Dear Kaitlin, I offer engagement sessions with all my packages and some brides of they can switch their engagement session to a trash the dress or bridal session. I always say no because its best to have an engagement to get to know me and my style of shooting before your wedding… What is a better way to explain the importance of the engagement session? — Engagement Session Supporter

What a fabulous question and a topic I fully support as well! I actually am going to share with you and excerpt from my Wedding Guide with Kaitlin Noel that basically talks about WHY you need an engagement session and it will hopefully give you some verbiage to use with your own clients.

“When I got married, engagements sessions were not as popular or sought after as they are today. Truthfully, I didn’t even have them taken…but boy oh boy do I regret that! As a bride, an engagement session should be on your list “of MUSTS”. It is a right of passage for many and a celebratory beginning of the wedding planning process.

Many often say “I don’t really need an engagement session” or they ask “Do we really need to have them done?”. My answer as a photographer, friend and once a bride….YES! I know that as a newly engaged couple, it feels as though there is so much to be done. That you have years of dreams and plans to cram into one year wedding planning. Finally, you resolve that you are just ‘too busy’ to make time for the shoot.

This is where I hope to change your mind and fill you in on all the advantages of having an e.session that goes beyond pretty pictures:

1. TAKE ONE! Having an engagement session is our chance to meet, work together before your wedding day and allows you the chance to practice your moves in front of my camera! Think of your engagement session as a trial run for the big day. All of my couples always say how nervous they are. That they take horrible pictures, can’t model. This is WHY an engagement session is so important. It is a non-pressure environment where I hope to help you let go, be yourselves and have a little fun. Again, the more comfortable you are, the more genuine the photos will be. On wedding day, emotions are heightened and wedding day jitters are evident. But if we DO have an engagement session together, poses and directions from me feel 100x more natural because we have already done them together. The confidence and trust you will gain will only improve the experience on wedding day. For these reasons and so many more, I offer a COMPLIMENTARY engagement session in each of my collections.  Practice makes perfect, so lets practice before your big day and have a little fun during your e. session.
2. CONFIDENCE BUILDER!  When we have self -confidence, we are happy. When we are happy….it shows in  our faces and it helps to create gorgeous portraits. After my couples see their engagement portraits, one of my many favorite compliments to hear is “I cant believe that’s ME!”. This confidence only gets better as you look your absolute best on wedding day and your confidence in me as a photographer and you as a couple is built up in your engagement session. 
3. EXTRA PICTURES + MEMORIES! It breaks my heart when couples come to me and tell me they don’t have any pictures together and that their engagement session is the first time they have ever had pictures taken….EVER! Goodness! Documenting your lives together is so important…. especially when it yields gorgeous images to display all over your new home together and fill those scrapbook albums. Furthermore…your engagement pictures can also be made into a wonderful guest signing book for your wedding day or featured around tables at your reception.
4. NICE TO MEET YOU! Your engagement session is not only fun, but it is also a chance for us to get to know each other. On wedding day, we don’t really get much of a chance to “hang out” and “take our time” shooting or talking. But during your engagement session, that’s when we can all relax, get comfortable with each other. Think about it this way, the better I get to know you both as a couple, the better I can capture who your true personalities. It is extremely difficult to capture incredible portraits when there is little to no connection between the photographer and the couple.  When given the chance to become emotionally involved….which I always do…trust me, Ill be crying at YOUR wedding without a doubt….it helps me as an artist to create emotional and power images filled with genuine love and absolute candidness. Getting to know my couples and having them get to know me is such a vital part in the whole wedding experience and is simply a MUST in order for magic to happen : )
5. BECAUSE I SAID SO! Trusting your photographer is SO IMPORTANT. After all, your photographer has the sole responsibility of capturing every moment of the most important day of your lives. As a professional wedding photographer, it is my JOB to make sure you enjoy your day… not worry about  what is or isn’t documented. My goal is to earn 100% of your trust during and after the engagement session that way on wedding day you know your most priceless of moments are being documented at every turn.