Are Engagement Photos a Waste?

We just wanted the experience of a photo shoot, and we have a talented mutual friend who agreed to do the shoot and prints and sign off copy release forms for $50 (when you're broke, any money is good money, she said! lol)

For us, it was all about having fun together and capturing moments that would otherwise be missed; if you haven't checked out the engagement photo thread yet, the one I posted was actually unscripted and just happened...and it turned out as our "prize-winner"! A free photo shoot session doesn't mean you HAVE to buy the prints (maybe you legit won't like them), so maybe just assure your FH that it's about having fun with him, not getting "fluff".

I just did my engagement photos a little over a two weeks ago and very glad I did. At first I didn't see the point of them, but it was really fun! Also, it was nice to just stare at my FH and not a say word at all and know that we loved each other. Like you said I didn't have one decent picture of us together, so I was able to blow these up and display in our home. It is totally worth it and you should do it!!

I love my engagement photos and am really glad we got them but with that said I would not have paid for them. We got them free with our package for signing up at the bridal show. Otherwise, I would have had a friend take some pics for the save the dates. If it's free by all means I would do it tho. It was such a fun day and its nice to have some really good pictures of the two of you. With our free shoot we got the copyrights to the pictures so we were able to choose how many and which to print. We just printed them off at right aid. I would inquire about this with the photographer and then talk to your FH if he is concerned about the cost.

I adore mine! Definitely worth it to me. But then we are hams and love to pose for pictures. We actually didn't have that many pictures together, so it's great to have them now.

I think even if a person is awkward in front of the camera, a good photographer can work through that and catch some great moments.

Ours was included in the photography package and as Outtie said, great way to find out how they work with you.

I think it's worth it, if the price is right. My FH's stepbrother supposedly wanted to start his own photography studio, so we were happy to help and start his portfolio with his taking our engagement pics. They didn't turn out amazing at all. Most pics were posed and he didn't give much direction on different poses/creative ideas. In the end, we got 2-3 decent pics out of it. Not the end of the world, but it still irks me...

Uh best thing I ever did - Sorry but only professionals can get you the quality you're looking for... It's a chance for you and FH to get comfortable with your photographer, taking pictures with each other, and just have fun making memories!

Here are my e-pics - TOTALLY worth every penny.

Click Here

Not doing them wasn't an option for us. We wanted some nice photos to commemorate the special time in our lives. We didn't spend an arm and a leg, and we received 300 photos. 100 of which I am absolutely CRAZY about. I used our photos to make albums for our parents for Christmas. They absolutely loved them. We also used them for our save the dates and engagement article in the newspaper. Not to mention, it was fun getting all pampered up with hair and makeup the morning of.

I thought they were a waste of money. Our photographer have us the option of engagement photos or money off the package. I was all for the money off FH actually wanted the photos. I'm really glad we did it. I knew they would be replaced as soon as we had our wedding photos so I did a photo guest book, beat of both worlds. This way our guests can look at them too.

We skipped them, but when we were later working on our wedding website I *so* wished that I had some nice pictures of us together (and not like, Facebook-quality, party pictures).

I would be cautious about anything you won for free though because a lot of businesses just use this as a lead generation tool and you might find yourself having to put up with a lot of annoying pitching or weird red tape to actually get what you were supposed to win.

You get nice photos of you and your partner, and (more importantly) you get used to being photographed and get to know your photographer and their style.

I hate pictures of myself! I'm only doing them bc they are included in our package.

SO WORTH IT! it's so nice to have pics that aren't selfies! or where you don't have to be just smiling at the camera because you asked some stranger to take the pic

We took them but honestly I wish we would've saved that $100 instead. Out of the 200 photos on the disk I printed only 10.

I liked having them done and it was included in our package. I was initially a little nervous about it being awkward and everything, but it really wasn't. It was nice to work with our photographers a little more and I think that also made everything a little more comfortable on our wedding day. Plus, having some really nice pro pics besides the wedding pics are nice

We had them done because it was included in our package. We used a few for our save the dates, which FH's friend designed and printed for us (we only had to pay for postage). Plus, my MOH had me send a few pics from the disc to use for my bridal shower invites. My mom is paying for a 5x7 of one so she can frame it for her desk. So thus far we haven't paid for any printing but we have really nice pics at our disposal

*UPDATE* Well I guess free really did not mean free...in order to actually get the pictures it would be $300...maybe I can get my mother to try her hand at photography

My mom took ours. We couldn't justify the cost and it was an additional fee through our photographer. Plus, I was heavier than I am now and I was really self-conscious about my weight and how I looked in photos, so I just didn't want to be in photos anyway! It depends on the person, really, and if you think you'll use them. Honestly, if it isn't too expensive for digital images, then I would totally do it!

I don't think they're a waste. We used one of our photos for our STD and we will be using more within our guestbook. We also decided to have several made into large canvas prints as Christmas gifts to our parents and grandparents.

We didn't think of them at first but it's included in our package so we'll be doing them once the weather warms up. I'm kind of nervous because me or fh aren't really photogenic at all. We'll see how they turn out.