There is no denying it. “Engagement season” is a thing.
I’ve always stood by my belief that every couple and every individual is unique. There’s no place in my photography for cookie-cutter factory type work. If you’ve been thinking you want your photos to look like every wedding album or gallery you’ve ever seen, we should talk.
You’re one of a kind, your pictures should be too!
Still, it’s undeniable, the months between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day see more engagements that any other. No doubt, the love and romance of the holidays creates many happy opportunities to “pop the question.”. Maybe it’s expected, maybe it’s predictable, but it is tradition and it’s sweet.
December continues to be the most popular month to get engaged.
I am still at times surprised that couples are ready to discuss wedding photography in the days immediately following a holiday. If the engagement took place on or around Christmas, how have they already set a date and found a venue? But it happens, and I am happy to assist!
Many couples first pick a date, then a spot, then a photographer, baker and sometimes florist. In a whole other stratosphere of wedding photography, where couples drop thousands of thousands of dollars for a celebrity shooter, the photographer comes first.
In rare cases, and I do mean rare, a couple knows I’m the one they want before the date is set and we work to make sure there will be no complications.
Often though, If I’m meeting a future bride and groom in the winter months it is for their engagement session – even if the venue and wedding date hasn’t been firmed up yet.
My cameras and lenses get a bit of rest in January and February, unless I’m out on commercial shoots for businesses or property owners. I always look forward to my first photography session of the year. It’s a little like the first day of school. I know everything I’ve learned, but because everyone is one of a kind, I never know exactly what awaits.
This year, January brought some of that real estate photography work I enjoy and the first shoot of the year was bringing a dreary AirBnB listing to life. More about that one day soon.
Last year lenses remained capped until February, when a couple from out of town visited the Huckleberry Trail in Tannersville to capture the images they’d use to share news of their engagement with family and Friends.
I can’t forget the day, because it was February 14th. We talked about possibly extending the session into the dinner hour, but it wasn’t necessary. In the two hours that we spent outside, we’d captured the energy and love they wanted. We did our best with a bottle of champagne, and worked to keep their hands from freezing between frames.
Was this some sort of rose petal extravaganza? No, it wasn’t about that. It was what I do, helping tell the stories of one person, one couple or one gathering at a time.
Got BIG plans for Valentine’s Day? Great! Let’s get together one day soon after, and plan together to tell your story.
Thank you for reading.
You can also find, follow and like Jonathan Ment Photography on Facebook and at www.catskillsphotographer.com
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Jonathan Ment Photography 