An engagement shoot is a relaxed hour or two with your wedding photographer before the wedding, and for most couples it is worth it: you learn how your photographer works, you get used to the camera, and you come away with portraits of the two of you in your own clothes. This guide covers when to have one, where to go in London and Kent, what to wear, the best light in each season, using the photographs for save-the-dates, and the Lovestory, its equivalent on film.
Getting on with your photographer is one of the most important parts of choosing one, and an engagement shoot is the best test there is. Our guide to choosing a wedding photographer and videographer covers what else to look for.
Are engagement shoots worth it?
For most couples, yes. What you get from an hour together before the day:
- Rapport. You find out how your photographer talks, jokes and directs. On the wedding day, a familiar face behind the camera makes a real difference.
- Practice. You learn which prompts make you laugh, how close to stand, and that you don’t need to look at the lens. For camera-shy couples, this is the biggest benefit of all. Our guide for couples who feel awkward in photos has more on why prompts work better than poses.
- Proof. You see yourselves in their photographs. If something bothers you, a side you prefer or a smile you don’t like, you can say so months before it matters.
- Photographs of you as you are. Wedding portraits show you in the most formal clothes you will ever wear. Engagement photographs show you on an ordinary good day.
It matters less if you already know your photographer well. If the budget is tight, a long video call does some of the same job.
When should you have an engagement shoot?
Our wedding planning checklist puts the engagement shoot six to nine months before the wedding. That suits most couples.
Two reasons to go earlier:
- Save-the-dates. These usually go out eight to twelve months ahead. If you want your engagement photographs on them, have the shoot first and allow time for editing, design and printing.
- The season you love. Blossom in April, long evenings in June, golden woods in October. If you want a particular season, plan around it rather than the calendar.
A useful trick: book the shoot on the day of your hair and make-up trial. You test the look on camera and get photographs from it.
Where to have an engagement shoot in London
The best location is somewhere that means something to you. After that, look for variety within a short walk, so you can move between two or three spots without spending the hour in a taxi.
| Setting | Ideas | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| The river | The South Bank, the bridges, the Thames path at low tide | City light, reflections, a sense of London |
| Old streets | The City’s lanes and courtyards, covered markets, quiet mews | Texture, shade on bright days, a timeless look |
| Big green spaces | Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park, Greenwich Park | Long views, open sky, deer and woodland in autumn |
| Canals | Regent’s Canal, Little Venice | Narrowboats, bridges, a slower pace |
| Your own places | Where you met, your first flat, your favourite café | Photographs nobody else could have |
Famous spots are busy for most of the day. If you want a well-known view to yourselves, go early in the morning, when the light is good and the crowds haven’t arrived.
Where to have an engagement shoot in Kent
Kent gives you a completely different look within an hour of London:
- The North Downs. Big views, chalk paths and open sky.
- The coast. Beaches, harbours and seafronts, best in the evening light.
- Orchards and fields. Blossom in spring, long grass in summer.
- Woodland. Bluebells in spring, gold leaves in autumn.
- On the border. Beckenham Place Park, close to our studio where London meets Kent, has open lawns and woodland.
Or have it at your wedding venue. You see the grounds in the right light, find your portrait spots in advance, and arrive on the day already knowing where you will go. Our older guides to wedding venues across London and across Kent have ideas. Always ask the venue first.
Do you need permission to shoot in London?
Sometimes. Some parks, gardens, landmarks and privately owned squares and walkways ask professional photographers to get permission or pay a fee, and the rules change. We check before we settle on a location, and keep a nearby alternative in mind.
What should you wear for an engagement shoot?
- Something you would wear on a good day out. If you feel like yourselves, you will look like yourselves.
- Coordinate, don’t match. Two or three colours that sit well together, rather than identical outfits.
- Plain fabrics photograph best. Small, busy patterns and big logos pull attention from your faces.
- Think about the setting. Softer colours suit parks and the coast; deeper tones suit city streets and autumn woods.
- Comfortable shoes. You will walk. Bring a second pair if one of you wants heels for a few frames.
