Engagement sessions: what they are actually for
It isn't one more photoshoot. It's the rehearsal that means on the wedding day you stop thinking about the camera altogether.
A lot of couples say the same sentence at our first meeting: "we're not photogenic". Almost nobody is, in the sense they mean it. What they are really saying is that they don't know what to do with their hands in front of a lens.
An engagement session solves that once, before it matters.
What it actually changes
On the wedding day I spend between twenty and forty minutes alone with the couple. That is not much. Without preparation, the first ten minutes go entirely on shaking off the awkwardness — and those ten minutes are lost.
Couples who have done a session beforehand arrive relaxed. They know I am not going to ask them to pose, that I talk while I photograph, and that they can simply walk.
How I run it
One to two hours, in normal clothes, somewhere that means something to you: the neighbourhood you live in, the café where you met, the park where you walk the dog. No rented backdrop, no evening wear.
I give very little direction, and never poses. I ask people to walk, to talk, to make fun of me if it helps. The best frames almost always arrive between two instructions.
When to do it
Two to six months before the wedding. Early enough for the photographs to be useful for invitations, a wedding website or a guest book; close enough that the feeling is still fresh.
In Paris I recommend very early morning. Between six and eight, the streets are empty, the light is low and soft, and nobody walks through the frame.
What it costs
Between €350 and €600 for a one-to-two-hour session in Paris, edited photographs included. Booked at the same time as the wedding it is usually offered at a reduced rate — which is the case in my collections.
Fancy one? Let's talk.
Frequently asked questions
What is an engagement session?
It is a couple shoot taken a few weeks or months before the wedding, in everyday clothes and somewhere that means something to you. It usually runs one to two hours and exists as much to get you used to being photographed as to produce images.
How much does an engagement session cost in Paris?
Expect €350 to €600 for a one-to-two-hour session in Paris, including edited photographs. It is often offered as an add-on within wedding collections, at a reduced rate when booked alongside the wedding itself.
Is an engagement session really worth it?
Yes, mainly for a practical reason: it removes the self-consciousness in front of the lens. Couples who have done a session beforehand are visibly more relaxed in the wedding-day photographs, because they already know how it goes.
When should you do your engagement session?
Ideally two to six months before the wedding. Early enough for the photographs to be used on invitations or a guest book, and close enough that the feeling of being photographed is still fresh on the day.