There is a good reason why all my wedding packages include a pre-wedding shoot. Far from being something to pad the package out, I see true value in them; so much so, that I'm reluctant to photograph a wedding without first having had a pre-wedding photoshoot. Below you can see some examples and can read on below to find out why I feel they are so important...

A chance to practise

Your wedding day is one of the biggest day of your lives, and will fly by in an instant. By having a photoshoot before the wedding day, we can practise poses and settings that you'd like to use, and spend time discussing what you'd like for your photography, freeing us up to focus on you and your big day when it comes to it.

After the pre-wedding shoot, I will send you a set of images that are yours to keep, but more importantly are yours to critique. I ask every wedding couple to let me know what they do and don't like about their images; that way on the big day itself I can ensure we use poses you like and give you photographs you know you'll love.

Tips for looking your best

At our pre-wedding shoot I will share tips with you on how to look great in photographs. How to stand, how to angle your body, what to do with your hands - all these are key to making a photograph look natural and helping us look our best. By spending time before your wedding day sharing and practising these tips, there will be no need to go into the detail of how and why on the big day itself when we have much less time.

Relax and let's have fun

A pre-wedding shoot is also a great opportunity for us to get to know each other and relax in each other's company. My style is relaxed and natural, and I hope my clients feel they have fun when I'm photographing them. By meeting and photographing you before the big day, we can get rid of any nerves in front of the camera (and believe me, I know what they feel like - there's a reason I'm behind the camera and not in front of it!). I like to think of my clients as friends and hope you'll feel the same way when your wedding day comes around.

Planning for the main event

I send all brides and grooms a quick questionnaire before your big day, asking for key timings, the important people to photograph and a few other questions that ensure I capture the day the way you'd like me to. At our pre-wedding shoot, we'll go through this questionnaire, so that we're both prepared to get the most out of your wedding photographs.

All the above will take about an hour. I hope you'll feel it's an hour well-spent. It certainly is for me and ensures I capture your precious memories the way you'd like so you treasure them forever.