Engagement shoots - why we love them...

We love an engagement shoot here at whitewed and have blogged about a few in the past. Not all couples have one (or at least a professional one) and it got us thinking...Why not?

Images above by Peter Smart Photography

Many photographers include an engagement shoot or pre-wedding photo-shoot as part of their package so it's worth checking if this is included in your booking.

It's a great way to mark your engagement and have a permenant reminder of this exciting time in your lives. You're engaged! The images will make great "save the date" cards and everyone loves a decent facebook profile picture update! You can also capture the gorgeous ring like Matt Fox Photography did in the first image.

It's the ideal way to get to know your photographer and become more comfortable in front of the camera. It's a chance for your photographer to get to know you better too-how to put you at ease, how to catch you at your best, and ultimately, have fun!

You can relax with your outfits too-we love wellies, woodland walks, heavy knitwear-basically the polar opposite of what you'll look like on the wedding day!

Many photographers will have locations in mind, but you may also like to consider places such as the place you got engaged, somewhere special to you or leave it to your photographer to suggest somewhere. The couple below decided to go back to the spot they got engaged!

Woodland shoots are gorgeous and natural, and the simple surroundings bring a sense of calm and peacefulness which is ideal if you or your partner are camera shy. We love how Kathryn of Capture this Moment Photography used the background to create a gorgeous affect in the two images above, and Matt Fox Photography loves a woodland shoot to capture the romance between a couple like this lovely image below.

So, we hope these images have given you a bit of inspiration and something to consider! Maybe one day we'll be showcasing you in a real blog...