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Engagement film of Daniel and Tabitha

With engagement shoots and videos becoming more and more popular, here are some things to think about when planning your shoot from cinematographer Amy Nelson-Blain.

Engagement sessions are always a lot of fun, they are a great opportunity to practice being in front of a camera before the wedding day and have a special keepsake of those moments when you were first engaged. It is also nice to be able to share the session with your friends and family before your wedding day, or even share it at your wedding reception! If your engagement photographer or cinematographer is also going to be at your wedding, this is a great time to get to know your photographer or cinematographer and learn how they practice their craft before your big day.

When planning your engagement session, it’s always  best to start off by searching for some inspiration. This could come from other engagements that you have seen, a song, or even a poem. I usually ask most couples to think about what they enjoy doing together, like bush walking, bike riding, shopping, cafes, going to the beach, singing, painting, anything! This often leads to gathering up inspiration for an idea of what we could do for the photographs or filming, by thinking about what locations to use and what props, if any.

Another very important aspect of the engagement session is your love story. How did you meet? Why did you fall in love with your partner? What makes your partner so special? Answering these questions can be very helpful for the photographer or cinematographer to learn about how the two of you interact with each other and how closely bonded you are.

Once you have decided on a concept the next step is to think about whether you will need a team of people. Some couples like to have a stylist and hair and make-up artists organised so that they do not have to worry about those extra details themselves. Others like to keep it simple and just spend an intimate day with their photographer or cinematographer and themselves.
Working with a larger team of people can be a bit daunting for the couple initially. These nervous feelings quickly vanish however when there are lots of laughs and general fun being had by all. The couple is always encouraged and made the focus of the day.

The major obstacle, if you are planning an outdoor shoot, that you will face is the weather. If you expect to be shooting on a beautiful clear sunny day with a soft, cool breeze and this does not work out just remember to go with the flow and have fun! Find an alternative sheltered area for some intimate photos then grab your gumboots and go out and splash and dance in the rain!

As for the lovely Daniel and Tabitha, here are some details that helped to get to know them a little better:

Daniel and Tabitha met at a Church in Bondi Junction. Daniel noticed Tabitha immediately due to the luscious ”fro” that she was exhibiting. Having being a young lad with curly locks himself, he was mightily impressed! They had encountered each other in brief conversation a few times, but Tabitha was quite timid and at the time Daniel thought she was too young and hip for him.

Ironically 3 months later Daniel and Tabitha’s mother’s went for a coffee together and were discussing the potential of their two children being together! Finding this all very interesting Daniel thought to himself “Why not!?” and decided to ask Tabitha to meet him for a casual drink.

From that moment on, the two of them were constantly texting and emailing each other and their love began to blossom.

A proposal at an Airstrip, which had a 180 degree view of over 40 kilometres looking north toward Mudgee sealed their engagement. We shot this engagement video at Bangor Park in Coogee on a gorgeous warm spring afternoon. Apart from the occasional myna bird swooping down at us from the trees, it all went as planned! The weather was perfect and we could not have asked for a better sunset.

Ms Gingham says: Great advice and a beautiful video as an example. Thanks to Amy for sharing this with us today.

About Amy Nelson-Blain: Our goal is to create breathtaking, elegant, contemporary, cinematic wedding films. We create a personalized and handcrafted film for each of our clients to tell your unique story through timeless emotion and style, and strive to capture the essence of your wedding day as it naturally unfolds; highlighting the best moments.