Nosy question: How much did you spend on engagement photos?

[Gleam]

If you''d be kind enough to share... I literally have no idea what engagement photos cost. A few hundred? Several thousand? Depends on the package? What kind of package did you get? I figure that if I can gather a few actual real-life figures here, I''ll have a better idea.

And any other tips about engagement photos, please do add here! Love all you helpful ladies.

 

[princessplease]

Our photog actually photographed us for free as he was trying to build a portfolio. He was moving on from landscape photography to live photography, and was doing an entire month of free e-sessions. We actually found him on craigslist.org, and he was AMAZING!!!! Here is a link to some of our photos that were FREE, along with the digital prints! Linky
He traveled into the city to meet us, and it was a blast! I would definitely try to see if there are any photogs doing the same as ours did.

We tipped him $50 for his time and travel.

 

[cindygenit]

Maybe 100 bucks? I''m hiring an amateur to do out e-session.

There''s another photographer who is keen on doing our e-session and wedding pics. He''s quoted us 300 AUD for a whole day e-session, several location shoots, and he''s also supplying the make up artist.

I don''t think it would be more than a few hundred dollars, honestly.

 

[megumic]

$0. Personally, engagement photos just weren''t for us.

 

[that_someone_special]

$0

The idea doesn''t do much for us.

 

[KatyWI]

Most wedding photographers these days include engagement shoots in most wedding packages.

For my photographer, if you don''t buy one of those packages, a separate engagement shoot is $150.

 

[kas baby]

I''m no help because my mom got them for us. The son of a friend of hers is a photography major (who we actually went to HS with, lol) so, she got him to do our pictures.

We don''t really have many pictures of just us because we''re both kind of shy, so it was nice to get some dressy pictures taken. They turned out really nice. We don''t have any prints, but he sent us a cd of all of the pictures he took- all 250ish of them!

I don''t think its ''mandatory,'' but if you like the idea then its worth it

 

[redfaerythinker]

My engagement shots are a part of our overall photography package. Which is good, cause FI and I will need some practice to not look really weird in front of the camera!

 

[meresal]

It came in our package, but if we had bought it separately it would have been $500.

Which included the shoot and a photo sign in book at the wedding.

 

[purselover]

I''m also $0 I didn''t care about them

 

[emeraldlover1]

Ours were included in our package. I believe our photographer charges about $500 for the session but I''m not sure what that includes. I think engagement sessions are great once you have found a photographer that you love for your wedding for a variety of reasons. It helps you become more comfortable in front of the wedding and you can give feedback to your photographer about what you liked and didn''t like. While we didn''t use our engagement pictures for anything, I am so glad that we did them because our wedding photographs came out amazing.

 

[Gleam]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Very enlightening. I want engagement photos because I likely will not have wedding photos (since we plan to elope as of now), and it''d be nice just to have some special pictures of this time in our lives.

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 10/21/2009 10:54:07 AM
Author: Gleam
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Very enlightening. I want engagement photos because I likely will not have wedding photos (since we plan to elope as of now), and it''d be nice just to have some special pictures of this time in our lives.

The other option is also hiring a photographer to do a "day after session" or something like that so that you have pictures with your husband in your dress. Just a suggestion.

 

[sunnyd]

Date: 10/21/2009 11:01:29 AM
Author: emeraldlover1

Date: 10/21/2009 10:54:07 AM
Author: Gleam
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Very enlightening. I want engagement photos because I likely will not have wedding photos (since we plan to elope as of now), and it''d be nice just to have some special pictures of this time in our lives.

The other option is also hiring a photographer to do a ''day after session'' or something like that so that you have pictures with your husband in your dress. Just a suggestion.

I like this option. Everyone should have wedding photos!

Our e-session was included, but seperately it was $250.

 

[gwendolyn]

We spent nothing, but ended up with some nice photos of the two of us. A friend took some photos of us while at our impromptu engagement party.

