Engagement sessions are a great way to prepare for wedding photography
For some couples, being in front of the camera can be a daunting experience.
Coupled with the stress of a wedding day and all the preparation, nerves and excitement that has come in the weeks before the wedding, by the time the couple get to their Yarra Valley wedding photography session, they can be too tired and overwhelmed to let themselves go and enjoy it for what it is – a chance to get some professional photos that are going to last them a lifetime.
This is where a professional wedding photographer in the Yarra Valley can help both themselves and the couple getting married by offering a pre wedding engagement session. The Yarra Valley has so many gorgeous locations for the big day, but also amazing wedding photography locations which are perfect for engagement sessions. There is also more freedom during an engagement photoshoot to travel further afield and use any location you desire since there are no time constraints. This opens up many more stunning locations around the Yarra Valley, including the Redwood Forest in Warburton, some of the beautiful wineries and estates which might otherwise be booked out. Most wineries and wedding venues are happy for couples to use their beautiful Yarra Valley wedding photography locations as long as you pay a small fee or enjoy lunch in their restaurant or cellar door. It’s always worth calling in advance to confirm this to avoid disappointment if you have your heart set on a particular location.
Initially, some couples may be reluctant to go through the photography experience twice, but it really does work well for everyone involved.
Firstly, it helps the couple relax and get used to their photographer and being themselves in front of the camera. Public displays of affection don’t always come easily to couples so this is also a good opportunity for their photographer to be a bit more intimate and tactile with each other in order to get practiced for the main event a few months later. Couples who look close and comfortable together really do help nail romantic wedding photos as it’s not just great composition or the background in a photo – it’s the ‘je ne sais quoi’ or the ‘special sauce’ that just somehow works and creates the magic in the photo. If that sounds airy fair, it’s because it is! It’s tricky to pinpoint what makes a photo great and sometimes it’s the vibe or the indescribable element that makes it a winner.
Engagement sessions also allow the photographer to relax into the session and get to know the couple in a relaxed manner before the wedding day. A stroll around the open space in the Yarra Valley or the city with a stop for coffee can be a nice way to build that bond and trust for the wedding day photography session.
Engagement sessions offer a different set photos to wedding photos so the couple usually look more relaxed and like themselves, rather than in their formal wear, which although beautiful, may not make them feel or look relaxed.
If the couple are thinking of creating a guest book for their wedding, the engagement shoot can provide the photos for that and often the photographer will create and print the guest book for them.
It is also a good chance to use amazing locations that might not be close to the wedding venue or ceremony location, similar to this shot from the Warburton Redwood forest, which is far from any major wedding venues in the Yarra Valley, but is also very busy at weekends, making wedding photography a bit tricky.
It’s also a great opportunity for a wedding photographer to experiment or try out something new like a new flash technique, double exposure, or something really experimental that they wouldn’t dare to do on a wedding day.
After all, no couple wants one of their wedding photos to be the one that didn’t work out!