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ALL TOPICS | Photo Questions

Q: Do we really need an engagement photo session?

answers:

1 Videos
VIDEO SUMMARY

So I feel pretty torn on this one if you need an engagement session or not. So first off, on the end of needing an engagement session, it can be helpful just in eliminating some stress. On the wedding day, your photographer is going to come into the room. You’re going to have worked with this person before. That’s going to make you feel a little bit more comfortable. Outside of that, your photographer is going to have a better idea of how to work with you to as a couple. This is going to speed up your portraits a lot just because the photographer is not trying to figure out, okay, how does this couple work? What do they respond to? So it can be helpful in that way, and then it’s also helpful in that when you put all your photos on the wall, you’re going to have just pictures of you and your wedding garb. An engagement session gives you some great photos on your wall where you’re dressed more like normal people. Now, on the end of needing an engagement session, you don’t need anything when it comes to weddings. That’s just a lie that you’re being sold by the wedding industry and photographers like myself. It’s a way we can make more money, so that’s great for us. I would never do an engagement session if it’s not something you actually care about or are excited about it’s, you know, you’re wanting some photos for your walls for save the dates, wanting to feel a little more comfortable on your wedding day or it’s included in a photographer’s collection, absolutely, go for it. But man, don’t do anything just because a bridal blog told you you needed it. You don’t need an engagement session. It’s not going to ruin your wedding. You’re still going to get great photos if you hired a competent photographer. So I hope that helps.

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1

Start with a hook.

You’ve got 3-5 seconds to stop the viewer’s scroll. Be creative… start with a phrase like:

  • Oh hell no, just no…
  • Absolutely not…
  • Yes, yes, yes! You should do this…
  • It depends on one very important thing…

2

Give a super quick intro.

We’ll put your name and bio in the title and links, so you can say something more general like:

“I’m Robin, a photographer in Chicago and after shooting 500 weddings…”
Or
“I’m not only a wedding planner in Chicago, but a newlywed myself…”

3

Answer away!

Give them your hot take, and don’t hold anything back.

Examples of what we are looking for:

check out how Sal nailed it in this video and so did Megan in this one and Nichole told it straight (from her car).

Tips for filming

Filming vertically on your phone.

TikTok is vertical for good reason - Gen Z have spoken!

Good audio is more important than good video.

Find a quiet room (that isn’t an echoey bathroom!).

Make sure your face is bright enough.

Standing near a large window or lamp is helpful - You want to be brighter than your background.

Nothing works better than a good story.

If you have any experiences you can share to help answer the question, go for it!

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Down an espresso, pump yourself up, and let the answers pour out! Our couples want as much honesty as they can get.

Featured Question

Q: Is there really a wedding mark up?

Do you feel like the industry charges more “because it’s a wedding” and they know it’s an emotional purchase?

Do companies think that they can charge more for weddings since the bride and groom may be willing to spend more on their dream wedding?

Hey wedding pros – is this higher price tag justified? Why? Do you charge more for your service if it is a wedding?

This is a taboo topic, whispered but not discussed… until now.

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2 comments

    Robin Sloan, The Uncorked ProjectVerifiedRobin Sloan, The Uncorked Project

    I have been asked this so many times... does the wedding industry inflate prices when they hear it's a wedding?

    Here is my honest answer (as a former wedding photographer)... NO. Did I charge more for a wedding than a 50th birthday party or a family portrait session? Yes, absolutely. I charged A LOT more for a wedding.

    Was I taking advantage of the emotional sell? Absolutely not.

    The main reasons I charged more for a wedding were: the unseen amount of work involved in the 12+ months leading up to the wedding, the skill level needed on the day, the INTENSE pressure to create perfect "portfolio level work" no matter what the reality of the situation- but mostly it is to compensate for the time AFTER the wedding in post production.

    Little known fact about wedding photography - the real job is sitting at a computer editing photos. Photographers spend many hours behind the computer carefully selecting and editing photos. They make adjustments, crop, and adjust colors to ensure each image it's best. Don't forget the time it takes for batching, renaming, importing, exporting and uploading the photos and preparing them for delivery.

    Do you think this justifies why photographers charge more for weddings than for other types of shoots?

    AvatarCody Pettengill

    Couldn’t agree more! And on the videography side its an absolute ton of data + editing discipline.

    Its a double sided coin- weddings are extremely high pressure but also high reward when we nail it.

    Our products (photo video) in particular are the only thing that genuinely will last forever . Having fun and ALSO nailing the product is worth the price of entry and frankly more.

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