Engagement Sessions: They're more important than you think.

Picture this: It's your wedding morning, and you're about to meet your photographer for the first time. Your dress feels foreign, your makeup is heavier than usual, and now someone you've never worked with is asking you to "just be natural" while 150 of your closest friends and family watch. Sound stressful? This is exactly why engagement sessions aren't just another item to check off your wedding planning list, they're your secret weapon for wedding day magic.

When couples first inquire about wedding photography, I often hear the same hesitation about engagement sessions: "Do we really need them?" or "We're not really photo people." I get it. The idea of a formal photo session can feel intimidating, especially if you're more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it. But after photographing a few weddings, I can tell you with absolute certainty that engagement sessions are one of the most valuable investments you'll make in your wedding photography experience.

Getting Comfortable Behind the Camera (And With Your Photographer)

Let's address the elephant in the room first. Most couples aren't professional models, and that's perfectly okay. What matters is learning how to be yourselves in front of the camera, and that takes practice. Your engagement session is essentially a dress rehearsal for your wedding day photos.

During these sessions, we work together to discover what poses feel natural for you, what angles are most flattering, and how you move together as a couple. I learn whether you're the type who needs gentle guidance or if you prefer more direction. You learn to trust my voice behind the camera and understand my shooting style. By your wedding day, we're already a team.

I've seen the difference this makes firsthand. Couples who do engagement sessions arrive on their wedding day already comfortable with me and confident in front of the camera. Their portraits are more relaxed, their interactions more genuine, and they actually enjoy the photo experience instead of enduring it.

Practice Makes Perfect: Your Photo Dress Rehearsal

Your wedding day timeline is packed. Between getting ready, ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing, the time allocated for portraits flies by faster than Colorado's afternoon thunderstorms. This isn't the time to figure out how to pose or work through camera nerves.

Engagement sessions allow us to take our time. We can experiment with different poses, try various lighting scenarios, and work through any awkwardness without the pressure of a wedding day schedule. Think of it as a low-stakes environment where we can focus purely on creating beautiful images together.

Plus, engagement sessions often happen in different lighting conditions than your wedding. If your ceremony is at sunset, we might shoot your engagement photos during golden hour. If your wedding is indoors, we might choose an outdoor location with natural light. This variety in our experience together means I understand how to photograph you beautifully in any setting.

Showcasing Your Relationship in Your Element

Wedding days, while magical, aren't always the most "you" environment. You're dressed formally, surrounded by family, following a timeline, and participating in traditions. Engagement sessions let us capture who you are as a couple in a more relaxed setting.

Here in Colorado, we're spoiled with incredible backdrops. Maybe you're the adventurous couple who wants to hike to a mountain lake for sunrise photos. Perhaps you prefer the intimate feel of downtown Denver's urban landscape, or maybe you want to recreate your first date at that cozy coffee shop in Boulder. Engagement sessions can happen anywhere that tells your story.

Some of my favorite engagement sessions have taken place at couples' homes with their dogs, at the ski resort where they met, or even at their favorite brewery. These locations provide context for your relationship and often result in more meaningful images than any generic pretty backdrop could.

Building Your Wedding Photography Timeline

Here's something many couples don't consider: engagement sessions help me understand how long you need for portraits on your wedding day. Every couple moves differently. Some are quick to warm up and efficient with poses, while others need more time to feel comfortable and natural.

During your engagement session, I'm mentally noting how you respond to direction, how long it takes you to relax, and what types of prompts work best for you. This information directly influences how I structure your wedding day portrait timeline. The result? More accurate scheduling and better photos because we're working at your natural pace.

The Confidence Factor

I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "We actually had fun!" at the end of an engagement session from couples who were initially nervous. There's something incredibly confidence-boosting about seeing beautiful photos of yourselves and realizing you can actually look amazing in pictures.

This confidence carries over to your wedding day in the best way. Instead of dreading photos, you'll look forward to them. Instead of feeling awkward during family portraits, you'll feel prepared. Your engagement session experience removes the unknown variable of working with your photographer, replacing anxiety with excitement.

More Than Just Photos: Your Love Story Documentation

Engagement is such a unique time in your relationship. You're not yet married, but you're more committed than you've ever been. You're in the thick of planning your future together. This season deserves to be documented just as much as your wedding day.

Years from now, you'll look back at your engagement photos and remember what it felt like to be planning your wedding, dreaming about your future, and falling deeper in love every day. These images capture a specific chapter of your story that you'll never get back.

The Colorado Advantage

Living in Colorado means we have access to some of the most stunning engagement session locations in the country. We can create images that are completely different from your wedding photos, whether that means mountain peaks, aspen groves, red rocks, or urban settings.

This variety is particularly valuable if your wedding venue is more traditional or indoor-focused. Your engagement session might be the perfect time to incorporate Colorado's natural beauty into your wedding photography collection, giving you the best of both worlds.

Making the Most of Your Investment

If you're already investing in professional wedding photography, engagement sessions maximize that investment. Most wedding photographers offer package deals that include engagement sessions, making them more cost-effective than booking them separately later.

Additionally, engagement photos serve multiple purposes beyond just being beautiful. Use them for save-the-dates, wedding websites, guest book displays, or even as thank-you card photos. They're working harder for you than just sitting in a digital gallery.

Your Wedding Day Will Thank You

On your wedding morning, when everything feels new and slightly overwhelming, you'll be grateful for the familiarity of working with your photographer. You'll remember how we moved together during your engagement session, how I directed you, and how comfortable you felt.

When it's time for your couple portraits and the afternoon light is perfect, you won't waste precious minutes figuring out what works. We'll move efficiently through poses that we know flatter you, creating the images you've dreamed of without the stress.

Trust the Process

If you're still on the fence about an engagement session, I encourage you to trust the process. Every couple who has done an engagement session with me has thanked me afterward, often saying they wish they had done it sooner or that they didn't realize how much fun it would be.

Your engagement session isn't just about the photos (though they'll be beautiful). It's about building confidence, creating a relationship with your photographer, and setting your wedding day up for success. It's about documenting this incredible season of your life and giving yourself the gift of feeling comfortable and prepared on one of the most important days of your life.

So when you're looking at wedding photography packages and wondering if the engagement session is "worth it," remember that it's not just an add-on—it's an investment in your entire wedding photography experience. And in Colorado, where every season offers something magical, there's never been a better place to fall in love with being photographed.

Ready to start planning your engagement session? Let's chat about locations, timing, and all the ways we can make this experience perfectly you.