Do you need a pre-wedding shoot or engagement shoot with your wedding photographer?

Article by Cheshire Wedding Photographers ARJ Photography®

When I speak to a lot of couples who are keen to have me as their wedding photographer, one topic which always comes up is ‘do we need to have a pre-wedding shoot if we want the best wedding photos?’ and honestly the answer is no! If you’re having me as your wedding photographer then I promise you amazing wedding photos with or without a pre-wedding shoot or engagement shoot, and in this article I’ll explain why that is and also tell you about the reasons why you should consider a pre-wedding shoot or engagement shoot with me in addition to having me as your wedding photographer! Let’s get into it…

What Is a Pre-Wedding Shoot?

When you’re looking around for your wedding photographer, you’ll probably come across the term pre-wedding shoot or engagement shoot quite a bit. Some photographers will offer you one for free, others (like me) will have it as an optional add-on to your wedding photography package. So what is it?

The clue is in the title, but then that doesn’t tell you all that much about what it really is or why you may want to have one (or not) so this article will answer some of your questions about it, and hopefully help you decide if it’s something you want or need.

A pre-wedding shoot, sometimes also called an engagement shoot, is a photoshoot in the build up to your wedding. And some wedding planning guides will tell you it’s vital to getting the best wedding photos which isn’t necessarily true.

A couple walking through some woodland at sunset in Norway for their pre-wedding shoot by ARJ Photography®

Taken at Edwin + Melisa’s pre-wedding shoot in Norway ahead of their wedding in London. I take a highly artistic approach to photography portraits in general, especially on a pre-wedding shoot so it’s an amazing way to get some amazing photos of yourselves, away from the time pressure of a wedding day, in a place that you love or means a lot to you – for Edwin and Melisa it was Stavanger in Norway!

What’s the Difference Between a Pre-Wedding Shoot and an Engagement Shoot?

The terms pre-wedding shoot and engagement shoot are sort of used interchangeably, but there can be subtle differences so I’ll break them down here for you…

An engagement shoot is something to celebrate and maybe even announce your engagement. I think (could be wrong) that the term engagement shoot is more normal in America, and is a more normal thing to do – to have an official photoshoot to get some photos you can use to announce your engagement.

A pre-wedding shoot is often however seen as, and sold as, a ‘practice shoot’ for the wedding itself. An opportunity to practice posing, get used to having your photo taken and spend some time with the wedding photographer you’ve booked. Lots of photographers include them for free as part of a wedding photography package.

A couple artistically framed under a bridge as a wave crashes in the background in Biarritz for their pre-wedding shoot by ARJ Photography®

Jocelyn and Walton really loved spending time in Biarritz and San Sebastian so I met them there for a full day of photos – a pre-wedding shoot or engagement shoot is a good time to go somewhere you love and have a photographer come with you to celebrate your engagement with one of the best sets of photos you’ll ever have of yourselves on a ‘normal day’ as a couple.

Why You Don’t Need a Pre-Wedding Shoot for Amazing Wedding Photos

Right here we go, this is the real reason for this article. To dispel the myth created by bridal magazines and wedding blogs once and for all that a pre-wedding shoot is a vital part of your wedding photography! Simply put, if you pick a great wedding photographer like me, then you won’t need to practice for the day unless you really want to. And I’ll also tell you the biggest issue with free pre-wedding shoots that you may not have considered too!

Portraits are a tiny part of the wedding day, and final collection of photos

On average I’m at a wedding for 10 hours. Usually around 20-30 minutes of that is spent taking ‘portraits’ or ‘couple shots’ or whatever you want to call it. Photos of you two together where I give direction to make you feel relaxed and look great. Here’s one of Sarah and Mark at their wedding, during a quick-fire 20 minutes ‘portrait time’. They didn’t have a pre-wedding shoot.

