If you are a wedding photographer, you will know that the pre-wedding photography session is very important for couples to get familiar with the camera and for you to get to know them better before the big day.
But sometimes couples only book the wedding and don’t want to know anything about the pre-wedding or post-wedding photography session. If you want them to hire you for a slightly higher wedding budget (thanks to the extra services) and that they finally decide to do a couple’s photo shoot, in the following article we are going to give you a series of recommendations that will come in very handy.
“Pre-wedding photography will help you get to know the couples before the wedding. Learn how to sell this very special session.”
Why is it important to have a pre-wedding photography session?
You have it clear, all couples who book a pre-wedding photography session go to their wedding day calmer and more relaxed and also, let’s be honest, it helps you to familiarise yourself with your clients and get to know beforehand how they behave in front of the camera and what are their gestures of complicity between them.
A couple’s photo reportage is also useful so that, on the day of the wedding, the bride and groom are more relaxed and see you as just another guest.
The pre-wedding photography session is all advantages, but in many occasions the bride and groom don’t hire it simply because they don’t know that they need a pre-wedding photography session.
It is important that you create the need for them and that you take advantage of campaigns such as Valentine’s Day to show them how you work and promote this romantic photo shoot on social networks, Google Ads and on your photography website.
In addition, both this type of campaign and any other can be reinforced with the help of email marketing, here is a very interesting article on the subject.
The importance of a pre-wedding session for a photographer
Although we have already mentioned it, there is no one better than you to know if a pre-wedding photography session will be essential for you to go to the wedding with more peace of mind.
As a general rule, and especially for photographers with less years of experience, being able to do a pre-wedding photography session gives the photographer the confidence to capture the complicity between the couples.
It’s a great way to break the ice with clients, chat with them for a while about the preparations they are organising and take some photos in the middle of the countryside or on a stroll through the city.
As well as being able to “sell” a pre-wedding shoot to your clients as a good way to familiarise them with you and your camera, you can also try these other sales strategies:
Pre-wedding photographs will serve as a complement to your wedding: yes, many couples do. They compose their wedding invitations with pre-wedding photos, use them in the seating plan, organise a photo projection on their wedding day and even personalise the signature book with them.
Valentine’s Day: this celebration is on the 14th of February and whether your clients are planning to get married or not, a Valentine’s Day couple photo shoot will be a nice way to celebrate their love.
They will be your last photos as a bride and groom: this is another tactic that many wedding photographers use and it really works. Getting married is a big step and if you can keep some images of your last days as a bride and groom, it will be a nice memory and a unique experience before the big day.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to promote a pre-wedding photography session on your website.
When are the pre-wedding photos taken?
Normally this pre-wedding session takes place a month or so before the wedding date.
As an idea, this year you can bring the pre-weddings forward to Valentine’s Day to encourage couples to celebrate this last day of lovers before getting married with a photo shoot.
If a couple is having an engagement party with their family, this can also be a very good opportunity for a pre-wedding session.
They may tell you that they are going to celebrate a joint farewell party, for example, in a rural house with their best friends, take advantage of this occasion to encourage them to enjoy a different kind of pre-wedding reportage.
Or even if they are organising a country wedding on a private estate that will last the whole weekend, a pre-wedding photo shoot the day before the wedding can be a unique experience for them.
On many occasions, the future bride and groom don’t know what the pre-wedding is all about and even confuse it with the photos of the preparations for the wedding day. You can use your website to solve this and other common doubts, this will save you a lot of time answering the same questions every day.
The importance of time and place in pre-wedding photos
When organising a pre-wedding photo shoot, first ask the couple if they have a special place they would like to go and if they leave the location in your hands, all the better! Take the opportunity to look for a natural spot close to your town, explore it with time and look for several charming spots, it will be very easy to find them.
You can meet the bride and groom in the afternoon, this way you will have photos during the day, at dusk and at nightfall. Your bride and groom will be delighted.
And if you are more urban, organise a schedule of the most emblematic monuments and places in your city and take your partner with you, then find a well-lit place like the door of a cinema or theatre and take a few shots at night. They will love the experience.
How do you prepare a pre-wedding session?
Once you have agreed on the date and location for the couple photo shoot, you can prepare games, questions or just some props for your partner to relax during this session.
At the beginning of the couple’s photo shoot, the protagonists will probably be a bit tense, so asking them a few questions about themselves, organising a little children’s game or simply giving them some clown noses will help them to loosen up little by little.
After a few minutes, they will relax and the spontaneous photos and complicity between them will start to emerge.
Arcadina helps you to promote pre-wedding photography
A pre-wedding photography session can result in beautiful photos and the confidence on both sides that the wedding day photos will be fantastic.
Plan your shoot, find a special location, get the bride and groom to relax and promote your couple’s photo shoot on your photography website.
If you want to be inspired by the galleries of some of the best wedding photographers, here is a compilation article.
Before we say goodbye, we would like to ask you more than a question, a proposal, how would you like to promote a pre-wedding photography session for Valentine’s Day? If you’re up for it, we’d love to hear from you in the comments ❤️.
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