Pre-wedding photoshoots, in short, are photos taken before the wedding. At this time, the couple getting married aren’t wearing their fancy wedding clothes yet. This helps them feel more relaxed and act more like themselves when the photographer takes their pictures. Your task is to observe quietly and capture the natural emotions between them. There’s no big, fancy event happening. No one feels nervous or stressed. It’s just two people sharing their true feelings and being close to each other.
Table of Contents
Top Reasons to Have a Pre-Wedding Shoot
Mark a Relationship Milestone
Pre-wedding photos are a form of commemoration, just like taking wedding photos. When two people love each other, every step of their relationship is special. Taking pictures helps keep these special times and feelings safe. This is true for photos taken before and during the wedding. Both kinds of pictures do the same thing: they catch the happy moments couples share and show how they really feel about each other. Such photos are not only for appreciation now, but also for future memories so that the love and beauty will be fixed forever.
Show Off Your Professionalism
Many clients like to find the same photographer to take pre-wedding and wedding photos, this is a great opportunity to show off your photography expertise. Taking photos before the wedding helps the couple in many ways:
- They get to know how the photographer works.
- They can figure out what makeup looks best on them.
- They learn to feel comfortable having their picture taken.
- It’s like practice for the big day when they get married.
Also, spending time taking these photos helps the couple work better together. This makes it easier for them to act natural and feel relaxed when someone is taking their pictures.
Understanding the Couple’s Vision
First Meeting
As a photographer, you need to know each guest and their story, because every love is unique. For example, how they first fell in love, the fun things they did together, their hobbies, and personalities—these everyday details help you understand the couple better. This way, during the photoshoot, you can focus on or avoid certain things to make the pictures look even better. By asking them about their likes and dislikes, you begin to understand what makes them happy and what touches their heart. By understanding their expectations and preferences, your photos will be more targeted and closer to the style and atmosphere they want.
Mood Boards and Ideas
Sometimes it’s hard to explain the style or feeling a client wants just with words, but pictures make it easier to understand. Every couple has their own ideas for their pre-wedding photoshoots. When you know their favorite styles, you can create the best photos for them. Talking about a mood board together helps avoid misunderstandings and makes sure the couple will be happy with the final pictures.
Picking the Best Place
Destination Photography
The location of the scene plays a decisive role in the style of the pre-wedding photoshoots. Nowadays, destination photography is becoming more and more popular, and many couples yearn to leave footprints of love in different places. But destination photography is really vulnerable to the influence of season and weather.
Therefore, communication with customers is particularly important, which can help avoid many unnecessary troubles. As a photographer, you need to understand the changes of scenery in different seasons, where the scenery is most attractive in which season, how the same place will show different features in different seasons, or where the weather is changeable.
Personal Story or Style Likes
Every couple has their own story. Maybe they met in a busy city or had their first kiss under trees. Use these stories to pick the spot. A pre-wedding photo should show their journey. The place should match their style, like vintage or elegant.
Easy to Get To
A great spot isn’t great if it’s hard to reach. Check how easy it is to get there. No one wants to hike in set dressing! Make sure everyone can easily reach the photo spot. This keeps focus on taking nice pictures, not tough paths.
The Best Time to Have a Pre-Wedding Shoot
Timing is super important in a pre-wedding shoot. It’s not just about capturing the perfect light, it’s also about the mood of the couple. What we often call “prime time” is actually the brief moment after sunrise and before sunset, which occurs twice a day. During this time, the light of the sun becomes soft and warm, adding a dreamy and romantic color to the photos.
When choosing a season for pre-wedding photos, consider special meanings, such as the season when the couple meets, or a season they both love. Each season has its own unique beauty, the recovery of all things in spring, the prosperity of summer, the harvest of autumn, and the tranquility of winter can become different themes of shooting.
Outfits and Accessories
Choosing an Attire That Complements the Location
About the couple’s clothing choices, the key is to be harmonious and unified, whether in color or style. The choice of clothing can be based on the theme of the shooting, and the most important thing is to coordinate with the shooting background.
For example, imagine standing in a beautiful field, but wearing bright neon sportswear, it may not match. On the contrary, if it’s a beach shoot, choosing a flowing dress or casual shorts will be very appropriate and give people a relaxed feeling.
Accessories
Props are also essential to your pre-wedding photoshoots. Besides getting ready before the shoot, you need to adapt to what’s happening during the shoot and know how to use the props around them. Whether it’s flowers, books, or even kids playing nearby, these things can be part of the photos and make them look better.
Getting Real Moments with Nature Poses
Imagine a couple standing in front of the camera, feeling a little stiff and overwhelmed. At this time, the role of you is helping them find some natural and interesting poses.
A quiet pose could be them looking at the camera together to show their connection, or both looking at something, like the beautiful view outside, to make the photo feel natural, or looking at each other with love in their eyes.
For a more active pose: the guy can gently spin the girl around to create a fun and happy feeling; they can run hand in hand to show their energy and joy; or make funny faces to add some fun to the photo.
Pre-wedding photoshoots give you many chances. They capture love stories and make memories last. You can try new ideas and skills, which help the couple connect with each other better.
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