- One change, at most. Each change costs light and time. In winter, a good coat can be part of the look.
When is the best light for an engagement shoot?
The hour before sunset is usually the softest, warmest light of the day, and the hour after sunrise is just as good and much quieter. Times for London (north-west Kent is within a minute or so), rounded:
| Season (example date) | Sunrise | Golden hour starts | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring (15 April) | around 6.05am | around 7.10pm | around 7.55pm |
| Summer (15 June) | around 4.45am | around 8.25pm | around 9.20pm |
| Autumn (1 October) | around 7.00am | around 5.55pm | around 6.40pm |
| Winter (1 December) | around 7.45am | around 2.55pm | around 3.55pm |
In summer, an evening shoot means a late finish, or a very early start for an empty city. In winter, plan for early afternoon, then use the blue light after sunset and the street lamps for a few more frames. For every month of the year, see our guide to golden hour in the UK.
Using your engagement photos for save-the-dates
If the photographs are going on stationery, tell your photographer before the shoot. A few things help:
- Space for words. Ask for some frames with open sky, a plain wall or empty pavement on one side, where the text can sit.
- Orientation. Check whether your card is landscape or portrait, and ask for both.
- Simple pictures. A clean frame with your faces clearly visible works better at postcard size than a wide view where you are tiny.
- Full resolution. Send your designer or printer the full-resolution file, not a screenshot from the gallery.
The same photographs work for your wedding website too.
A Lovestory: the film version of an engagement shoot
A Lovestory is a short pre-wedding film of the two of you, made somewhere that means something to you. Where an engagement shoot gives you photographs, a Lovestory gives you movement, sound and music: your favourite streets, the way you laugh at each other.
It can be filmed on the same day as your engagement shoot, which makes good use of the light and the travel. Some couples share it with guests on their wedding website, or play it at the reception if the venue has a screen. Our Lovestory in Marrakech is one example; you can find it on our wedding films page, and our guide to what’s in a wedding film explains how a Lovestory sits alongside the other films.
From behind the camera
The first ten minutes of an engagement shoot are always the stiffest, and that is the point of doing it. By the time we have walked to the second spot, couples have stopped watching me and started talking to each other, and I have learned what I need for the wedding: who makes whom laugh, which side of the face catches the light better, whether one of you goes quiet when a stranger stops to look.
On the wedding day, I use all of it. Couples who did an engagement shoot step into their portraits like they are picking up a conversation, and that shows in the photographs and the film.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need an engagement shoot?
You don’t need one, but most couples find it helps, and camera-shy couples most of all. An hour or two together lets you see how your photographer works and how you look in their photographs, so the wedding day feels familiar. You also come away with portraits of the two of you in your own clothes, for save-the-dates or your walls.
When should we have our engagement shoot?
About six to nine months before the wedding suits most couples: close enough that it feels like part of the wedding, far enough ahead that nothing is rushed. If you want the photographs for save-the-dates, which usually go out eight to twelve months ahead, have the shoot earlier and allow time for editing and printing.
How long does an engagement shoot take?
Usually an hour or two. That is long enough to relax, walk between two or three spots and catch the best light, and short enough that it never feels like hard work. If you are pairing it with a Lovestory film, allow a little longer, as film needs movement and more than one location.
Do you need permission to take engagement photos in London?
Sometimes. Many public spaces are fine for a relaxed shoot, but some parks, gardens, landmarks and privately owned squares ask professional photographers to get permission or pay a fee, and the rules change. Your photographer should check before you settle on a spot, and have a nearby alternative ready.
Keep reading
- Camera-shy? How to relax in front of a photographer and filmmaker: the prompts and plans that make the wedding day easier.
- Golden hour wedding photos in the UK: the best light, month by month, for the shoot and the wedding.
- What’s in a wedding film?: the Lovestory, the highlight film and everything else.
Plan your shoot with us
An engagement shoot is an optional part of our wedding photography. Tell us where you would love to go when you check your date.
