Engagement Photos: Do You Really Need Them?

It's one of the questions I get asked the most…

"Do we really need engagement photos?"

The short answer?

No.

You don't need engagement photos to have an incredible wedding day.

But after photographing couples and seeing the difference an engagement session can make, I truly believe they're about so much more than simply taking photos before your wedding.

"We got engaged ages ago... isn't it too late?"

This is probably the biggest misconception I hear.

Couples often tell me:

"We got engaged months ago."

"We've been engaged for a couple of years now."

"That stage of our lives has passed."

Some people think engagement photos have to happen straight after the proposal. If they didn't book a session then, they assume they've missed their chance.

But here's the thing…

An engagement session isn't really about the engagement.

It's about celebrating the season of life you're in right now.

The months leading up to your wedding are exciting, emotional, and often incredibly busy. Between choosing suppliers, organising seating plans, replying to emails, and ticking jobs off endless to-do lists, it's easy to forget why you're planning this wedding in the first place.

An engagement session gives you permission to pause.

To slow down.

To spend an evening together without worrying about timelines or checklists.

Just the two of you.

It's the best practice run you'll ever have

If you've never had professional photos taken before, standing in front of a camera can feel intimidating.

"What do we do with our hands?"

"Where do we look?"

"What if we look awkward?"

These are completely normal thoughts.

That's exactly why I love engagement sessions.

They're a chance for us to get to know each other before your wedding day. You learn how I work, I learn what makes you laugh, and together we discover that you don't actually need to know how to pose.

You simply need to be yourselves.

By the end of the session, most couples have completely forgotten I'm even there.

I've seen the difference it makes

One couple arrived at their engagement session feeling nervous.

They weren't sure what to do in front of the camera, and like so many couples, they worried they'd look awkward.

Within 30 minutes, everything had changed.

They relaxed.

They laughed.

They forgot about the camera and simply enjoyed being together.

When their wedding day arrived, that confidence came with them.

There were no nerves about being photographed. They already knew what it felt like to have a camera pointed at them, and instead of worrying about what they looked like, they could simply be present with each other.

Watching that transformation is one of my favourite parts of my job.

My favourite moment isn't actually taking the photos

It's watching two people fall in love all over again.Watching someone spin their partner around. Watching them chase each other along the sand.Watching them laugh until they forget I'm standing there with a camera.

Those little moments remind me that this isn't just another photoshoot.

It's time together.Time that's often missing once wedding planning takes over.

Some couples tell me afterwards they can't remember the last time they'd spent an hour together without talking about the wedding.

That's exactly why these sessions matter.

So... do you really need engagement photos?

No.

But I do think every couple deserves the chance to slow down before one of the biggest days of their lives.

To reconnect.

To remember what all of this is really about.

To walk away feeling less nervous about the wedding day and more excited for it.

My hope after every engagement session isn't just that you love your photos.

It's that you leave feeling like you've fallen in love all over again.

That you can't wait for your wedding photos.

And maybe even saying…

"We need more photos of us just being us."

Because years from now, those moments won't just remind you what you looked like.

They'll remind you exactly how it felt.