Believe it or not, the beautiful photos for your save the dates, home decor and granny’s mantle aren’t the only reasons to plan for engagement photos. In fact, that is just one teeny-tiny piece of the pie that is “why you should absolutely never consider skipping out on an engagement session!” 

Scheduling an engagement session will for sure lead to better wedding day photos, and these are my top six reasons why: 

Build Relationships 

Stepping in front of your wedding photographers camera for the first time just absolutely should not happen on the biggest day of your life. You’ve got enough to think about! The last thing you need to worry about is whether or not your photographer knows how to highlight your best features and draw out your personality. 

By taking time for an engagement session, your photographer gets the chance to get to know you ahead of time. She learns how to pose you so feel comfortable. She learns how to direct you so your personality can shine. She finds the best ways to make you look natural, joyful and in love. 

At Stephanie Mason Photography & Co., relationship building is at the heart of what we do. Firstly because we know it makes for better pictures, but also because we know that the intensity of going through a wedding day with someone can instantly turn them into one of your best friends! We want to spend time during your engagement session chatting about your bridesmaid dresses and floral centerpieces. 

We use our time during the engagement session to make sure that, on your wedding day, you feel like you’re hanging out with your friend, not just a photographer. And that makes the entire experience even more magical!

Get a Little Practice In

It’s not every day of your life that you’ll have a photographer following you around for 8-10 hours. It’s a fairly strange sensation, and an engagement session helps it feel a little less strange.

Practicing how to pose, smile and, yes, even kiss in front of a professional photographer will make the photos we take on the day of feel much more relaxed and natural. You’ll get to feel what it’s like to take staged candids and you’ll get to see how different expressions look when captured by a camera. 

You’ll learn how best to mesh your style with theirs, and, hey, who hates a little extra practice before a very important day? 

Say Goodbye to the Fear of Awkwardness

You wouldn’t believe how common it is for a client to tell me that they are awkward in front of the camera. They warn me that they laugh too much or don’t know where to put their hands. They caution me that they smile weird or that they kiss funny. And, you know what? 

Without fail, when they receive their gallery, they are blown away by how relaxed and beautiful they look!

Let’s not launch into the biggest day of your life afraid your smile is going to look awkward in a photo, okay? 

It’s our job to make sure that you look your best, and during our engagement sessions,  we create a fun, lighthearted atmosphere that will send you into your wedding day with excitement rather than nervousness. 

Test Out Your Look 

For most brides, your wedding day hair and makeup isn’t the style you wear to hit up aisle seven at Target. In fact, it may not be a style you’ve ever worn before. From the curls to the false lashes, much of bridal hair and makeup is a little foreign, so it’s best to try it out before the big day. 

Because of this, many of our brides use engagement photos as a chance to test out their wedding day hair and makeup looks. You’ll get the opportunity to see if you really do like that elaborate updo you’ve been staring at on Pinterest, and you’ll have a chance to see what your eggplant eyeshadow and bright red lip looks likes in photos. 

This way, if you love the look, you can go into your wedding day confident in your styling. But if, after receiving your engagement gallery, you decide to make a couple of changes, you still have plenty of time to scout for new ideas. 

Personalize Your Wedding Decor

Engagement photos can be used for so much more than save the dates, and we always love to see the fun, new ways couples incorporate these most personal touches into their wedding day! From photo-filled guestbooks to table numbers, reception venue decor to welcome signs, your engagement photos are a beautiful way to bring a little extra bit of yourselves to the wedding day. 

Take a Moment for Yourselves

Believe it or not, because of the whirlwind of wedding planning, that “engagement” period can actually be the time couples have the least time alone together. With wedding gown shopping trips, bachelorette weekends and florist meetings to attend, weeks can pass without a chance to spend with just your future spouse. 

We love engagement sessions because they are a chance for couples to get away from the long list of obligations and helpful (and sometimes a little TOO helpful) family members for some alone time. As we work to capture your true personalities on camera, you’ll have the chance to laugh, goof off and kiss away from to-do lists and planning binders. 

And since you’re already glammed up, why not make a night of it and head out to dinner once your session ends!