you go to take your engagement photos, this may well be the first time you’re ever meeting your wedding photographer. Through a series of email correspondence and questionnaires, your wedding photographer is there to help you with the planning process. They are there to get to know you before your shoot and make sure they tell your love story authentically. During your engagement session is typically when your photographer is able to see how you and your partner interact with each other. This not only gives us a better idea of who you are as a couple, but how we can best tell your story on your wedding day.

This alone should be one of the most important factors when it comes to deciding whether or not you should have engagement photos done.

Get More Comfortable In Front Of The Camera

One of the most underrated reasons why engagement photos are so important is that it helps you feel more comfortable in front of the camera. For many of you, this could be your first time in front of a professional camera. This can lead to a lot of nerves and of course, as wedding photographers the last thing we want is for you to be feeling uncomfortable in front of the camera!

Going to take your engagement photos is essentially a practice run for your wedding day. Believe it or not, being uncomfortable shows on camera. So rather than winging it on the day of your shoot, let your photographer know and guide you. Your photographer is there to help you look and feel your best during your engagement shoot. So if you give them a little bit of trust and allow them to guide you, everything will work out!

Use Your Engagement Photos For Save-The-Dates

Your save-the-dates are the perfect opportunity to share your engagement photos with your wedding guests prior to the wedding day. You’re able to print them out or even incorporate them onto your wedding website to help inform guests of rules/regulations/changes/etc. Your engagement photos are more than just a one-and-done experience. It’s a way to celebrate your engagement and enhance your overall wedding planning experience.

Tip: Communicate with your photographer if you’re planning on using your engagement photos for save-the-dates. This is because each photographer has a different turnaround time for their galleries. If you’re planning on using your engagement photos for your save-the-dates and need to send them out by a specific time, you must communicate this with your wedding photographer. This is so both of you are on the same page and that you’re able to receive your photos in a timely manner.

Your Engagement Photos Can Be Decor On Your Wedding Day

Not only can your engagement photos look absolutely amazing hanging up on the wall in your home, but they make for great decor on your wedding day. Your engagement photos are not meant to sit there on your phone or computer. Share them with the world! One way of doing this is incorporating it into your wedding day decor. Whether it be wedding signage, guestbook, centerpieces, or tiny moments to showcase your love story. Instead of living inside a piece of plastic, allow your engagement photos to come to life on one of the most special moments of your life. It makes your wedding day just *that* much more unique, special, and intentional.

Perfect Time For Your Wedding Hair & Makeup Trials

Another reason why engagement sessions can be incredibly impactful is it’s the perfect opportunity to test out your wedding hair and makeup trials. If you are planning on getting your makeup professionally done on your wedding day, there is a good chance that you will have a “trial” day with your hair and makeup artist. If possible, try scheduling these trials for the same day. That way, you get the most bang for your buck and have your hair and makeup was already done for your engagement session!

Document Your Engagement

Getting engagement photos done is also the perfect reason to document this special time in your life. It’s not every day that you’re getting engaged, so you want to make the most of it. This is such an exciting time in your life and it shouldn’t go undocumented. While yes, your phone can take some nice “in the moment” shots, nothing will compare to getting your photos taken by a professional destination wedding photographer.

Use It As A Bonding Experience With Your Partner

Best of all, getting engagement photos done allows for you and your partner to use it as a bonding experience. Throughout the wedding planning process, it can be really easy to get distracted and lose sight of what matters most. All of the logistics of planning a wedding can leave you irritated, annoyed, and overwhelmed. Trust me, I get it. However, I encourage you to take this opportunity to really enjoy this time with your partner. Experiencing this moment together is beautiful and amazing, and reminds you why you’re here in the first place. You’re getting freakin’ married, that’s why!

Take it a step further and even make a date night out of it. The fun does not have to stop at your engagement session. Rather, after your session head to the movies, go out to dinner, or on a stroll in your favorite park. Turn this moment into a memory that will last for a lifetime.

6 Reasons To Take Engagement Photos

While these are just 6 reasons to take engagement photos, there are a plethora of other benefits to celebrating this special time with you and your partner. The most important thing to remember is that you are celebrating your love and you should do it your way.

Check out more wedding planning tips and helpful resources here!