A couple laughing during their wedding portraits by ARJ Photography®

The rest of the day – let’s say nine and a half of the ten hours – that’s when I’m capturing what’s happening as it’s happening, also known as documentary wedding photography, and that’s something you can’t practice for at all! Here they are in the church, just living through the moments and not thinking about photography at all…

A couple laughing during their church wedding ceremony by ARJ Photography®

I’m not saying portraits aren’t a big part of your final collection of photos, but they’re a tiny part of the day and what you really want is a photographer who can create magic in those 20 minutes and make it fun.

My Expertise: Delivering Epic Wedding Day Photography

I’m a highly experienced wedding photographer. I’ve photographed over 600 weddings since 2010 and apart from in the early days of my career (which I’ll tell you about below), only a tiny percentage of my couples have had pre-wedding shoots and yet every single couple looks and feels amazing in their portraits.

How Experience Eliminates the Need for “Practice” Sessions

I’ve read too many wedding planning articles which tell you it’s an absolute must to have a pre-wedding shoot with your wedding photographer to practice for the big day. And while I can for sure say this isn’t true for me, I can’t say it isn’t true for all wedding photographers.

In my first few years as a wedding photographer I offered free engagement shoots and it was because I needed all the practice I could get. It also gave me the chance to try stuff out away from the pressure of a wedding day. So you see those free engagement ‘practice’ pre-wedding shoots back then were more for me than my couples.

Nowadays I have total unwavering faith in myself to take amazing wedding day portraits and couple shots, so I don’t need the practice any more.

And good quality wedding portraits aren’t about posing either, so you don’t need to practice any dated poses or anything. I love really relaxed, almost candid portraits and I rely a lot on the light to create my signature shots too. Too much practice and my shots would be too stale and boring!

A gorgeous and natural portrait of a couple walking arm in arm after their Indian wedding by ARJ Photography®

That’s Sharan and Raveena at the end of their Indian wedding, just wandering, naturally. But they’re relaxed and happy and enjoying themselves because I’ve given them all the direction I need so they’re not worrying about how they’re standing, where they’re looking or what they should be doing with their hands!

When a Pre-Wedding or Engagement Shoot Might Be Worth It

So far it feels like this article is talking you out of even considering a pre-wedding shoot or engagement shoot. That’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m just trying to take the pressure off you thinking you need to practice for your wedding photos! There are some reasons why you might want to consider a pre-wedding shoot and I’ll go through them here!

Capturing Epic Moments Before the Big Day

Maybe you’d like to have a guest book on the day that people can write a message in, around amazing photos of the two of you. A pre-wedding shoot is amazing for this!

Maybe you want to use photos of yourselves on your wedding stationery or wedding website. I’ve seen so many pre-wedding photos used on table plans, save the dates, invites and even table stationery like the table names/numbers.

This is a great reason to have a pre-wedding shoot because not only do you get the best photos of yourselves you’ve ever had, in ‘normal clothes’ instead of dressed as a bride and groom, but you get a load of photos you can use for other elements of your wedding planning!

An epic artistic photo taken in Stavanger Norway for Edwin and Melisa for their pre-wedding shoot by ARJ Photography®

Another one from Edwin and Melisa’s pre-wedding shoot in Norway. Every time I take a photo I’m trying to make it a piece of art good enough to be on your wall, and sometimes you’re not even the main subject of the photo!

Adding unique, artistic photos to the walls of your home

The main reason to have a pre-wedding shoot is just to celebrate and commemorate the short period of your life when you’re engaged. It’s usually just a short year or two and so having a set of photos to celebrate it is a really lovely thing to do I think.

I’ve always loved photography and while I didn’t have an official pre-wedding or engagement shoot myself, I took a lot of photos of us during the weekend we were away where I proposed in the lake district and it’s so lovely to look back at those photos and remember how we were and how we felt at that time. I think it would’ve been amazing to go back and have a proper set of photos taken around that location where we got engaged (Ambleside in the Lake District) because it’s such a short lived but amazing period in your relationship.

