Charlie & Morgan | Yorkshire Woodland Engagement Shoot.
Engagement shoots (or pre-weddings, or couples’ shoots, or any one of the many names for them!) are a fantastic way to shake out your nerves. They help you to lean into putting your attention on each other whilst a photographer puts their attention on both of you. You get great photos of you both at the end of it, and it also helps you work out the awkwardness, and get used to being directed too – not as easy as it sounds! My good friends Charlie and Morgan enlisted me to do their Yorkshire woodland engagement shoot just outside of York. I’ll actually be a groomsman at their wedding so this felt like a lovely thing I could do for them.
Yorkshire Woodland Engagement Shoot
We opted to head to a beautiful bit of woodland just north of York for the shoot. It’s lush ferns, grasses and pine trees are a verdant backdrop for any shoot and certainly fits Charlie and Morgan’s love for the outdoors. We started out the shoot just as I always do by encouraging them to go for a walk whilst I tag along. I like to start couples out this way as it’s very simple, low pressure, gets them used to the presence of a photographer and a clicking camera. Having your photos taken by a professional is not something everyone is used to, but this gentle start gets them used to it super quickly.
Do I Really Need to do an Engagement Shoot?
If you’re the type of couple whose only photos of the two of you together are selfies at arms length, then surely it would be nice to have some lovely professional portraits of you both, right? If you’re getting married and worried about how diving straight in at the deep end with photography on the day, an engagement shoot is a great way to shake out those nerves. You can get used to being in front of the camera, and have a bonus set of photos of you both. You’ll look fabulous on your wedding day, but your engagement photos are more the ‘day-to-day’ you. And it’s nice to have both types of photos.
That isn’t to say that you need to do an engagement shoot. For wedding couples who haven’t done one, their photos from the big day are always gorgeous. We lean into any awkwardness and have a laugh about it. For those couples who have had an engagement shoot prior to their wedding day, they can skip the awkwardness at the very beginning of their wedding day portrait shoot, and generally get a little bit more out of it than those that haven’t had an engagement shoot. We’ve already got to know each other and I know what works for you and what doesn’t work for you. You can just get the best out of your wedding photos right off the bat!
Where to Have an Engagement Photoshoot in York
Whether you choose to embrace the historical architecture of York city centre and have your engagement shoot around York Minster; or you opt for an engagement shoot surrounded by nature, away from the crowds, is an entirely personal choice. York city centre has so many options for locations and backdrops for wedding and engagement photography, but unless you want to get up for a 7am photoshoot, crowds might not be your vibe. Likewise, if you’re getting married in the city, you might want an entirely different location for your engagement shoot to give you variety and avoid repeating the same locations on your wedding day. In that case, a countryside engagement shoot could be ideal for you.
I offer York couple’s photoshoots and engagement shoots as a completely bespoke service. If you’d like to plan your own Yorkshire woodland engagement shoot with me, please get in touch.
