6 Reasons Why You Absolutely Should Book An Engagement Photoshoot

Are you looking to book an engagement photoshoot in Toronto or elsewhere? Well… look no further, my friend.

And I mean serious business with this one, so you better STRAP ON IN.

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’RE ENGAGED! This is incredibly exciting, and a little stressful… and overwhelming… but mostly exciting.

I get it, wedding planning is scary. Everything is annoying and shockingly expensive, and it’s a horrifying wake-up call. Now all of a sudden you may be thinking…

Wait, do I really need an engagement shoot?
Like those cheesy images that come loaded in the frames from Walmart?
Do I have to make finger hearts with my partner?
Do we need to pop our heads out from either side of a tree, a la Bollywood classics?
Do we have to buy matching white T-shirts and jeans?

Have no fear; this is where I come in! In this blog, I’ll run you through the reasons why you abso-freaking-lutely should book an engagement photoshoot.

(… and don’t worry, I’d never have you make finger hearts or wear matching onesies).

Booking a Pre-Wedding or Engagement Photoshoot

First, I want to debunk the idea that engagement photoshoots are lame, forced, or cheesy. No Walmart pre-loaded frames here! Absolutely not.

Engagement shoots are the best! And you should look as natural, authentic, and fabulous as humanly possible.

There are a million reasons why you should do it and probably zero why you shouldn’t. How’s that for some clarity?

I’ve compiled my top 6 reasons here so you can read it, be convinced, book that photoshoot (with me, OBVS!), and share it with all your engaged friends forever!

Developing Trust and Comfort With Your Wedding Photographer

Hiring your wedding photographer to shoot Toronto engagement photos means it’s an opportunity to PRACTICE! We’ll spend a stressless (and super fun!) hour or two together with a camera pointed in your face, and you’ll get a first-hand experience of what it’s like to work together before your big day.

Come wedding day, you will already trust me (hopefully), and (ideally) be just as obsessed with me as I PROBS will be with you.

Developing trust with your wedding photographer is HUGE because the last thing you want to be thinking of on your wedding day is where your photographer is, what they’re doing, if they’re aware of the timeline, if they remember your ‘must-have’ shots, if they know your good side, and if you think that they’re capturing your day in the best way possible.

Long story short, trusting your photographer means allowing them to do their job, and allowing yourself to ENJOY YOUR DAY. An engagement session helps so much with this!

Having Flexibility and Choice With Location

Unlike shooting on your wedding day, we’re not tied to a specific venue, neighbourhood, or city! We can choose someplace extra special to do your shoot: in your home, where you had your first date, where you fell in love, or where you got engaged. The world is our OYSTER!

When you select your wedding venue, you may be selecting it based on how well it accommodates your guests, how delicious the catering is, or how beautiful the reception space is. All those reasons are valid, but in some cases, the surrounding area isn’t your favourite.

Of course, your wedding photographer could make even the ugliest parking lot work, but the perk of doing an engagement shoot is that we can truly go anywhere.

Perhaps you’re a pretty eclectic, colourful person but you want your wedding to be more timeless and classic. Then, your engagement shoot is the time to flex your funky muscles and do something different!

Check out this list of top 10 outdoor photography locations, from a Toronto engagement photographer’s POV, to get some major inspo.

Inviting Your Furry Friends Along

Are you (rightfully) obsessed with your pet, but their crazy ass sadly didn’t make the cut for the wedding?

Would they drool on your veil?
Bark through the vows?
Eat all your wedding guests’ food?

Yes, yes, and… probably yes.

Well, add another plus for engagement shoots! We won’t have to worry about aanyyyy of that and your furry friends can certainly be invited. You can even make them the star of the shoot! They make the best addition and they are cute AF. What’s not to love?

You might be risking them overshadowing you but, hey, at least it’s not your wedding day!

Less Pressure for Time

Your timeline is the foundation of everything on your wedding day.

Time is of the essence, and your wedding photographer has to make sure they’re ON-FREAKING-TIME at every moment, or else things may go haywire. With some weddings, we’re able to carve our time for portraits and allow this to be a part of your itinerary. But with others, we’re lucky if we get 15 minutes during sunset.

Doing an engagement shoot together before your wedding day gives us a stress-free experience where we can focus on you and your connection—without the pressure of having to be somewhere at a certain time.

Selecting Your Own Photoshoot Theme

Much like my point about location, we’re not tied to a certain theme or colour palette for your engagement shoot in Toronto.

Wear what you like, style your hair as you usually would, and allow the shoot to be a true representation of who you are. At the end of the day, they’ll be your engagement photos—so you should call the shots!

This is what I love the most about engagement shoots; it’s that you can look back at them and remember you and your partner as you were in that moment. You can do what you love the most, wearing your everyday clothes (check this blo g out for an engagement shoot outfit guide!), and being the most in love.

Creating Content for Your Wedding

Content! Content! CONTENT! Having photos of you and your partner before the big day gives you CONTENT, baby!

You can use your engagement photos to create your ‘Save the Date’ cards, to place all over your wedding website, or to make a gorgeous wedding guestbook!

You can even frame some of your favourites to use as wedding decor. Your engagement photos will look beautiful on an entry table, or as unique centre pieces, or even enlarged on the wall, if your venue allows it!

Ready to Do the Damn Thing?

I hope I convinced you that you absolutely will NOT regret an engagement photoshoot! But you will definitely regret not having one—the pros very much outweigh the cons.

I’d love to work with you as your Toronto engagement photographer and bring your dreams to life. Check out my portfolio and Instagram – then say hello, and let’s get to planning, baby!