I wanted to share this blog post because I hear this question quite often with prospective wedding clients, asking if it is possible to skip their Engagement Session or remove it from their Wedding Package in order to get a discount. So here are a few of the reasons why you definitely want to consider an Engagement Session as a crucial part of your journey to your wedding day and why it can be so beneficial for both you and your photographer!

With Kate Martin Photography, an engagement session is completely complimentary with all of my wedding packages (even my smallest ones!). This session is actually not even included in the pricing of the wedding package… so really, you’re getting this entire session completely for free when you book me as your wedding photographer! It’s likely that other photographers will package their sessions differently, but I find that this engagement session is crucial for myself and the couple for several reasons.

The True Value of an Engagement Session

An engagement session allows you to build a relationship with your photographer. This is especially important when you are thinking about your wedding day. You want your photographer to get to know both of you and have the opportunity to bring out the best of your personalities as they are working on the other side of the camera.

Many photographers will have a meeting in person with their clients prior to the wedding day, but sometimes that doesn’t always work out and that meeting has to happen over the phone or zoom. When you have an Engagement Session already scheduled, you know for certain that you will get this chance to meet in person and become comfortable with each other!

Get to Know Your Photographer

Your engagement session can also give you space as the couple to get to know your photographer really well and see their personality really shine. It’s so important to feel comfortable during your photo sessions, and that is not going to be a natural space for most people. It’s just a reality that we don’t all love having our photos taken and posing in front of a camera can feel strange, no matter how much you love your significant other! So allow this engagement session to be a “trial run” with your photographer and use it as practice to get more familiar in front of the camera and allow your photographer to help you feel at ease as they bring out your best personality within those photos.

A Teaching and Learning Opportunity

The photographer can also use this session as an opportunity to teach a client (the couple) what poses will look best or be the best fit for them and their personalities or how to listen and take direction to get the best possible photos on their wedding day. There can also be a lot of unique words and terms that a photographer will use that you may have never heard before! When you have an Engagement Session, your photographer can use these same terms and they won’t be completely foreign to you on your wedding day. I often ask the groom to “nuzzle in” to his bride for some utterly magical photos on the wedding day, but that term can sound strange if we haven’t talked before about what that means or would look like in real life!

A Glimpse Into the Wedding Day

Spending this time together will also give you a small glimpse into what the wedding day will be like working with your photographer. During an engagement session, since it will just be you and your photographer, there is also an opportunity to learn more about each other and what makes you feel comfortable and puts you at ease. When it comes to the wedding day, there will be LOTS of other people around and it will be the photographer’s goal to make sure you continually feel at ease and comfortable with the photos that are being taken and how you are being posed! This engagement session gives you a “sneak peek” into what your wedding photos will be like! It’s one thing to see a photographer’s portfolio of work, but it’s so much more magical when you can see yourself in those photos and get a chance to see what your photographer is able to see in you!

Create Memories

Use this engagement session to create memories and make it fun! I always recommend to my couples to use this session as an opportunity for a special date! Go out to dinner or on a fun date after your engagement session since you are already dressed up and looking your best! You can also use photos from your Engagement Session to create many beautiful things! Use the photos for your Save the Dates or Wedding Invitations, your wedding website, as Christmas Cards (depending on when you are engaged and getting married), or for table place cards during the wedding. They can also be great as gifts to family members. There are so many beautiful and creative ways that you can use your engagement session photos to signify this chapter in your relationship and highlight some of your best memories together.

The true value of an Engagement Session will be reflected in the photos that you receive and the experience that you enjoy with your photographer! If you would like to learn more about working with Kate Martin Photography for a wedding session, visit my website linked below: