Last week I had a blast with Ellie and James on their spring engagement shoot. They live close to the beautiful Gildredge Park in Eastbourne, and I love the spring blossom that surrounds us at this time of year, so it seemed like the perfect location.
Cherry blossom trees are one of my favourites, so I was delighted to find one on the way to the park, with the added bonus of a beautiful old church as it’s back drop!
The main reason I offer complimentary pre-wedding shoots to my couples is that its a great ‘practise’ for the wedding day. Everyone always tells me the same thing at the start of the shoot- ‘I’m really awkward in photos’. Which usually just means that they feel awkward about a stranger taking their photograph. This is to be expected, having a huge camera pointing at you is not a normal situation for most of us!
Even though I photograph people for a living, on my own pre-wedding shoot 5 years ago I suddenly didn’t know how to stand, or what to do with my arms. But by the end of the shoot I felt relaxed and had lost all sense of self consciousness, which is when I decided to offer complimentary shoots to all of my wedding couples from then on.
On your wedding day I want you to feel like I’m a friend taking your photo, not a stranger. So a pre-wedding shoot is a great way for us to get to know each other better, which in turn will make you feel more comfortable having your photo taken by me. At the beginning of the shoots I always start from a distance, and save the close-ups for the end of the shoot! I also play a few games to distract you and to help you to focus on something else, and these always generate some lovely natural laughing shots.
Ellie and James were a delight throughout their spring engagement shoot, they are a gorgeous and smiley couple. I can’t wait to photograph their wedding this summer!
