07/15/2026
Hot take or not, over time, Iāve learned that the real value of an engagement session has almost nothing to do with the photos... Okay, so it has a little to do with the photos, but stay with me here.
Hereās whatās actually happening at your engagement session: youāre learning what it feels like to have a camera on you, and Iām learning what it feels like to have you two in front of mine. Thatās it. Pretty much every single couple I work with is doing this for the first time, and about 15 minutes in, I can see the shift happen in real time. Your shoulders drop. Your laughter becomes real instead of camera-real. You stop asking āwait, what do I do with my handsā and start just... being together, which was always the point.
Iāll teach you how to pose during our time together, sure. But mostly, Iāll teach you how to stop posing and how to lean into each other and forget Iām even there because thatās where the really good stuff lives š
While it may be one of the cheesiest things I say, an engagement session really is the cake tasting of the wedding photography world. An engagement session with your wedding photographer means you walk into your wedding day already knowing how to move, how to find each other, and how to just exist in front of the camera... which then means more time at cocktail hour, more time on the dance floor, more time actually being at your own party, all while creating amazing imagery that allows your unique vibe as a couple to shine.
This is exactly why I gift engagement sessions to each of my CKP couples.
So yes, save the dates are definitely a must, and weāll get you plenty of pretty to choose from. But even if youāre thinking about skipping the cards entirely, do the session anyway. Your wedding day self will thank your engaged self for the practice run, pinky promise š