Embracing Spontaneity: Why Your Wedding Day Can Stand Alone

This last reason is something a bit more philosophical (I’m a philosopher at heart) but there something special about a wedding day that nobody can prepare you for. It’s kind of like that Alice in Wonderland or Mary Poppins effect of leaving the real world temporarily and dancing with talking penguins.

Right now I bet you’re thinking what ALL of my past couples have said to me: we’re bad at having our photo taken, we don’t like photos of ourselves, we won’t know what to do when the camera is pointed at us, I smile like Chandler from friends…

But I can tell you with complete certainty, a wedding day has a magical effect on you. I don’t know if it’s the clothes, the location, the euphoric emotion… but something makes it infinitely easier to have your photo taken at a wedding – and of course picking a photographer you love will help loads too.

So if you don’t have a pre-wedding shoot, your wedding photos will still blow you away!

An artistic wedding day portrait of a couple dramatically lit by ARJ Photography®

Deciding If A Pre-Wedding Shoot Is Right for You (Optional: Not Essential)

I hope all that helps take the weight off your mind that the pressure is on you to ‘practice’ having your photo taken before your wedding!

To wrap up this first part of the article in one sentence: a pre-wedding shoot is a cool optional extra and not a mandatory part of wedding photography. If you want some cool photos of the two of you in a place that you love, not dressed as a bride and groom, then a pre-wedding shoot can be an amazing thing to do.

It can give you amazing personal art to go on your walls, I can create an amazing guest book out of it, or you can use the photos on your wedding stationery or wedding website.

All amazing reasons to do a pre-wedding shoot!

What to Expect from an ARJ Pre-Wedding Shoot

Ok so after all that you’ve decided (for the right reasons) that you’d love to have a pre-wedding shoot to celebrate your engagement and create some amazing memories and pieces of art for your home or wedding stationery. Amazing!

I offer all my wedding couples the option to add on a pre-wedding shoot to their package and it can be anything from an hour up to a full day.

I especially love to plan ‘sunrise to sunset’ sessions somewhere really special to you, often in Europe, but they can be anywhere in the world. So let me know where you’d like to go and I can give you a quote especially for this!

Just like with my wedding photography I never just ‘go through the motions’ so wherever we go, I’ll scout it as best as I can beforehand, we’ll explore it to the max, and create some absolutely epic photos while having an amazing time doing it!

Cyprus Kouklia Aphrodite's Rock Engagement Shoot - Destination Wedding Photography by ARJ Photography

Clare and Drew actually had their wedding in Cyprus, and so we tagged on a pre-wedding shoot the day before where we headed to a part of the island they love (Aphrodite’s Rock) and took some photos there as the sun went down. It was really fun, really special, and meant they got more photos out of their destination wedding coverage!

How to Choose the Perfect Location for Your Pre-Wedding Shoot

Choosing the perfect location for your pre-wedding shoot isn’t always about getting on a plane to the Faroe Islands… although imagine how cool that would be?

I’ve done pre-wedding shoots in people’s homes and back gardens. I’ve gone on dog walks with couples and their dogs to get some photos of them doing one of their favourite things in one of their favourite places. I’ve also travelled to many epic locations across Europe like San Sebastian, Biarritz, Stavanger and Barcelona capturing people in places they love.

That’s what a pre-wedding shoot is about I think. Photos of you being you, guided by me, in a place that you love dearly or is a big part of your life or relationship.

engagement shoot Sgwd yr Eira

Kishan and Sachna chose the Brecon Beacons in Wales for their pre-wedding shoot. Somewhere really special to them that they love spending time and we explored a few different locations across half a day leading up to some pretty epic sunset photos!

Pre-wedding and Engagement Shoots : Frequently Asked Questions

Is a pre-wedding shoot included in your wedding photography packages?

