Engagement & Pre-Wedding Shoots
Relaxed, unposed couples sessions. The same natural approach as your wedding day, just with more time and no pressure.
Whatever you call it, engagement shoot, pre-wedding shoot, couples shoot, it is the same thing. An hour or two together in front of the camera before the big day, so the wedding photos do not feel like the first time you have ever been photographed together.
If you dread being photographed, this shoot is built for you. Making couples who feel awkward in front of a camera look and feel completely at ease is one of the things I'm best known for.
Still deciding on wedding day coverage? See The Unscripted, pure documentary with no posing, or Classic Coverage, documentary with relaxed portraits and groups.
More Than Just Photographs
Every engagement shoot feeds into something your guests actually touch on the day, not just a gallery you look at once.
The Signing Mount
One of your engagement shoot images, printed and mounted, for your guests to sign on the day instead of a card. I bring the easel and the pens, you just turn up and enjoy the day. Consistently the most requested piece from this shoot.
Bespoke Guest Book
Designed around your engagement shoot images, a guest book that actually matches your day, not something bought off a shelf. Every guest's message sits alongside the photos taken of you a few months earlier.
Sessions & Pricing
Two Hours
- Relaxed, unposed time together, gentle guidance only where it helps you feel at ease
- Signing mount included
- ~80 filmic images, free downloads
Three Hours
- Extended session, unhurried, with time for an outfit or setting change
- Signing mount included
- 100+ filmic images, free downloads
Love to travel? I occasionally shoot pre-weddings abroad, by arrangement, in a small number of favoured locations each year. Ask me about shooting yours abroad.
Common Questions
What should we wear for our engagement shoot?
Something you'd both feel comfortable in for a couple of hours outdoors, coordinated rather than matching. Avoid busy patterns or logos, otherwise wear what feels like you. If you'd like a proper steer based on your shoot's location and season, ask when you book and I'll talk it through with you.
What actually happens during the shoot?
We meet at the location, walk and talk for a few minutes to settle in, then I start photographing while you focus on each other rather than the camera. There's no rigid shot list, we follow the light and how you're both feeling on the day.
Will you give us posing guidance?
Yes, gently. Unlike wedding day coverage, an engagement shoot is built around a small amount of direction, enough to help you feel confident in front of the camera rather than self-conscious. Most couples arrive nervous and leave surprised at how easy it felt. Think of it as a confidence booster ahead of your wedding day, not a performance.
What if the weather turns?
We reschedule. Overcast light is often kinder for photographs than harsh sun, so only genuinely poor weather, heavy rain or storms, means moving the date.
How soon do we get our photos?
Your full gallery is delivered as free downloads, with turnaround discussed at booking so you know exactly when to expect them.
At a Glance
- Also known as: engagement shoot, pre-wedding shoot, couples shoot
- Location: Cambridge, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, London
- 2 hour session: £395, within 30 miles, signing mount included, around 80 delivered images, free downloads
- 3 hour session: £595, within 80 miles, signing mount included, 100+ delivered images, free downloads
- Pre-weddings abroad: occasional, by arrangement, ask for availability
- Guest book add on: £295
- Style: documentary, gently guided, natural light
- For camera-shy couples: known for making couples who feel awkward on camera look and feel completely at ease, this shoot doubles as a confidence booster before the wedding day
- Delivery: full digital gallery included in every session, free downloads
Still deciding on wedding day coverage alongside your engagement shoot?
See wedding photography packages and pricing
Let's Get You in Front of the Camera
Tell me your date, your venue, and what you're nervous about. I'll take it from there.
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