pre-wedding photo shoot

Wear something you are comfortable in, including comfy shoes and just try to enjoy yourself!

When we look at the photo's from ours, you can tell which photo's were taken at the start and which were taken later on as on the earlier ones, we both look a little reserved with nervous smiles but towards the end we are smiling genuine smile and obviously happy and enjoying ourselves.

We were so nervous before ours but our TOG was brilliant at putting us at ease and it was great to see how he works and know what to expect from him on the wedding day.

You will love it once you get into it honestly!

We are having one too so I will be watching this post too! I was thinking it would be a bit strange because on the actual wedding day, you will be doing something to be photographed, but will just be posing on the 'engagement' shoot!

I have seen some where the couple are doing something like feeding ducks and ordering / eating ice cream so maybe you could think of an activity to do so it occupies you and makes you less nervous?

We had one recently, it was great fun. We'd done a photo shoot together before and love it, just relax, forget there's a camera and be silly, that produces the best shots when you're both laughing. We had ours in a studio and the tog was making us play silly games.

If you're doing it in a studio don't wear white. Also if possible try and wear something with colour, not all black as that has no definition on camera.

I was so pleased we had one!

It really put us at ease of what kind of things we were going to need to do on the day. And it's a great chance to get to know your photographer better too.

We had ours outside around some old barns where her studio is and took the dog! (Not on purpose, we had our shoot on the way back from a weekend visiting the in laws, but when she saw him she insisted)

Excuse the quality - I have higher res versions elsewhere!

We had ours a few weeks back, wear somthin comphy and just have fun. we talked mostly about squirels and "debated" about wether a tree we were lookin at was purple or black, vv random convos which our dude joined in with, i think its fortunate hes on the same wavelenth as us. It is weird at first especially with randoms starin at you but after pics of me runnin away from a fly and bein drenched by the rain we started to have fun and you can see the diffrence in the photos.

bxx

I hated the idea of ours, Mr Knees even more so. I know most men don't like being photographed, but he is something else. Always pulls faces (a la Chandler from Friends!) and generally avoids the camera wherever possible. We tried to get it taken out of our package, but she wouldn't let us.

In the end, although we felt a bit awkward at first, by the end, we got into it and I'm so glad we had it, even if only to meet the photographer.

I always do an engagement shoot with my couples for the two reasons that it gets comfortable in front of a camera, because a lot of people aren't and it allows to spend some more time with them before the day.

Mine are really natural a lot like Kharv's. I tend to let them select a location that might be important to them or just somewhere they love then we just go for a walk have lots of chats usually a coffee and I don't overly pose people. I don't know how your photographer will work but I will to start just nudge the couple into a position and be like 'oh that brick wall would make an amazing back drop' but allow them to pose themselves how they feel comfortable and usually before the end of the shoot the couple are making their own suggestions!

Its always awkward in the beginning and its best to tackle that head on and to think you only get to do one engagement shoot so really enjoy it they are lots of fun. Wear what ever you are comfortable in be it high heels of flip flops

Here is my last in engagement shoot we wound up walking from St Pauls to Waterloo and had a really lovely sunday afternoon on the Southbank!

http://amirobertsonweddings.com/2012/07/08/michael-sophie-the-engagement-shoot/

I try to avoid doing them where possible.

When I do do them, they're great:

http://chrisgilesphotography.co.uk

The problem I have is most couples want to do them at the weekends which as no good for me due to shooting weddings.

So often it's a problem...and I'm not one of those togs who stands a couple in an isolated area for 20 almost identical shots. (which we see all too much of)!

Being a little nervous in front of the camera is normal for most of us, I've shot quite a few pre-shoots & the couple are always much more relaxed in front of the camera on the big day if thgey have had a pre-shoot, so try & relax & enjoy the session?

I ask my couples not to wear stripey (or very patterned) clothing as I think it looks very distracting in the photographs.

Thanks for all the advice guys. We were really happy with the shoot and had lots of fun. Was great as we had it where we're getting married (Yorkshire Sculpture Park) and the photographers had chosen some fab locations for shots that we can also use on the wedding day. Once we got over the initial awkwardness, it was fine. Didn't want it to end! Would highly recommend the experience to anyone.