Worth it to utilize a free engagement session that I won?

This does not sound like a deal to me at all. I don't see that this would be worth your time. Getting them done by your normal photographer is more important than 50 printed proofs (which you can get from your photographer AND you get to choose them).

They offer this in hopes you'll love them and hire them for the wedding....if you have a wedding photographer, you're wasting your time and theirs by doing this I think.

It really sounds like the free thing you won is a trick to get you to spend money. I would just use your wedding photographer since he/she is already including an engagement session in the cost of your wedding package and not mess with the thing you won.

That's what I thought, too, but at a time when you're spending thousands of dollars (right now we're at the deposit phase) the word "FREE" just had me in a frenzy! Haha!

Yea it doesn't sound very free to me...unless you just take the 50 prints they choose and run!

Can you pass it along to someone else?

@Tracy No I looked and it was non-transferrable.

Thanks for the validation, all! I'm also afraid because I know they'll do an amazing job and I'd rather throw away a free engagement session than to go through all of that and throw away 100 pictures that I fell in love with but don't have the money for.

I wouldn't hire anyone - or even use their free package - that's won't release digital rights.

Their "free" price is what I paid my photographer and we get the digital rights.

I think it's also good to work with your own photographer so you can see how you work together

I'd do it just because I feel awkward getting my picture taken and doing this free session first would be like a trial run for the one with my actual photographer. I would go in with the expectation that's it's just to make me more comfortable getting photographed and not expecting to buy more pictures than the proofs included already

ETA: spelling

I had almost that exact offer!! We did the free shoot took the prints that were free and ran! We didn't literally run but we never talked to them again, we are not using them as our photographer... even though the photos were actually pretty spectacular. I am displaying the proofs at our wedding. It was a fun free afternoon with gorgeous photos to boot. Honestly they were too expensive for me to pick for our wedding or we probably would have. Go for it, get it girl. #freestuff p.s. they are going to pick the best proofs to give you because they want you to be impressed and book them for your wedding

So sorry just to reiterate DO the free shoot, get the free proofs do not buy their little digital files for 600. I also scanned some of my favorites at home and now I have them digitally and I could share on Facebook Instagram etc

I also won a free engagement session that I will definitely take advantage of and run once I receive my free prints .

In this case, it would be better if you use your photographer and not the complimentary one. What happens with these "free" packages you fall in love with all the pictures and then they upsale you and you wind up spending way more money than you wanted. Beware of complimentary packages there is always an opportunity for the famous "Upsale".

Since you can't transfer it, do the free shoot, get the free photos, and never talk to them again. Lol

Yea take the free 1 hour session, 50 photos and RUN!

Another vote for free session and 50 pix! Sounds like they'll want you to use them, but as long as there is no obligation with your session, you should be good!

Do it! Its free and fun

So Basically you won a $50 credit and 50 4x6s? I personally wouldn't have use for 4x6 photos and if your current package already includes an engagement session, this doesn't seem worth it