Today we are featuring our very first engagement shoot. Having an engagement shoot (sometimes called a pre-wedding shoot) before your wedding is an ideal opportunity to get used to having your picture taken, feel at ease with your photographer, and for your photographer to get to know you as a couple.
Of course, the best bit about an engagement shoot is you get some amazing pictures of the two of you, which you could use for your Save the Date cards, or even on your wedding stationery or as pictures on your wedding tables.
When choosing a location for your engagement shoot think outside the box. Where do you love to go for a walk as a couple? What do you love to eat? Where is your favourite location? A lovely walk in your local park or city centre, afternoon tea at your local boutique hotel, or even a hot air balloon! Try and be as imaginative as you can, and why not take some props along, or even your fury four legged friend!
Our first engagement shoot is a fabulous shoot captured by Shaun Menary Photography, with Lindsey and Jarrod going up, up and away in a hot air balloon…
Couple: Lindsey and Jarrod
Photographer: Shaun Menary Photography
Engagement Shoot Date: 24/03/2012
Location of Shoot: Private residence in Franklin, Tennessee, and downtown Nashville, Tennessee
Wedding Date: 19/05/2012
Why did you have an engagement shoot?
“My uncle lives in Franklin, Tennessee and owns a hot air balloon. Franklin is such a beautiful part of the country and we have always wanted to go visit. We thought, ‘Why not do it now, and why not take our amazing photographer with us?’. So we did! It was amazing. Such a fun adventure with people that we love so much. I wouldn’t change a thing about the entire experience.”
Do you feel that having an engagement shoot helped with having your wedding pictures taken?
“I always thought my fiancé would be the one who was awkward in the photos, but it turns out I was! Jarrod was a stud, and I was so nervous and freaked out. I am so glad we did photos before the wedding so that when the day came, I was relaxed and comfortable.”
Which picture is your favourite?
“Shaun is a genius at capturing natural light. There is a photo he took when we were in the air and Jarrod was kissing me. This photo captured the ethereal beauty of the countryside from a couple hundred feet in the air. Keep in mind it was probably 45 degrees Fahrenheit and our feet were freezing and wet from running around in the grass before we went up in the air. But, in that moment, floating through the sky, everything disappeared and we were just in awe of God’s beauty. It was so natural, the kiss just happened and Shaun captured it. It was perfection.”
Images © Shaun Menary Photography