Popular wedding photographers nowadays offer wedding couples more value-added services to not only deliver a professional product but also to ensure that they themselves have an easier task on the day to create the images both the wedding photographer and the couple wants.
A lot of wedding photographers offer pre-wedding or engagement shoots either as part of their packages or as a separate add on. You might wonder what the purpose or benefits of a pre-wedding shoot is and why you should consider having one.
Wedding photography is an art form and good wedding photographers will aim to tell the story of the day in images that are candid and captures the moments as they happen during the day. But most of us are strangers to being photographed by a professional photographer, so we don't know what to expect when faced with an intimidating black lens pointing straight at us.
The purpose of a pre-wedding shoot is for wedding photographers to get to know a couple and put you at ease in terms of being in front of a camera and having to look comfortable, spontaneous and of course romantic. Since posing doesn't come natural to most people, it is the job of professional wedding photographers to do as much as they can to ensure that a couple is totally at ease come the wedding day. That why it is also important to like your wedding photographer since she will be spending more time with you than your groom on the day of your wedding! Most grooms feel the pre-wedding shoot is unnecessary and in my experience it is not something they are looking forward to. Yet, at the end of the session both the bride and groom normally had so much fun that they are looking forward to the photo session on the wedding day.
Couples in love like to be romantic but it is my task as wedding photographer to make sure that you are also at ease getting flirty with someone present. The more romance you can put into your posing on the day, the more beautiful your images will look. During the pre-wedding shoot we have more time to play than on the actual wedding day. I therefore spend a lot of time explaining to couples what it is I want them to do to create a certain look. We laugh and joke a lot, act silly and generally have an awesome time. It is very common for couples, come the wedding day, to already know what I want before I even ask them what to do. Time spend during the pre-wedding shoot therefore saves a lot of time in terms of directing a shoot on the wedding day.
I encourage couples to go to a little bit of trouble when planning their pre-wedding shoot. Sure, you are organizing a whole wedding and you are not likely to have a lot of time on your hands. But doing things a little bit different in terms of outfits and location will ensure you have a gorgeous pre-wedding couple shoot that will produce images you will cherish a life time. It is also common nowadays for couples to use photos from the pre-wedding shoot for table decor, guest books or sign posters on the wedding day.
Hannalee is a wedding photographer from Johannesburg, South Africa. She offers couples unique storytelling imagery and shoots weddings across South Africa and abroad. Hannalee also offers resources to photographers in terms of product offerings and for marketing themselves.
Website:
A lot of wedding photographers offer pre-wedding or engagement shoots either as part of their packages or as a separate add on. You might wonder what the purpose or benefits of a pre-wedding shoot is and why you should consider having one.
Wedding photography is an art form and good wedding photographers will aim to tell the story of the day in images that are candid and captures the moments as they happen during the day. But most of us are strangers to being photographed by a professional photographer, so we don't know what to expect when faced with an intimidating black lens pointing straight at us.
The purpose of a pre-wedding shoot is for wedding photographers to get to know a couple and put you at ease in terms of being in front of a camera and having to look comfortable, spontaneous and of course romantic. Since posing doesn't come natural to most people, it is the job of professional wedding photographers to do as much as they can to ensure that a couple is totally at ease come the wedding day. That why it is also important to like your wedding photographer since she will be spending more time with you than your groom on the day of your wedding! Most grooms feel the pre-wedding shoot is unnecessary and in my experience it is not something they are looking forward to. Yet, at the end of the session both the bride and groom normally had so much fun that they are looking forward to the photo session on the wedding day.
Couples in love like to be romantic but it is my task as wedding photographer to make sure that you are also at ease getting flirty with someone present. The more romance you can put into your posing on the day, the more beautiful your images will look. During the pre-wedding shoot we have more time to play than on the actual wedding day. I therefore spend a lot of time explaining to couples what it is I want them to do to create a certain look. We laugh and joke a lot, act silly and generally have an awesome time. It is very common for couples, come the wedding day, to already know what I want before I even ask them what to do. Time spend during the pre-wedding shoot therefore saves a lot of time in terms of directing a shoot on the wedding day.
I encourage couples to go to a little bit of trouble when planning their pre-wedding shoot. Sure, you are organizing a whole wedding and you are not likely to have a lot of time on your hands. But doing things a little bit different in terms of outfits and location will ensure you have a gorgeous pre-wedding couple shoot that will produce images you will cherish a life time. It is also common nowadays for couples to use photos from the pre-wedding shoot for table decor, guest books or sign posters on the wedding day.
Hannalee is a wedding photographer from Johannesburg, South Africa. She offers couples unique storytelling imagery and shoots weddings across South Africa and abroad. Hannalee also offers resources to photographers in terms of product offerings and for marketing themselves.
Website: