“Engagement shoot? But we’re already engaged!” – Think of it as a photoshoot, whilst your status is still set to engaged 💍.

A pre-wedding engagement shoot is like as going out on a date with your favourite person in the world (that would be your fiancé, just in case you were thinking of somebody else 🙄). The only difference is, this time you would have a photographer tag along as the third wheel, candidly capturing you both having an awesome time and creating some fun memories.

Whilst not every couple thinks they feel the need to book an engagement shoot before their wedding, I find that their choice to not do one is usually because they unknowingly, undervalue the benefits of having a pre-wedding photoshoot.

Pre-wedding photoshoots are a great opportunity to break the ice with your chosen photographer, and for you to get to know and trust them more.  Your photographer will, in turn, spend time getting to know more about you as both individuals and as a couple. Your photographer will unravel what makes you guys vibe, laugh and love – they will therefore be able to get the best out of you on the wedding day. The time that you spend with your photographer, before your wedding day itself, will allow your photographer to direct you and have you both feeling like pros in front of the camera – this will be so super helpful to ease the nerves on your big day.

You can expect to receive some super cute and fun couple portraits, from your pre-wedding photoshoot, which will have a  different flavour to the ones you will have taken on the wedding day.

Aside from framing and hanging these pre-wedding portraits around your new home together, these pre-wedding engagement images are also great to display during your wedding reception; either in a signing book or on the DJ’s big screens. You can also use them for your ‘save-the-date’ or to officially announce your engagement to the world on your socials.

You can choose a more personal location, be it your favourite park, the place where you both went on your first date or the spot where he popped the big question.

When asked what’s the best park to go to for an outdoorsy pre-wedding photoshoot, my simple answer would be to say that “a tree is a tree, wherever you go”. For me, the surrounding environment comes secondary to the couple. I would ask you to think whether you both have a favourite spot, where you would secretly meet up, or where you enjoy going on your long walks together – why not make that your location of choice? However, if you are still stuck on choice then my favourite parks around London are ‘Holland Park’ or the ‘Hill Garden and Pergola’ in Hampstead Heath & within Leicester, ‘Bradgate Park’ would be my go-to.

An alternate consideration could be to make use of the endless exciting colours, textures and shapes you find in an urban-city setting. Be it the cool vibes in Shoreditch or the timeless cobbled Mews of West London; the Cultural Quarter in Leicester or creative gems of Digbeth in Birmingham. These city shoots are my favourite as the variety of backdrops are inspiring and unique – besides it’s always more fun to go with the flow.

I enjoy the occasional destination engagement photoshoot. I have even been flown out by my couples to do a post-wedding photoshoot during their mini-moon. I have done pre-wedding photoshoots in Paris 🇫🇷, Jaipur 🇮🇳, Lake Como 🇮🇹 & Cozumel 🇲🇽, to name but a few.

Should your hearts desire, we can also explore the possibility of photographing your romance abroad. If we were to travel abroad, I would insist that your photoshoot be extended to make the most of the locations. We can spend the good part of a day, exploring and creating portraits with all the inspiring backdrops you will likely find. After your shoot, I can disappear to give you both some time to yourselves; a little pre-wedding escape.

Instead of your formal, fancy wedding attire, you can both dress smasual (smart with a mix of everyday casual).

When it comes to choosing what to wear for your pre-wedding photoshoot. The number one rule is to complement or contrast, but whatever you do – do not clash!

You may want to have a more formal or traditional look, but remember that there will be plenty of opportunities to have this look, at your upcoming wedding celebrations. Your pre-shoot can be perfect for wearing something more smart-casual. Something similar to what you would wear out on a date. If at all possible, try to avoid any large logos, patterns or designs, that would otherwise detract the image away from you and your joyful emotions. Choose colours that best suit the season, the location and your personality. Most importantly make it about you – just be you!