Welcome to the third installment of the my Kate Parker Wedding series featuring wedding photography costs!  We created this series to give you an inside look into a professional photographer’s job, and to demystify why their services can seem so expensive.  So far, we’ve talked about Education/Experience, and Advertising/Marketing.  Today, we’ll touch upon the Engagement Session- a great opportunity for you and your fiance to take some pictures together before the wedding!

ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS

It’s the big day- you’re both looking fabulous and you’re feeling like celebrities- there are cameras constantly snapping pictures of you!  But you’re not used to all of this attention and you start feeling some anxiety…Uh oh- you’re camera shy!  How to avoid this?  Most photographers include an an engagement session in their packages to warm you up to the camera, and to capture a glimpse of your pre-married life for you to enjoy later on!  Atlanta photographer, Graham Scobey writes:

“Engagement shoots are such a great way to get to know a couple in a low stress, high fun environment.  It’s also a wonderful opportunity to capture the bride and groom as they truly are; no wedding dress, no tux, no distractions.  It’s another chapter in the story of a couple’s journey, and our job is to tell the entire story.  For this reason we include an engagement session in every one of our wedding packages; we force our brides and grooms to hang out with us!”

Engagement sessions factor into the cost of the photographer’s services because of all of the time that is put into preparing the photos.  The session itself usually takes 1-3 hours, and then the photos are uploaded, edited, and shared, which normally takes about 3 hours, according to photographer Marirosa Anderson of Photography by Marirosa.  Couples often choose to use these photos in items such as save the dates, which usually involve 2-3 revisions, and this can take an additional 3 hours.

Although engagement sessions can add to the cost of your package, they are a very special experience for you as a couple, and you can also use them to make some great keepsakes.  Massachusetts photographer, Sarah Fantom recommends making your engagement pictures into a guest signing book or a signing board for the wedding.  The possibilities for the photos are endless, from invitations to slide shows, so take advantage of this great opportunity that your wedding photographer offers!

image above by Graham Scobey Photography
my Kate Parker Wedding State and Budget: Atlanta $25-50k

image above by Photography by Marirosa
my Kate Parker Wedding State and Budget: Washington DC under $25k

image above by Sarah Fantom Photography
my Kate Parker Wedding State and Budget: MA and RI $50-80k

The photographers above are all members of my Kate Parker Wedding, your online wedding resource guide geared towards directing couples to quality vendors based on their price range and state.