 

[cleokizzy]

Date: 10/20/2009 10:57:52 PM
Author: princessplease
Our photog actually photographed us for free as he was trying to build a portfolio. He was moving on from landscape photography to live photography, and was doing an entire month of free e-sessions. We actually found him on craigslist.org, and he was AMAZING!!!! Here is a link to some of our photos that were FREE, along with the digital prints! Linky

He traveled into the city to meet us, and it was a blast! I would definitely try to see if there are any photogs doing the same as ours did.


We tipped him $50 for his time and travel.

princess: that photo of FI with the flower behind his ear is funny!!! i'm glad he's up for those funny shots!

i spent $250 for my destination e-pic session in LV!

 

[Smurfysmiles]

$5 - gas to drive up in the mountains a bit
$1 - electricity to charge digital camera
Priceless - bridesmaid taking our photos for us

we just winged it

 

[idreamofcushions]

As some other girls said, an engagement session can be included in a package or purchased a la carte.

To give you an idea, our photographers smallest package starts at $3500 not including an engagement session. From there, the packages increase in features and price. FI and I are thinking about going for package two, which is $4500 but does not include an e-session. It will be $250 to add, but if we were not hiring this photog for the wedding, the e-session alone would cost $400.

Hope this helps!

 

[MonkeyPants]

I think about $400. it was included in our package but I believe the photographer told us it''s about $350-$400 a la carte...

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 10/21/2009 6:31:12 PM
Author: MonkeyPants
I think about $400. it was included in our package but I believe the photographer told us it''s about $350-$400 a la carte...

Same for me. Our wedding photographer charged a travel fee, but he let you put the fee towards a product. His travel fee to our area was $300, and he usually charges $400 for the engagement session, but he waived the extra $100 for us. However, that didn''t include proofs or the CD or anything. That would be extra if we wanted any of it.

The pics just turned out okay since my husband and I are both horrible at acting natural and romantic for photos, so I haven''t actually ordered any of the photos! There were maybe 10 or so that I liked and I''ll probably order those eventually. The photographer''s prints are not expensive so I don''t mind just buying the ones I like since there weren''t very many!

I wasn''t planning on doing an engagement session at all but my wedding photographer likes to do them so the couples get a chance to get comfortable with him before the wedding.

 

[goldenstar]

I''ll ''fess up. We spent about $1000 on our engagement session. It was not part of our package and we did use the same photog for the wedding also.

This included:
-full day shoot
-hair and makeup artist
-wardrobe help by photog and said artist
-complete set of proof prints
-online gallery of proofs from which we could order
-slideshow set to music, hosted on website for 6 months

I had two different hair and makeup looks and we both had maybe 3 outfit changes. We were asked to bring SUITCASES of clothes, shoes and accessories. The photog and the makeup artist went through our stuff and put outfits together for us. SO awesome.

Our family and friends enjoyed the slideshow and we used the pics on our wedding website and one for our Save the Date. We have no regrets about the cost and the package. My attitude was that we should take fun photos while we''re young before it all goes south.

 

[Gleam]

Thanks, everyone, very enlightening.

I kind of get the feeling some here think engagement photos are tacky? As in the comments like "they weren't for us," "the idea doesn't do much for us," etc. To each her own, I guess, but I've never gotten that reaction before.

As for the suggestion that I do "day after" photos, I plan to elope (likely in Africa) in a remote foreign location where there aren't many professional photographers on hand, if any at all. I don't want to pay for a photographer whose work I don't know, so we're just going to have pro engagement photos or none at all.

The Rattray Camp at Mala Mala (an African safari camp) supposedly will truck in a photographer, but you actually have to pay for his travel expenses. I don't really care to do that as I will have no clue about what quality of camera he uses or what his work looks like!

