If you’re in your 20s or 30s, your social media feed is probably full of engagement photos – you might even have taken some yourself – but just a decade ago, these images were far less common. So what’s behind the rise of this new commemorative tradition? As Thankful Registry founder Kathy Cheng explains, taking engagement photos is “about branding your wedding as an event,” but for more modest couples, there are simpler, though personally profound, motivations for taking engagement photos.
Though sometimes pricey, engagement photos are often a practical way to share good news and a key wedding planning tool. Here are four ways couples use their engagement photos in the run-up to their weddings and how they’ve proven to be a great investment.
Find A Photographer That Fits
Unless you’re a professional model, you may not feel totally comfortable in front of the camera, and that means it can take plenty of shots to capture a great image. By taking engagement photos, you essentially get to audition your photographer and make sure you feel comfortable with them on your wedding day. Though some people complain that engagement photos are staged and don’t really represent the couple, that’s actually the point. Your wedding is also unlike any other day, but you can’t recreate it if the photos don’t come out quite right. Your engagement photo shoot prepares you for those ultimate pictures.
Reveal Your Ring
Like engagement photos, engagement rings haven’t always been a pre-wedding tradition. Specifically, the diamond engagement rings popular today didn’t become standard until the 1930s, several decades after Tiffany & Co. devised their classic setting. Today, almost every couple displays their commitment with a ring of some sort, whether it’s a vintage engagement ring, a family heirloom, or a custom piece designed to mark this unique relationship, and it’s natural to want to show off that ring to friends and family.
During your engagement photo shoot, your photographer can snap the perfect picture of your ring, one that truly represents its beauty and displays its details more clearly than an ordinary snapshot would. Though it doesn’t need to be center stage, it’s meaningful to have an image of the ring that marks your commitment.
Get Invitation Ideas
Crafting a great save the date, invitation, and wedding website is central to communicating with your guests before the wedding, but what do you share on your site or print on the save the date? Engagement photos, of course! Many couples feel uncomfortable sharing their snapshots on their wedding page or using it on an invitation, but these professional photos are perfect for wedding communications.
Capture Somewhere Special
One of the great perks of taking engagement photos is that, because it’s just you and your partner, many of the practical considerations involved in planning a wedding can be set aside – and that’s shown by the creative ideas couples display in engagement shoots. Want to take pictures on a boat or walk across a bridge? Your photographer can help you arrange it. Prefer a more intimate setting for your photos, such as your home kitchen? That works too. Your engagement photos are a chance to capture a place that’s special to you and to share that place with family and friends, even if it’s not a practical wedding location.
Engagement photos are full of possibilities, and they’re a chance to capture your relationship before everything changes – before you become a married couple. If you’re considering taking engagement photos, don’t be afraid to embrace what makes your relationship unique. Those photos are the most treasured of all.
Photo Credit
Photo is pixabay creative commons
Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley
Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.
Recent Guest Author Articles:
- Empowered to Advocate: How to Become the Voice for the Silent
- How to Build a Celebration-Ready Wine Cellar
- Wander, Discover, Reflect: My Most Surprising Finds in Las Vegas
- Creating Meaningful Connections: What Ecosystems and Families Teach Us About Belonging
- How Breathwork Creates a Pathway Through Trauma: Beyond Traditional Approaches
Please Share Your Thoughts - Leave A Comment!