When to Take Engagement Photos & Why Get Them

Wedding planning is such an exciting time in your life, but there are also lots of different decisions that come up during the process. One of those things is engagement photos and you may be wondering when to take engagement photos or even why to take them in the first place. 

As a wedding photographer, I have gone through the planning process with so many couples over the years and have all of the inside tips and knowledge when it comes to engagement photos. 

So, let’s dive into when to take engagement photos and why you should even take them!   

When to Take Engagement Photos 

At least 6-9 months before your wedding 

While there is no exact “this is when you need to take engagement photos” date, in general, you generally want to take them at least 6-9 months before your wedding. There are a couple of reasons why this is a good timeframe. 

First, taking them this early gives you enough time to use your photos before your wedding. If you are going to get them printed on anything, you want to make sure you have enough time for your photographer to edit the photos, get them back to you, and for you to get them printed before it is too late in the process. 

6-9 months before your wedding day is also a good timeframe where you are gearing up for your wedding, but things aren’t as busy just yet. If you were to wait until 2-3 months before, you are most likely going to be trying to juggle final touches on your venue, guest list, florals, catering, etc. If you aren’t planning to use the photos for something wedding related, then the timing can be whenever! 

With everything that goes into planning your wedding, you don’t want this to be something that just “needs to get done.” It is something that should be really fun and exciting for you and your partner so you want to make sure you give it the time it deserves. 

After booking your photographer

I would highly recommend not taking your engagement photos until you have found your wedding photographer. There are two main reasons for this. 

First, some wedding photographers will actually include a complimentary engagement session in their wedding coverage. In that case, you wouldn’t have to worry about booking a separate service or a different photographer and can just plan everything altogether with your photographer. 

Second, engagement photos are the perfect time for you and your photographer to get comfortable with each other and really understand how each other works before your wedding day. You can almost think of this as a dry run. You’ll have time to work on what poses you are or aren’t comfortable doing, how they can best direct you on the day, or how hands off you would prefer them to be. 

While there are so many different photographers out there who can take your engagement photos, having this opportunity to work with and bond with your wedding photographer during this time is invaluable! 

Why Take Engagement Photos 

Now, on top of potentially having engagement sessions and locations already included in the services you book with your photographer and venue, there are a few other reasons why you should take engagement photos in the first place. 

Great for wedding materials like save the dates 

First and foremost, engagement photos are perfect for wedding materials like save the dates. While you probably have some great photos of you and your partner over the years, having professional photos for your save the dates help make them look even better so you don’t have to rely on an old selfie!

While this is the most common way that most couples will use engagement photos, there are plenty of other ways you can use them for your wedding as well. If you are creating a wedding website for your guests to find all of the information about your special day, these are the perfect photos to put on it. 

You can also use it for things like the guest book, thank you cards, or even your wedding album to really show the full story of your wedding journey! 

To document this time in your life together 

Engagement photos are also a really great way to just document this exciting time in your lives together. While we all have those certain photos in our camera rolls that we love to look back on, most of us don’t get professional photos taken very often. 

This is a great excuse to take some time for yourselves and really celebrate you and your partner and the next step that you are taking together. It’s a perfect excuse to love on each other and have a little date!

Whether you opt to do the session at your wedding venues, your home, or your favorite spots around town, you’ll be able to look back on these years from now and remember how amazing these moments were. Your wedding photos will be incredibly special, but it’s also really special to have images that document the everyday and more natural way you two are together. It’s not often we get so glammed up, so having images that feel more real to your lives together is also important.

Allows you to get comfortable in front of the camera before your wedding

Finally, doing an engagement session allows you some time to get comfortable in front of the camera. Let’s be honest, even as a photographer myself, I understand how intimidating it can be to step in front of the camera for the first time. 

You’ve probably never questioned where your hands go ever in your life but now all of the sudden you don’t know what to do with them. Having this time where you can ease into professional photography and take time to understand what you are and aren’t comfortable with is such an important thing to do. 

This way, when it comes to your wedding day, you won’t have to worry about figuring out what poses you are comfortable with or how you want the pictures taken, you can just enjoy the day and feel confident the entire time. 

Plus, like I mentioned earlier, this is a great time to get comfortable with your photographer and understand how they operate so you know exactly what to expect on your wedding day! 

Final Thoughts on Engagement Photos

So, hopefully these tips help you as you figure out when to take your engagement photos and why you should take them in the first place! This is definitely something that you and your partner don’t want to skip out on and will not only give you amazing photos that you will cherish forever, but will also help you feel more comfortable and confident when it comes to your wedding day! 

If you are ready to get started planning your engagement and wedding photography, I’d love to chat. Capturing genuine and authentic moments between you and your partner during this special time in your life is so important to me and I would be honored to be part of your story. 
You can learn more about my photography collections here or head over here to learn more about the experience I provide with my couples. If you are ready to book or have some questions you want answered, you can get in touch!

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