Services / 3 min readThe Union in Frame journal
The engagement shoot: whether to have one and what to wear
Words by Union in Frame
An engagement shoot is optional. For some couples it is the most useful part of the planning; for others it is an afternoon they would rather spend elsewhere. Here is what a pre-wedding shoot does for the wedding day itself, and what to wear if you decide to have one.
A rehearsal for being photographed
Few people are used to being photographed, and the wedding day is not the place to learn how it feels. An engagement shoot lets you find out before anything is at stake. You discover how the photographer gives direction, how close the camera comes, and how little posing is involved.
By the end of the session, standing in front of a lens stops feeling strange, and you have begun to trust the person holding the camera. On the wedding day the portraits take less time because nobody is starting from scratch.
Try out the locations and the light
If your venue allows it, a shoot there shows you where the light falls at the time of day you will be using it. A corner that looks lovely in the evening may be harsh or shadowed in mid-afternoon. That knowledge helps you plan the day, not just the shoot.
If the venue is not practical, choose somewhere that means something to you: the park you walk through, a stretch of coast, the streets near your first flat. The pictures will feel like yours, and you will learn which places you enjoy being photographed in.
When you can happily skip it
You do not need an engagement shoot to get good wedding photographs. If you are relaxed in front of a camera, if it would mean a long journey, or if the money is better spent on another hour of coverage, leave it out without guilt.
It earns its place when one of you dreads being photographed, when you have not yet met your photographer in person, or when you want pictures of the two of you in everyday clothes. Some packages include it; if yours does not, ask the cost before deciding.
Choose fabric and colour that photograph well
Muted, mid-tone colours sit well against British greens, greys and stone: navy, rust, olive, cream, soft blue, dusty pink. Bright white can lose its detail in strong light, and dark colours can swallow it in shade. Busy patterns and large logos pull the eye away from your faces.
Heavier fabrics hang better and crease less than thin cotton; matt finishes photograph better than shiny synthetics. Dress so that the two of you look like a pair rather than a match: shared tones, different textures. Wear something you already feel good in; brand-new clothes often look stiff.
Dress for moving, weather and wet grass
Good engagement photographs come from walking, sitting on walls and leaning into each other, so wear clothes you can do that in. A dress you keep tugging into place, or trousers you cannot crouch in, will show in your face.
British grass is often wet whatever the season, so wear shoes you can cross a field in and carry anything smarter to change into for a few frames. Bring a coat you would be happy to be photographed in. A second outfit is worth it only if it says something the first does not.
Want advice for your own date and venue? Tell us what you're planning
