A pre-wedding shoot is usually done approximately three to six months before your wedding.
Your wedding photographers want to capture your essence as a couple. So, a pre-wedding shoot is a short photo-session which will allow them to understand you as a couple, your chemistry, and your styles, helping them capture picture-perfect frames on the main wedding days.
In short, in this shoot, you’re going to break the ice and make friends with your photographer and get some beautiful photos in the process too.
Choose a location that is comfortable and close to your heart but better still, go in for a new location so that both of you make new memories at the shoot.
Rather than going in for 4-5 outfits, stick to fewer outfits, but work on your chemistry and enjoy the experience.
Outfits, hair & make-up are very important and if you are confident of your own hair and make, go for it but costumes’ wise please try them on. Both of you. Wear your costumes - stand next to each other and click a full length photo in various angles and send it to your photographer at least two days before the shoot - This is for them to get a good idea of how you look around each other. Your height difference and body structures will give your photographers a mental image of the kind of shot-framing and lighting angles they should use for the shoot.
90% of the couples do not send the costumes’ photos before the shoot only to discover that the colour or fit is wrong on the day of the shoot. And then, the shoot is a sad compromise.
Please don’t waste your photographer’s energy by asking about the nitty gritties of shot breakdown and technicals unless you don’t trust them in which case you shouldn’t be hiring them for your wedding in the first place. The photographer is more concerned about getting good shots than you so you can concentrate on the costumes and chemistry.
Please get up in time because the early morning light is magical. The photographer cannot create magic without good light. Don’t let your make up or hair artist delay your plans so call them in time - usually 5.30 or 6am to about 8-8.30am is the best time for shooting in the morning and so is 4.30-6.30pm in the evening. This is also called the “golden hour”
If you have a pet or prop that is close to your heart (guitar, flowers, hats or other personal accessories) get them along for the shoot. That way it will help build up your personality for the photos.
Plan your shoot well but avoid over-planning because it kills the charm of spontaneity. The candid, unplanned shots are usually the best when it comes to bringing out both your personalities. You could have a bunch of reference photos but these should just serve as a basic benchmark or a starting point for the shoot. Don’t try and duplicate them.
Rather than copying other people’s shots, make your shoot unique. Nothing complicated. Beauty lies in simplicity. And sometimes, the imperfect shots are the best remembered ones. Don’t try and make things perfect. But make them yours.
If you have a favourite pose that makes both of you laugh, do it at the shoot. Your kids are going to laugh when you show them how fun their parents were.
Things are never going to go as planned on the day of your pre-wedding. If it rains, make sure you run out in the open. Enjoy the rain. Let your clothes get wet - it doesn’t matter, have fun but make sure you are genuinely living in the moment and not doing it for the camera.
Always remember - The best pre-weddings are the ones when you enjoy the shoot and don’t bother about the results. Make sure you remember the day rather than stressing about the results. Even if you don’t get any good shots you’ll laugh at how awkward both of you were at posing.
But I guarantee you will get at least ten good photos that you will remember all your lives. Call up your photographer right now and thank him in advance!