Pre Wedding Shoots | Why They Work & 25 Favourites
25 Photographs · And Why They Work
Advice for Couples
Most people are not naturals in front of a camera, and that is fine. A 45 minute pre wedding shoot fixes the nerves, builds the trust, and hands you a set of photographs you will use more than you expect.
Why Bother With One
Your wedding photographs matter more than almost any other pictures you will ever own, and yet most couples arrive at their wedding never having been professionally photographed together. The thought of a camera pointing at you can be daunting, and that is completely normal. A pre wedding shoot is the cure. It is a low stakes hour where you learn that being photographed by me mostly involves walking, chatting and laughing, and that nobody is going to ask you to slow dance in a fountain.
How a Session Works
We usually start with a coffee or a beer and talk through your wedding plans face to face. Then we go for a wander. The shoot itself lasts about 45 minutes, in a London location picked to suit the two of you. Borough Market, Richmond Park, the Barbican, Battersea Park and Leadenhall Market are all favourites, and if the weather turns I always have indoor options ready. By the end of it you will know exactly how I work, and on the wedding morning I arrive as a familiar face rather than a stranger with two cameras.
What Couples Do With Them
The photographs earn their keep. Couples use them on wedding websites and save the date cards, print them for the venue, and one of my favourite ideas is using them as table names so guests can put faces to the story. More than anything, though, the session buys you confidence. When the wedding day arrives you have already done this once, and it shows in every frame that follows. You can see how that pays off right through my portfolio.
Planning a proposal rather than a wedding? I photograph those too, hidden behind lampposts across London, and there is a whole page on how that works.
Proposal photography Wedding FAQsWhat a talent and professionalism! So glad he was part of our big day and took such amazing shots! Thank you again for everything!Majo Suarez
A pre wedding shoot can be added to any of my wedding photography packages, and some collections include one already. Tanya and Rajan’s Carnaby Street session is a good example of where the photographs end up, and you can see their full day in my post on their Surrey Hindu wedding. Any questions, the FAQ page covers most of them, and I am always happy to talk it through.
Session length: around 45 minutes
Locations: Borough Market, Richmond Park, the Barbican, Battersea Park, Leadenhall Market and more
Photography: Oliver Holder
Fancy a practice run before the big day? I would love to hear from you.
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