Planning 101 9th September 2014

Romantic Pre-wedding Photoshoot at Cassiobury Park, Hertfordshire

A non-wedding world friend asked me the other day what the point of having a pre-wedding or engagement shoot is. I was flabbergasted. Then, once again, I reminded myself that not everyone lives their days wonderfully engulfed in a weddingy haze, and that these things often need to be explained. Having a pre-wedding shoot is a marvellous opportunity for a few key things to happen that will make the world of difference to your wedding day. Firstly, you will get to know your photographer and vice versa, which will help you feel more relaxed in their presence as you dash around the room in your rollers and dressing gown. Secondly, you'll learn to feel at ease in front of the camera and act naturally with your partner. Thirdly, your photographer will get more a feel for you and your wedding day, learn your likes and dislikes, and how to get the best out of you for those all important pictures!

Today, we have the terribly talented San from Sanshine photography telling us all about a recent pre-wedding shoot she did with the lovely Ario and Natalie. Over to you, San.

Ario and Natalie are the embodiment of a perfect couple – not only are they incredibly (or, in their own words, 'sickeningly') in love, but they have most definitely mastered the banter and the fun part of the relationship that any marriage needs, which tells me that their life together will be an absolutely fantastic adventure.

Ario was the one to contact me and arrange the meeting, which was something that impressed me deeply – it's not often that as a wedding photographer you get to meet such a hands-on groom-to-be who is so helpful when it comes to wedding preparations, let alone a groom-to-be who takes charge!

Meeting these two lovely people for the first time was like watching one of those romantic movies with perfect love stories – the way Ario and Natalie interact with each and look after one another other will put a smile onto anyone's face. After the initial consultation we've decided that it would be sensible for Natalie to have her hair and make-up trial on the same day as the pre-wedding photoshoot, which would help her not only save time but also be camera-ready and see what the hair and make-up will look like in photographs. After the hair and make-up trial at our photography studio, we went for a little walk at Cassiobury Park in Watford, Hertfordshire, and took some photographs while chatting and exploring the park. It was a lovely day, filled with sunshine and positive emotions, and the session helped this lovely couple relax and get used to being photographed – by the end of the photo session they were so comfortable with the cameras, a few passer-bys assumed they were models or celebrities. :)

Ario and Natalie's wedding is only a couple of weeks away now and I know for certain that it is going to be a wonderful day that will be a joy to photograph!