What is a Pre-Wedding session? And why should you have one?
Pre-wedding sessions are becoming more and more popular, especially with the increased popularity of less traditional weddings.
The day before your wedding is the calm before the storm.
What is a Pre-Wedding Session?
The day before your wedding you two will get dressed up or dressed down and spend an hour or so taking photos with me! You and your partner get to be yourselves and hang out while I capture this special moment that is full of excitement, love, and anticipation.
You’ll be calm and relaxed for these photos. The anticipation and excitement will make it feel so special.
Why Should You Do One?
Firstly It opens up space on your wedding day. I can capture some family photos, photos of everyone setting up, giving toasts, and take you two away for 30 minutes of couple portraits. This means less stress on the day to get some key shots because I already have a hand full of them.
Secondly, and my favourite, it helps tell the story of your wedding for years to come. It really paints the picture of what your wedding was like, what it felt like, what people were doing before and during.
Thirdly we get to really wander areas we might not have time for on your big day. Take photos in locations that may not be quickly accessible when on a tight wedding timeline. We’ll get to really explore and have fun creatively together to ensure you have some new incredible wall art that is truly that, art! You just so happen to be in it which is doubly cool!
How to Execute a Pre-Wedding Session
Planning
Consider what matters most. Do pre-wedding couple portraits matter more than the toasts, family and setting up photos? Would you rather your couple photos be in your full wedding attire? Maybe your rehearsal dinner outfit is too fly not to have photographed, maybe you want a little bit of everything!
Ask yourself some questions before you confirm details with your photographer so you can be very clear on the time given and what’s to be photographed during this time. My biggest tip is to visualize what you’d like to see when you look back on these photos.
What to wear
You can dress up in full wedding attire, formal wear or simply go casual. This just adds to the variety of your gallery. Photos of you swimming in the lake, sitting by a fire, going for a hike, cuddled up in the hotel/airbnb/home room, wearing a fun party dress, all of this is yours AND still having photos with all your wedding glitz on!
We can also go through different outfit options together and maybe you even decided on two outfits!
The wardrobe world is your oyster!
Location
I typically recommend this being in the general area you’re getting married. This is a great opportunity to pick a spot that’s not doable on your wedding day! Somewhere that’s maybe is a bit too far for the timeline but do-able the day before.
Together we will scout prime spots and research for the best lighting and ensure that we’ve picked the absolute perfect spot! Your location will also depend on your goal for these images. Are they casual and candid, do you want the family and the quiet moments setting up and cheers-ing, or do you want to go on an adventure.
It’s a collaborative effort to make sure your pre-wedding shoot perfectly captures you!
When
The day before your wedding is most likely the day this will happen. Although there are no rules and this can also take place ahead of your wedding. Some people even do this exact thing as a post-wedding!
Together we will go over the pros and cons of each so you can be confident in your decision.
What comes after
Once we finish you get to go do whatever you need to get ready for the next day and I’ll see you the next day at your wedding! A select few images will be included in your sneak peeks and the rest will be delivered with your final gallery.
In Summary
Last but not least these little moments can be easy to forget as time passes, so having extra coverage will add to the story of your wedding day. When you flip through your album in 5, 10, 20 years with family or friends you’ll be able to place yourself right back in the moment.
There are few times in your life when every one of your persons comes together for you so it’s important to hold onto these moments.
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