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A pre-wedding shoot is worth it in most cases. It is a photo session that a couple does with their photographer weeks or months before the wedding, and its value goes beyond the images that come out of it. It makes the couple stop for a few hours in the middle of the preparations and do something as simple as being together without talking about budgets, guests or menus. At first almost every couple feels awkward in front of the lens. Within ten minutes they are no longer thinking about the camera: they talk to each other, remember things, tease each other as they always do or simply go for a walk, and that is when the good photographs start to come. On top of that, the photographer and the couple spend some time together outside a meeting or a phone call. On the wedding day they no longer see each other as strangers.
What the couple expects from the shoot
The answer changes depending on what the couple expects from the session. If they see it as just another item on the list, an afternoon to get through because other couples do it, it loses much of its point. They will arrive in a hurry and keep checking the time, and that shows in every image. If the couple wants to give themselves a few hours to switch off from the chaos of organising a wedding, it is a different story and the session offers a great deal.
Ideal for shy couples
Shy couples, or those who are not used to being the centre of attention, are the ones who get the most out of it. For them, the pre-wedding shoot works as a rehearsal without pressure. They learn to move in front of the lens, discover that nobody is going to ask them for forced poses and arrive at the wedding day with their self-consciousness already behind them. On that day there are guests watching, a schedule to keep and nerves, and there is no time left to get used to the camera.
Photo from evsimon.com · Book your wedding
Seeing how the photographer works
Uncertainty about how the photographer works also plays a part. Looking at a portfolio is not the same as seeing yourself in their photos. After the pre-wedding shoot, the couple knows what light the photographer uses, how much they direct, which framing they prefer and how they handle colour. If something does not quite convince them, there is still time to raise it and adjust it before the wedding, when nothing can be repeated.
Time and uses for the photos
The time available is another factor. A couple who are getting married very soon and have a packed diary may not find a quiet afternoon. Forcing it in those conditions achieves little. When there is room, the session can include a change of outfit, which usually makes it fun, and each couple dresses however they like, with no rules. The photos can also be used before the wedding: on invitations, on a website for the guests or in some decorative detail.
Photo from evsimon.com · Book your wedding
Before deciding
Before deciding, it is worth talking to the photographer the couple has already chosen for the wedding and asking how they approach their pre-wedding shoots: how long they last, whether they are included in any package and what kind of location they usually suggest. It also helps if both partners ask themselves, honestly, what they want it for. If the answer is to spend an afternoon together and lose their fear of the camera, all it takes is choosing an unhurried date, a place that means something to them and clothes they feel comfortable in.