My wedding photography service is bespoke and tailored to each couple so it's not included as standard. If you want one then you can add one to your package.

What should we wear for our engagement shoot or pre-wedding shoot?

Anything you want really but my only rule is nothing with big logos or slogans on because they can date the photos really quickly. Also depending on the type of location e.g. beach or forest I might give you some colour advice!

Do I need a pre-wedding shoot to feel comfortable in front of the camera?

You'll feel comfortable with me and my camera with or without a pre-wedding shoot, I promise you that! A pre-wedding shoot is just a cool way to get some epic photos of the two of you somewhere special, create art for your walls, and give you some photos you can use in a guest book or on your wedding stationery.

How does a pre-wedding or engagement shoot add value when my wedding day photos are already set to be epic?

Good question, I like the way you think. Celebrating and remembering your wedding with amazing photos is a no-brainer, but I think being engaged is also an amazing thing to celebrate with photography that commemorates this time of your lives and relationship with epic photos too!

If I skip the pre-wedding shoot, will it affect the quality or experience of my wedding day photography?

Even though it has the word wedding in it, I don't connect a pre-wedding shoot in any way to your wedding photography. If you don't have a pre-wedding shoot (like 95% of my couples don't) then you'll still get incredible photos (like 100% of my couples do).

What if I want some extra artistic, “epic” images before the wedding? Does that make a pre-wedding shoot the right choice?

Yep this is the exact best reason to do a pre-wedding shoot! Your relationship is in a short but special phase - engagement - and that's worth capturing in a set of photos taken in a place you love or is meaningful to you or just somewhere EXTRA like Iceland or the Faroes or Lapland. Push the boat out. YOLO!

How should I prepare for a pre-wedding shoot if I decide to go ahead with one?

First job: decide where you'd like to do it. This can be as close to home as... well... home! Or we can jump on a plane together and do one of my special sunrise to sunset explorations! Up to you! Then we'll plan it together, and have lots of fun with it!

Where would you love to do a pre-wedding shoot?

So many places. I'd love to do one in New York City one day, or Utah, or the Faroe Islands, Iceland or I'd love to go back to Norway but further north - somewhere like Bergen. But my top two bucket list pre-wedding shoot locations are Cappadocia and Salar de Uyuni - the salt flats in Bolivia. Imagine!!

Singapore Destination Wedding Photographer ARJ Photography

I was lucky to fly out to Singapore for B+E’s engagement shoot (above) and Greece for H+G (below)!

Creative destination wedding photo of a bride and groom in Lindos Greece by destination wedding photographer ARJ Photography®

Final Thoughts: Should You Book a Pre-Wedding Shoot?

If you want a pre-wedding shoot just for the sake of having even more great photos of yourselves to celebrate your engagement, use on wedding stationery, upload to your wedding website, have printed into a guest book or create some art for the walls of your home then yes, absolutely you should book a pre-wedding shoot.

If you’ve been convinced by a magazine or blog that not having a pre-wedding shoot means getting bad wedding photos then hopefully I’ve shown you that’s just not the case if you’re booking an experienced and confident photographer like me for your wedding.

I’ll leave you with this, one of my favourite ever photos from Sachin and Natasha’s pre-wedding shoot at Durdle Door at sunset. Love and Happiness.

A couple laughing at sunset for their pre-wedding shoot by ARJ Photography®

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Cheshire Wedding Photographer Adam Johnson - ARJ Photography®

Cheshire Wedding Photographers ARJ Photography® – Adam Johnson is a well established photographer who has been photographing weddings in Cheshire and around the world for over a decade. He has been named the UK Wedding Photographer of the Year twice by The Wedding Industry Awards, and Best of the Best twice by Junebug Weddings, as well as receiving over 100 other wedding photography awards for his work. Favouring a rich, colourful style of wedding photography with a strong focus on emotion and the iconic moments, Adam is highly in demand and only opens up his diary to 20 weddings per year.