Okay, okay, we know you're thinking this comes from a place of bias but we genuinely feel every couple should book themselves in for an engagement shoot before their wedding day! Here are 6 reasons why we think a pre-wedding shoot is a MUST:

You'll get to know your videographer + they'll get to know you

This in itself is reason enough to book a pre-wedding shoot! Getting to know your videographer (their approach, their style, their posing cues, their personalities) is so beneficial because it will make you SO much more relaxed on your wedding day. By working with your videographer ahead of the big day, you'll feel like you're already friends by the time your wedding rolls around and the proof will be in the pudding; couples who are comfortable with their videographers achieve footage that looks natural, relaxed, and fun. It also allows you to go into your wedding with far less stress as you'll know your videographer is great at what they do, so you'll have the utmost confidence in their abilities. It's also extremely beneficial that this shoot allows your videographer to get to know YOU - both as individuals and as a couple. This session allows your videographer to know what your experience in front of the camera is, how comfortable your are, which posing cues work or don't work for you, and what your overall vibe is. They can then apply everything they learn on the actual day. Even better, they'll get to know more about you and your story as a couple and can find ways to include all of this special insight to create a wedding video that is extremely personalised and unique.

You will become comfortable in front of the camera

SO many couples we work with say the same thing: "we almost didn't book a videographer because we're both so awkward on camera". We get it - being on camera can seem daunting or intimidating, but once you actually get going, it's actually a lot of fun! By having the opportunity to get a feel for what it's like to be on camera ahead of the day, you won't feel nervous about it which lifts a huge weight off your shoulders! It also means your footage on the day will so much more natural and authentic, as you'll be able to just lean in and have fun with it, because you already have a shoot under your belt!

The content will be an amazing element in your actual wedding video

As documentary wedding videographers, we love when our couples book us in for a pre-wedding shoot because we actually use some of the footage for their main video as well. We record pre-wedding 'messages to camera', asking some easy questions that provide us with great soundbites for the main wedding video. It's also so nice to include some of this footage because it conveys what you're like as a couple outside of the context of your wedding day - it's a beautiful representation of who you are in your day to day.

You will learn what poses you like/don't like

Different couples like different poses and angles; you might see a dip or a spin on Instagram or TikTok that looks great, but when it comes to actually doing it, you realise it's not for you. Having the chance to try out some different posing cues ahead of the day allows you to realise what works and what doesn't, so you get the results you're ecstatic with!

There's a lot more time for getting creative

On your wedding day, there's usually only 1 or 2 fairly small windows for a 'couples shoot'. We try to take our couples for a small wander around their venue at the end of cocktail hour/right before their entrance (this lasts about 10-15 minutes) and one more during golden hour (another 10-15 minutes). Whilst we always capture stunning footage during these small sessions, there just isn't as much time to get creative because the day has a schedule and obviously you'll be wanting to get back to your guests. A pre-wedding shoot has no timeline and no distractions - we can shoot until our hearts desire! This allows us to try creative, interesting poses and even shoot in a couple different locations! In fact we highly encourage our couples to choose 1-2 locations for their pre-wedding shoot that is meaningful and unique to them as a couple such as their engagement spot, their own home, or a place they visit often together.

The fiancée era is extremely special and deserves to be captured

Last but certainly not least, the pre-wedding season in your life is super special and will only last for around a year or two, whereas your marriage will last a lifetime. It's so special to have some video footage to look back on from this time in your life as it really is such a joyous, amazing time that you'll want to cherish forever!

Take a look at one of our recent engagement sessions we filmed - we love capturing these special moments for our amazing couples!