 

[princessplease]

Date: 10/21/2009 4:38:37 PM
Author: cleokizzy

Date: 10/20/2009 10:57:52 PM
Author: princessplease
Our photog actually photographed us for free as he was trying to build a portfolio. He was moving on from landscape photography to live photography, and was doing an entire month of free e-sessions. We actually found him on craigslist.org, and he was AMAZING!!!! Here is a link to some of our photos that were FREE, along with the digital prints! Linky

He traveled into the city to meet us, and it was a blast! I would definitely try to see if there are any photogs doing the same as ours did.


We tipped him $50 for his time and travel.

princess: that photo of FI with the flower behind his ear is funny!!! i''m glad he''s up for those funny shots!

i spent $250 for my destination e-pic session in LV!

Thanks!!!!!! He''s a big goofball, lol! We should have some interesting wedding shots, though

 

[Laila619]

They are $300 but were a part of our wedding package. I loved getting engagement photos, the day was so fun and memorable.

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 10/22/2009 2:00:12 PM
Author: Gleam
Thanks, everyone, very enlightening.

I kind of get the feeling some here think engagement photos are tacky? As in the comments like ''they weren''t for us,'' ''the idea doesn''t do much for us,'' etc. To each her own, I guess, but I''ve never gotten that reaction before.

As for the suggestion that I do ''day after'' photos, I plan to elope (likely in Africa) in a remote foreign location where there aren''t many professional photographers on hand, if any at all. I don''t want to pay for a photographer whose work I don''t know, so we''re just going to have pro engagement photos or none at all.

The Rattray Camp at Mala Mala (an African safari camp) supposedly will truck in a photographer, but you actually have to pay for his travel expenses. I don''t really care to do that as I will have no clue about what quality of camera he uses or what his work looks like!

I quoted it because that is just what photo''s call it. It doesn''t have to be the day after or in Africa. We will probably do it a year later.

 

[Gleam]

Date: 10/22/2009 2:15:25 PM
Author: emeraldlover1


I quoted it because that is just what photo''s call it. It doesn''t have to be the day after or in Africa. We will probably do it a year later.

That''s a good idea. For us, I really want photos of us during that specific period in our lives... newly engaged and happy! Plus, I can barely convince my fiance to do engagement photos right now -- LOL good luck to me if I wait a year from now!

I''m happy to hear that engagement photos seem to cost well under $1,000. I always love seeing people''s engagement photos, it says so much about the couple!

 

[LabRatPhD]

I don''t think engagement photos are tacky, but I know they aren''t for my fiance and I. I had never heard of engagement photos until I joined this website! I don''t really understand the concept. Are they used at the wedding? We are having a wedding and one of FI''s good friends who we have known for years will be doing the photography. He is a photojournalist and freelances quite a bit for the NY Times, but has never done wedding photography. Our pictures will probably turn out less wedding-y but we like it better that way. It seems more comfortable and personal to us. We too are planning a honeymoon in Africa and I think those pictures will mean more to us than engagement photos.

 

[Gleam]

Date: 10/22/2009 2:38:25 PM
Author: LabRatPhD
I don''t think engagement photos are tacky, but I know they aren''t for my fiance and I. I had never heard of engagement photos until I joined this website! I don''t really understand the concept. Are they used at the wedding?

I think engagement photos must be extra-trendy right now... I had never really heard of them either until very recently when suddenly ALL my engaged friends got them! I don''t recall them being so popular just 5 years ago.

I''m using the engagement photos just to send to family overseas who haven''t even met my fiance. They won''t really have any other use.

 

[Liane]

Mine were $100 extra when added onto the wedding package. I haven''t done them yet; our shoot is scheduled for next month. I think it''ll be fun, although I may have to kneecap FI and wheel him in to make him submit to the camera.

...which I am totally willing to do, if that''s what it takes.

 

[LabRatPhD]

I guess I never knew about them because I am the first of my girlfriends to get married! Even if I did want them, FI would never be on board. He hates having his picture taken - especially posed shots!

I''m sure your family will love your e-pics, Gleam! Engagement pics always seem to turn out so beautifully! My mom always sends the most unflattering pictures of us to my relatives overseas!