Why Have an Engagement Session?

Why You Should Consider an Engagement Photography Session Before Your Wedding

When planning a wedding, it’s easy to see an engagement photoshoot as optional. Another thing to schedule, another detail to decide. But for many couples, an engagement photography session becomes one of the most valuable parts of the entire wedding photography experience — not just for the images themselves, but for how it shapes the way you feel on your wedding day.

Below are two reasons why an engagement session is worth considering, even if you don’t see yourselves as “photo people.”

Sara and Sam during their engagement session in parc Mont-Royal, Montreal. Photographed by Hailey Oldfield.

1. You get comfortable in front of the camera before wedding day

Most couples planning their wedding tell me the same thing: “We’re excited… but we’re also a little nervous about being photographed.” And that makes complete sense. Your wedding day is emotional, fast-moving, and full of expectations. The last thing you want is to feel stiff or self-conscious every time the camera comes out. Also, it’s most people’s first time doing a professional photoshoot!

An engagement photography session gives you the chance to experience what it actually feels like to be photographed in a relaxed, low-pressure setting. There’s no timeline breathing down your neck, no guests watching, and no formal expectations. It’s just the two of you, moving naturally.

From a documentary photography perspective, this matters. When couples are comfortable, the images become less about posing and more about presence. You learn that you don’t need to perform for the camera — you just need to show up as yourselves. Over time, the camera fades into the background, and the photographs become more authentic, more cinematic, and more emotionally grounded.

By the time your wedding day arrives, the experience feels familiar. You know how your photographer works. You trust the process. And instead of wondering what to do with your hands or how you look, you’re able to stay focused on each other.

That comfort translates directly into your wedding photos. The result isn’t just “better” images — it’s images that feel real.

Skylar and Sameer during their engagement session on Mont-Tremblant. Accessed by helicopter with Heli-Tremblant, planned by The I Do Club, photographed by Hailey Oldfield.

2. You can bring your dream aesthetic to life with a fully custom session

An engagement session is also an opportunity to intentionally design a photoshoot that reflects who you are together outside the structure of a wedding day.

Your wedding photographs will naturally be shaped by the location, timeline, and flow of the day itself. Engagement sessions allow you to explore your aesthetic goals in a way that feels creative and personal.

Maybe you’re drawn to something cinematic and moody, shot at dusk with movement. Maybe you want something quiet and minimalist, or playful and intimate, or inspired by a location that holds meaning for you.

A custom-designed engagement session gives you the freedom to explore those ideas. I love to choose locations that align with your story, whether that’s urban Montreal streets, open landscapes near Ottawa, or somewhere entirely unexpected. We can plan around light, season, and mood. We can create space for images that feel intentional rather than performative.

This process also helps clarify what you’re drawn to visually. You start to see how documentary and cinematic approaches translate into photographs that feel authentic to you. That understanding then carries forward into your wedding photography, ensuring a cohesive visual story across both experiences.

In many ways, the engagement session becomes the foundation. Not just for the images you’ll hang on your walls or use for your wedding website, but for the trust and creative collaboration that shapes your entire wedding photography experience.

Courtney and Alex during their engagement session in parc Maisonneuve, Montreal. Photographed by Hailey Oldfield.

More than photos, it’s part of the story

At its core, an engagement photography session isn’t about checking a box or creating images for social media. It’s about connection with each other and the way your story is told.

If you value photographs that feel honest rather than overly staged, and if you’re drawn to a documentary approach that still leaves room for cinematic beauty, an engagement session can be a meaningful part of your journey. It allows you to step into the experience of being photographed without pressure, while also creating images that reflect this season of your relationship.

Whether you’re new to photo sessions or a pro, the goal is the same: photographs that feel true to you. An engagement session helps make that possible.