Engagement Session Meaning (… and a little History Lesson)
Do you know where the engagement ring tradition originated? Majority of people would answer two words - De Beers. If you thought that too, you’d be wrong!
Anthropologists believe that the tradition dates back to the Roman custom. The wives wore rings around keys which signified she is, 'taken'.
Then came Archduke Maximilian of Austria. In 1477, he was the guy responsible for commissioning the very first diamond engagement ring for his fiancé, Mary of Burgundy (one lucky lady). This little sparkle created a stir in the European aristocracy society and everyone followed suit. Or should I say, they wanted to keep up with he Jones.
NOW we can mention De Beers. By the 1930’s diamond rings sales hit rock bottom. The dirty thirty depression might have had something to do with it. So in 1947 De Beers launched their world famous campaign, “A Diamond is Forever” and changed the lives of man - aristocratic and commoners alike, “forever”.
Why Do an Engagement Session
Simply put, we want to document a milestone in our lives. An event we can immortalize in photograph form, look back at and remember.
This is a portrait photography session taken with your fiancé (aka your future husband). Some people do it with a specific purpose in mind. Some want to use their engagement photograph to accompany an announcement in the local paper (yes, some still do this). Others want to use their photo in the wedding invitation. Some just want engagement photos to look back at.
Today, the engagement session serves two purposes.
- The ones I listed above and
- A great way to, "test out" your photographer
...Allow me to explain. Once you get your engagement photos back and are highly disappointed with what you see, its a red flag. If you choose to ignore it, you’re welcoming a disaster for your wedding photographs. Unlike the engagement photos, wedding photographs cannot be redone.
Couples often ask to opt out of their engagement photos out in hopes of keeping the wedding photography prices lower. This, however, is not a smart idea unless you trust your photographer 100% and have worked with her in the past.
Engagement Photo Ideas
This is a loaded topic, and everyone has an opinion on how the engagement session should look.
Couples scour the Internet stressing over the latest engagement photography trends. Your search results come up with, “Best 25+ Engagement Session Ideas” or “20 Engagement Photo Must Takes” or “50 Engagement Photo Poses”. However, this is NOT the best approach for your engagement session. Instead, I highly encourage you to look a little deeper and close the internet browser.
What to Consider for Your Engagement Photo Session
- What do you both like to do for fun
- Do you have a special spot, only you share
- Is there a place you both like to hang out, have a coffee or tea
- Does the place where you got engaged hold any significance
The REAL Truth to Making Your Engagement Session TRULY Special
- If you love the outdoors and go kayaking every Saturday, do your engagement session on the lake and kayak!
- If you love riding your motorbike together on a Friday afternoon, incorporate that into your engagement photo theme!
- If you love staying at home to watch your favorite movie, for the 100'th time, incorporate your favorite movie scene or movie theme into your engagement pics!
Your photographer should be shooting your engagement photo vision NOT theirs. Know what you want, then find a photographer that'll bring your vision to life.
Let's Discuss Your Engagement Photography Vision!
Would love to hear your vision for the engagement photographs. Don't have one yet? Don't worry, most of the couples I've met with were in the same boat.
Contact me and together we'll define your vision and ensure your engagement photos will be exactly what you dreamed of.
BUTTON TO ENGAGEMENT PRICING