Engagement Sessions: Offer Them
If you are looking to boost your wedding referrals, increase your wedding sales, or even just build a better name for yourself in the wedding industry, then look no further than engagement sessions. It may sound silly to say that engagement sessions might be the answer to all of these items, but read on to see why I believe they are truly the best asset a wedding photographer has.
Here are 5 reasons every wedding photographer should provide engagement sessions to their clients:
1. You get to know your clients better.
As a wedding photographer, I include an engagement session with all of my packages. It is in my best interest to know my clients’ personalities as well as possible before their wedding day. Maybe they feel self-conscious about something that I need to be mindful of on the wedding day. Or perhaps they are a little nervous in front of the camera and default to a super cheesy smile, and I need to know to crack a good joke to get them to relax. Knowing my clients better helps me capture better images. Of course, your clients will get to know you better at the same time. They will learn your posing tips, what you’re looking for when you say “show me the smolder”, and earn your trust as their photographer. Next time they are in front of your camera, they will naturally be more relaxed with you behind it.
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| Couples get to know the photographer's shooting style during an engagement session. |
2. Save the Date cards.
Save the Date cards are really trendy right now, and in addition to allowing your clients to announce their engagement they also allow your clients to give their friends and family plenty of time to do just that – save the date and start making travel arrangements. Engagement pictures are a great asset to personalize these cards. There are a wide variety of templates available, or, even better, you can custom design them for your clients to provide an extra special touch. The same benefits apply to custom photo wedding invitations. You’ve already laid the foundation that you can provide a quality Save the Date card, so you’re more likely to get an order for invitations down the road.
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| A perfect image of the couple makes for a really special Save the Date card. |
3. Refresh your portfolio.
Not every photographer is in the immediate need of building their portfolio. However, every photographer does need to keep their portfolio fresh. Including an engagement session with your wedding packages will help keep your portfolio rotating with new faces. Additionally, you will have more images to use on your marketing materials to further build your brand.
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| Capturing details during an engagement session is a must. |
4. Word-of-mouth is essential to marketing.
If you are active on social media, you already know the importance of posting often. After an engagement session, post your favorite images to social media sites such as facebook and twitter, and tag your clients in them (if they are okay with it). Not only will you see your followers increase, but it’s a great way to spread the word about your business. Without even asking your clients for direct referrals, you have just told all their friends that your client has chosen YOU as their wedding photographer. Of course, you should still be asking for those direct referrals!
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| I like to make jokes during the session to get amazing genuine smiles. |
5. Every session is a selling opportunity.
I really can’t stress this one enough! Don’t think of the engagement sessions as something you are giving away for free. Although you are gaining many additional positive benefits from the session, don’t forget that you are running a business and that every session is a selling opportunity. After the engagement session, invite your clients to preview their images. Show them a custom-design for a Save the Date card and see what they think. I have had numerous sales of Save the Date cards from clients who didn’t even know they wanted them beforehand - simply because they loved my design and HAD to have them! Many clients will also order prints or canvases to display at their homes and/or their wedding reception. And lastly, don’t forget to put your photos up on an online storefront, such as Instaproofs. From there, your clients can see and share the images with their friends and family, which will also help increase your sales.
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| Many couples like to display images from their engagement session at their wedding. |
Jennifer Galles is the owner/photographer for Galles Photography, located in the "Sweetheart City": Loveland, Colorado. She specializes in weddings, seniors, and family sessions. You can find more of her work at her website or Like her on Facebook.