A Banga Studios Guide to Planning Your Engagement Shoot!
One of the most exciting parts of wedding planning has to be the engagement shoot. This is where you as a bride or groom and us as storytellers, can really capture the authentic parts of your relationship in the most creative way possible.
If you have your photographer or in the process of hiring one, you might be wondering…
“When is the best time to book my engagement shoot?”
Well, it’s not really the date you book your engagement shoot, this can happen months before your wedding date or the week before the wedding; what truly matters is when you start planning your engagement shoot.
We recommend planning your shoot anywhere between 1-2 months of booking your photographer. This is an important process during planning because this is when you will get to know your photographer and they will get to know you. In meetings like this, your photographer will ask you questions to really dig deep and understand who you both are. This will be the perfect opportunity for you to bring your ideas, share your thoughts and visions so that your photographer can create a shoot that is unique to you and your partner.
Our clients often ask us when the ideal date to do their shoot and the answer really is, it depends on what we are doing and the story we are trying to tell! From our experience, when we have the opportunity to plan for a few months to a year, we have the chance to create grand and over top ideas like this Alice in Wonderland shoot! However, there are cases where we have only 2 weeks to plan and we create a simple and sweet shoot, which is totally beautiful but you miss out of the experience and storytelling aspect.
Planning with your photographer serves as the foundation for everything else. So we want to start right from the roots.
Let’s take a look at “The Story Of Gurminder and Misha” and break down how we went from inspiration to masterpiece.
STEP ONE – Book a discovery meeting with Banga Studios, where we do just that, discover your journey as individuals and as a couple. We do this by asking questions, diving into memories you share and understanding what matters to you!
For Gurminder and Misha we discovered….
Gurminder is an extraordinary being who lives and breathes love and Misha is a vulnerable and compassionate human who is so full of life. Together these two individual and wild souls, come together to intertwine their deep roots for eternity.
Once we discovered the message we wanted to showcase through the images, we started…
STEP TWO – determining the tone, mood, location, and outfits!
For Gurminder and Misha’s shoot, we wanted to really play on the idea of Earth, Life, Soul and Light. We selected a location where we could tie in the environment to their story. The trees represent the couples deep roots and the browns of the fields represent the element of earth. Because the couples wedding will be full colour to represent their South Asian heritage, we decided to incorporate a western bridal outfit to tie in their connection to their western culture.
STEP THREE – Your Engagement Shoot!
To bring the Light and Life elements from their inspiration to reality, we expressed them through the couples body language; for example, the way Gurminder holds Misha close to him. Finally, their Souls are brought to life through the wilderness of Storm, the majestic horse.
It was as simple as three steps! Once we understood who Gurminder and Misha are, we planned a shoot that represented them.
Here is a summarized list to help you get planning!
Engagement Shoot Checklist
Step One – Set up a time to connect with our photographers
Step Two – Talk about mood, tones, locations, outfits and potential ideas you would like to include
Step Three – Trust your photographers to capture your authentic selves, so you can focus on being present at your shoot. You can also get involved in the shoot by reviewing a few images through the shoot, so you can understand what you like best and what you may want more of and less of
Remember to use the early points of the time you have with your photographer to thoroughly plan your engagement shoot. While the shoot is an experience on its own, the planning process is where you get to be creative, really dive into your relationship and come into a shoot where you truly can be comfortable and be yourselves.
Want to book your Engagement Session with Banga Studios or just need some advice…
We cannot wait to help you plan your creative shoot.
“A big thanks to the amazing team at Banga Studios. They understood what I needed and they gave importance to the details I wanted them to focus on. They were calm and loving which helped me stay still and relaxed in freezing weather..When your only job is to be present to your partner at a shoot, it makes it really easy to have fun.” – Misha & Gurminder
