La sesión de preboda: qué es y por qué la recomendamos
The pre-wedding shoot as a chance to get to know each other before the big day
For many couples, the first time they spend a long stretch in front of a camera is on their wedding day. And although the result is usually lovely, something happens when the people being photographed feel truly comfortable: the difference is huge.
That's why we always recommend a pre-wedding session. Not as a requirement, but as an opportunity.
What is a pre-wedding session?
A pre-wedding (or engagement) session is a photo shoot that takes place before the wedding day. It can be done weeks or months in advance, wherever you choose: a natural setting, your neighbourhood, a place that means something to you or simply somewhere you find beautiful.
There's no set script. No compulsory poses. It's basically a conversation with a camera present.
What it's really for
Some people think a pre-wedding shoot is just an excuse to get more photos. There's a bit of that, of course. But for us its main value is something else: it's when we truly get to know each other.
The wedding day arrives full of emotions, people and things happening. It's not the best moment for a couple and their photographer to meet in front of a camera for the first time. The pre-wedding session changes that. It lets us fine-tune how we work together, what kind of images interest us all and what pace suits us.
When the wedding day arrives and we already know each other, having already spent time together like this, the dynamic changes completely. You've seen yourselves in photos and you know how it's going to work. And we know how to photograph you.
When and where should you do it?
There's no single answer. It's usual to do the pre-wedding session between two and six months before the wedding, when planning is well under way but there's still time to use the images in details of the celebration if you'd like to.
As for the location, our advice is to choose a setting that has something to do with you. It doesn't have to be spectacular. A neighbourhood, a park, a café you love, the Gipuzkoa coast on a weekday. The best settings aren't the most eye-catching, but the ones that let you relax and be yourselves.
What if I don't like being photographed?
This is precisely one of the best reasons to do a pre-wedding session.
If you feel stiff in front of a camera, don't know what to do with your hands or never like how you look in photos, the pre-wedding session is exactly for that. In an hour or two, at a relaxed pace and without the pressure of the big day, most people discover that the problem wasn't the camera, but not having had enough time to forget about it.
Our favourite pre-wedding photos aren't the ones we go looking for. They're the ones that appear once we've been together for a while and the couple has stopped thinking about how they look.
The pre-wedding shoot as an experience in itself
There's one more thing we want to share: for many couples, the pre-wedding session unexpectedly ends up being one of the moments they remember most from the whole wedding planning process.
Some time for the two of you, with no guests, no to-do lists, no caterers or suppliers to confirm. Just the two of you and a few hours to walk, talk and do something completely different from everything else that organising a wedding involves.
If you're unsure whether to include a pre-wedding session in your wedding photography, you can tell us through our contact form. We'll explain how we approach it and whether it fits what you're looking for.
