What is a pre-wedding photoshoot?
I offer pre-wedding photoshoots across South Wales and Gloucester as part of all full day wedding photography packages as well as part of the flexible package if you book me for more than 7 hours. Here's some info on what they're all about...
A pre-wedding photoshoot is a fun and casual shoot that usually takes place 3-6 months before your wedding day and usually lasts about an hour. You can usually choose the location. It's always lovely to go with somewhere that you have a connection with, lots of couples choose the place they got engaged.
It can be a good idea to visit your wedding venue so that you can find the best spots for photos in preparation for your wedding day, although not totally necessary as your photographer can familiarise themselves with it on their own.
Why have a pre-wedding photoshoot?
It can help you to feel more at ease in front of the camera and is a great way for you to get to know your photographer more and build up a relationship ready for the big day. After all, it is a long day, sometimes more than 14 hours! You'll want to have someone with you that you feel comfortable with and of course, it means you'll have some lovely romantic photos to keep too!
I think that pre-shoots (also known as engagement shoots) are really important for myself to get to know a couple. It gives me a chance to see how you are together, whether you're happy to show some affection in public such as kissing or maybe just holding hands and cuddling. It also gives you a chance to familiarise yourselves with your photographer, to see their shooting style or any funny techniques they might use such as wading into a pond to get the perfect angle!
Nervous about a photoshoot?
Now a lot of people say to me that they feel really nervous at the thought of a photoshoot and having to pose in public and that they're not really the sort of couple that do that sort of thing.
Once you get started, you will relax and start to enjoy yourselves. Your photographer should help you to feel at ease and the more you chat and get along (this is why I recommend a consultation before booking, to make sure you will!) you will start to feel comfortable with having photos taken with them. Then when it comes to your wedding day and having more photos taken, you'll have one less thing to worry about because you will have gotten over the initial nerves and you'll know that actually, it can be fun! You can feel assured that you're in safe hands.
I really value a couple's trust, which is why I like to include consultations and pre-shoots for these reasons; I want to be a part of making your wedding day that extra bit special.
What to wear for a pre-wedding photoshoot?
This might be a question you worry about beforehand, after all they'll be photos you'll love looking back on in years to come. Of course, you want to make sure you look good!
It can be a good idea to go with something that's classy and timeless that won't look outdated in 10+ years time.
You could choose a bold colour (as long as your venue won't be bright and colourful, you want to make sure you stand out from the background) and wear something that compliments your partner, that doesn't clash. Try to avoid picking out anything with big logos or noisy patterns, as it can spoil the photo and take the focus away from what's important.
Most importantly though, wear something that you're comfortable in, that makes you feel good!
