The above photo, taken by the fabulous Adi Benner of Next Exit Photography, is of some of my clients getting married in August at the amazing Rancho del Cielo in Malibu. Adi wrote in the Next Exit Blog about the above photo:

“Eva and Brinton met at the Claremont Juice Company where we started on our little engagement photo safari. Their’s is an adorable story that involves unexpressed feelings, many many months of being “friends,” and lots and lots of juice.”

How great is that photo above? It tells such a story!

In my opinion, Engagement photos are not only a time for you and your fiance to get great photos of the two of you in a spot that has special meaning (some of my clients who were high school sweethearts are doing their photo shoot at their school), it give you both the ability to bond with your photographer– someone who will be with you during the most intimate parts of your wedding day. The few hours that you spend in front of the camera at your engagement shoot will help you start to relax in front of the camera in prep for your big day, will help your photographer gauge how long it takes you to loosen up, and will help your photographer take better photos of you as he or she will learn about what angles flatter you the best. It also helps you and your photographer develop the type of relationship where your photographer has no problem directing you on your wedding day (“lower your chin” , “pull your shoulders back“, etc) in a way that you are comfortable with.

I have had some grooms in the past who were not too thrilled with being a male model (insert Zoolander joke here) for the day, but they told me that they were very glad that they went ahead and did it. It made for MUCH better wedding day photos.

I’m so looking forward to this wedding! Eva and Brinton are a lovely couple that is going to have a gorgeous wedding and have amazing photos to show for it!