A pre-wedding or engagement shoot has become very popular over the last few years. But often people don’t realise just how beneficial these shoots are for the couples about to get married and how much they improve the photography on their wedding day.

Good wedding photography requires a rapport between the couple and the photographer and your host, there is no better way of building this than a pre-wedding shoot. It's at this shoot that you will get to see us in action, it also helps out a lot on your wedding day as you will already know the style and how we interact with you.

Not only is your special day unique, so are both of you. It is at this pre-wedding shoot that we can try some styles out, figure out what works, and what doesn’t work for you.

So many people don't like their photos being taken and you'll think that you are just not photogenic. What you’ll get from an pre-wedding shoot is the chance to see how good you look in some professionally taken images, this will help you relax come your big day.

 

So here are some tips on what to wear and how to syle yourself when you have your relaxed and informal photo shoot session with us:

 

What to Wear
Wear something you are comfortable in. If you’re not comfortable, it will show in the pictures.
 

Wear clothes that are complementary in style and colour. Don’t be too matchy.
 

Wear clothes that are the same level of dressiness. Don’t dress up and have your fiance wear their everyday street clothes.
 

Think about layering clothing, this gives us a few different possibilities.

It’s best not to wear tight jeans or other clothes that are overly tight and restrict movement. Or show curves you don’t want shown.

Wear something you love, and make sure it’s ‘you’. It’s best not to wear something you are going to wish you didn’t wear when you look back at the images

Darker colours are slimming and they are also easier to photograph. But if you have something in white or off white, don’t be afraid to wear it.

Patterns go out of style quickly, and the background usually has enough texture that patterns can sometimes make the photos too busy. Classic clothing styles will look good in photos for years – but also try to bring clothes that are uniquely you for “fun” poses.

Have the clothes match the location and season for the shoot. Shorts and flip flops probably are not the best on a cold day (this goes back to being comfortable, if you are not warm it’s harder to look warm and happy)

Neutral Earth tones are best for outdoor portraits.

Wear shoes you can comfortably walk in.

Leave your bag behind, unless you want it in the photos. (You can be more free and fun without it) I can carry your keys and a few necessities in my camera bag.

Where?
So the next big questions is where to have your shoot?

For a pre-wedding shoot we would normally recommend an outdoor location, somewhere special to both of you.
A park, a river, somewhere a little rural.

Short of time or cant think of a special place? How about we grab a quick 30-60 mins when we visit your wedding venue? Firstly this helps us scout out the surrounding area for locations for your wedding photos, we can see where works and where doesn’t, and secondly, it helps us get to know how you both react in front of the camera. If we use the same venue as your wedding, then it is important that we change the style, viewpoint to ensure the photos are different to your wedding day.

Take the time of year and time of day into consideration. If your photos are outside, the best time of day for the session is early in the morning or the last few daylight hours. Photos during this time will produce a warm glow. Autumn photos can be gorgeous; just be sure to dress in layers. Winter photos can be fun, but this is an especially unpredictable time of year for the weather, however this could lead to some fun photos

We totally recommend a pre-wedding shoot, and cannot emphasise just how beneficial this would be.

 

 

Your special day only happens once!, make the most of it and ensure your guests have a GREAT TIME