Let’s talk about engagement sessions, friend.

If you are here, chances are that you are recently engaged and wondering whether or not you should do or want to do - an engagement session. Engagement sessions are literally my favorite thing in the entire world to photograph, mainly because I get to spend quality time with my people doing what I love the most. Next to elopements & weddings, engagement/couple sessions have the most coverage of any other photography experience I offer because they entail hiking, adventure, good conversation, & creative freedom. So, how does this benefit you? Here are just a few reasons why you should book an engagement session with your wedding or elopement photographer.

1. Hiring a professional photographer is worth the investment.

It’s not just about getting the job done. It’s about hiring someone whose talent, skill, quality, & experience you can really trust. You want to hire someone that inspires you & that you feel connected to. You want to hire someone that you know will serve you well & that values the things that are important to you. You can check out my article here about why photography is expensive & what you are really paying for.

2. Hiring the same professional photographer for your engagement session & wedding/elopement has benefits.

There have been a few times that couples have reached out to me that have already had photos taken by another photographer for their proposal or engagement session. Some of them had hired a family member or close friend to take their photos. Some of them had booked a photographer for proposal/engagement photos before they had started their search for a wedding/elopement photographer. Some of them had booked an engagement session & the photographer they used was already booked for the date they were looking at for their wedding/elopement. Some of them had decided to use the photos from their proposal as engagement photos. Some of them had decided that doing an engagement session was just going to be an extra cost.

This is why I decided that for every couple that booked me for their elopement or wedding, I was going to include a complimentary engagement session (session itself is complimentary, but travel fees may apply). I just really wanted to have the opportunity to work with my couples long before their big day (read more below on this) & didn’t want my clients’ previous photography experiences or budget to be a means for us not getting to do that. If felt like sacrificing the engagement session was sacrificing more than photos; it was sacrificing the opportunity for connection, trust, & creativity.

3. It’s the best way to get to know your photographer.

Engagement sessions mean getting to spend some time with the person who is going to be capturing one of the most important days of your life. That’s a big deal. You get to see what their personality is like, what makes them who they are, what they are really about, what it’s like working with them, & how they do what they do.

4. It’s the best way for your photographer to get to know you.

This is possibly the most important of any of these points. When I get to spend time with my couples, I get to see their personality, strengths, talents, style, character, beliefs, values, & the things most important to them. It’s context. That helps me to tell their story so much better.

5. You get to plan & go on an adventure.

Let’s be real. Life get’s a little crazy & it’s important to intentionally carve out time in our lives to spend with the people we love. Consider your engagement session a reason to do just that. Maybe there’s something you’ve been wanting to do together or someplace new that you want to visit. As long as you are together, that’s what matters.

6. You get to have quality time with your partner & learn more about them.

Not only is an engagement session a chance to adventure with your best friend, but it’s also an opportunity for meaningful conversations & to learn new things about them. If there is one thing I’ve learned about being with Jake (my husband) for almost 13 years (how long we’ve dated), it’s that there’s always more to learn about him. We are ever-changing & so is our life. When we don’t make the time or space to talk about those things, we don’t get to appreciate them.

7. You get the chance to express who you are & the things that are truly important to you.

Those things that make you, YOU? You deserve to have photos to look back at and see those things.

8. Simply because your memories matter.

If you are engaged, that means that over some time, you’ve been building something beautiful. That my friend is something worth celebrating & having captured.

9. It’s pressure-free.

There are no obligations, rules, formalities, or timelines.

10. There’s more room to get creative.

Where there is no pressure, the only thing you have time to do is be present. That’s where the magic happens.

11. You get experience in front of the camera.

I don’t think I’ve met a couple that wasn’t a little worried about getting in front of the camera. That’s totally normal & to be expected. I feel that way in front of the camera and do this for a living, haha! What matters is that you get comfortable enough that you feel like you can be yourself.

12. You get practice for the big day.

There’s nothing better than having peace of mind on your wedding/elopement day because you already know what to expect. That helps you to soak up your day instead of worrying about the camera.

13. You can use your photos for save the dates, invitations, programs, parties, showers, wedding decor, & to cover your home in memories.

Boom. Need I say more? You can finally hang up that frame you got from Target that still has the stock photo in it.

14. It’s a chance to focus on what this is really all about.

It can be so easy to lose focus of what being engaged/married is really about in a plethora of tasks & planning. Having a day set aside to spend with your best friend can be a breath of fresh air.

15. Because there’s always more to your story. This is your personal history.

Your story goes beyond your wedding day. It began before you two met & will continue long after your wedding day. All of your milestones are important & worth being captured.

XO, Dakota