A pre wedding photoshoot is a separate portrait session with your photographer, shot weeks or months before the wedding day, with nobody else around but the two of you. In Los Angeles it usually runs 90 minutes to two hours, costs $300 to $900 on its own, and gets folded in free with a lot of full wedding packages, including mine. That is the whole answer. Everything below is the part couples actually need: what happens during those 90 minutes, why I push every couple to book one, and what it quietly fixes about your wedding photos.
I have been shooting weddings around Los Angeles for 17 years. In that time I have never once regretted talking a couple into a pre-wedding session, and I have watched plenty of couples who skipped it spend the first hour of their wedding day learning how to be photographed. That is an expensive hour.
The names are all the same thing, and that confuses people
Pre-wedding shoot. Engagement session. E-session. Pre-bridal. Save-the-date shoot. Couples session. Different words, same appointment. The term "pre wedding photoshoot" is more common with couples planning South Asian, Persian and Armenian weddings — a huge part of my client base here in LA — while "engagement session" is what most American vendors write on their price sheets. If you want the full vocabulary lesson, I wrote about the different names photographers use for the same session.
There is one real variation worth knowing. Some couples, especially those planning a multi-day Indian or Persian wedding, book a pre-wedding shoot as a production: two or three outfit changes, a hair and makeup team, sometimes a second location and a short film cut to music. That is a different animal from a relaxed hour at the beach in jeans, and it prices differently — expect $1,200 to $3,000 once you are paying for a glam team and a four-hour block. Both are legitimate. Just be clear which one you are asking about when you call a photographer, because the quotes will be wildly far apart.
What actually happens during the session
Here is how a typical one of mine runs. We pick a location and a start time keyed to sunset — more on that in a second. You show up, and for the first ten minutes you are stiff and self-conscious, because everyone is. I do not photograph anything serious in those ten minutes. I walk you somewhere, I keep talking, I have you do something with your hands so they are not just hanging there.
Then we work. I direct almost constantly. That surprises couples who booked me because my portfolio looks candid. The most natural-looking frames in that gallery came from me saying "walk toward me, slower, now stop and tell him what you had for breakfast" — small physical prompts that give you something to do besides pose. You are not modeling. You are being given a task, and the photograph happens while you are busy with it.
Somewhere around minute forty, something shifts. You forget the camera is there. That is the moment the session is actually for. Everything before it was warm-up, and everything after it is the reason the pictures look like you.
We usually cover two or three distinct backdrops within a short walk, change nothing but the light, and finish about fifteen minutes after the sun drops for the soft afterglow frames. Most sessions run 90 minutes to two hours, and I deliver 40 to 80 edited images in two to three weeks.
I'll be blunt: this session is really a rehearsal
Couples book a pre-wedding shoot thinking they are buying pretty pictures for a save-the-date. They are. But the actual product is a rehearsal, and most photographers are too polite to say so.
On your wedding day I get roughly 25 to 40 minutes alone with the two of you. That is it. Between the ceremony ending, family formals, cocktail hour, and someone's uncle needing a picture, your couples portraits are the most compressed part of the entire schedule. If those 25 minutes are also the first time you have ever been photographed together as a couple, I burn ten of them on the warm-up I described above. You lose 40% of your portrait time learning how to stand.
Couples who did a pre-wedding shoot skip that entirely. They already know what I mean by "chin down, forehead toward me." They already know that I will keep talking and that they should ignore it. We walk out of the ceremony and I get usable frames in the first ninety seconds. It is the single cheapest upgrade available to your wedding gallery, and the reason I wrote a whole post on why engagement photos make the wedding photos better.
The second thing it buys you is information about me. Ninety minutes of working together tells you whether you like how I direct, whether I talk too much, whether you feel relaxed. Finding that out three months early is far better than finding it out at 4pm on your wedding day.
What it costs in Los Angeles
Standalone sessions from established LA photographers run $300 to $900. Under $300 you are usually hiring someone building a portfolio, which is fine if you know that is the trade. Above $900 you are typically paying for extra time, a second shooter, or a name.
The number most couples miss: a large share of full wedding packages include the session at no extra charge, because photographers want that rehearsal as much as you do. Mine does. If a package quote does not mention it, ask — it is often the easiest thing to get added. I broke down the going rates in detail in what engagement photos actually cost around Los Angeles.
Costs that catch people off guard:
- Location permits. The LA County Arboretum, Descanso Gardens, South Coast Botanic Garden and Huntington Library all require a paid photo permit — typically $50 to $400 depending on the garden and the day. Public beaches, city streets and most parks are free.
- Hair and makeup. $150 to $350 if you want it. Worth it for the bride if you want a preview of your wedding-day look, which is a genuinely useful side benefit.
- Travel. Most LA photographers include a reasonable radius. Driving you out to Joshua Tree or Big Sur is a different conversation.
- Prints and albums. Optional. Do not let anyone bundle a $600 canvas into a session quote and call it a package.
Timing and location, which matter more than your outfit
Book the session four to eight months before the wedding. Early enough that the images are back in time for save-the-dates and a wedding website, late enough that you are not looking at a haircut you have grown out of.
For the shoot itself: golden hour in Los Angeles is short. Genuinely usable, warm, low-angle light lasts about 25 minutes here before it is gone, and I plan the whole session around it. I start roughly 90 minutes before sunset, work the shaded and backlit stuff first, and save the best backdrop for the last 25 minutes. Booking a noon session on a clear LA day means squinting and hard shadows under your eyes, and no amount of editing fixes that. Sunrise is the underrated alternative — empty locations, softer air, and nobody's dog running through your frame. I compared them properly in sunrise vs sunset sessions in Los Angeles.
Locations I return to constantly: El Matador in Malibu for the sea stacks (go on a weekday, and check the tide chart — high tide erases the beach); the Griffith Observatory lawn at dusk for the city behind you; the Arts District in DTLA for texture and brick; Vasquez Rocks for something dramatic and dry; and honestly, the couple's own neighborhood, which produces the most personal pictures of the whole set and costs nothing.
What I'd do if it were my wedding
Book the session with the same person shooting your wedding. Not a cheaper photographer, not a friend with a camera. The entire value is the working relationship, and you throw it away by hiring a stranger for the session.
Pick clothes you can move in and that you would actually wear. I would rather photograph a couple in a good sweater and jeans they feel like themselves in than in a rented gown they are managing all evening. Coordinate, do not match — same tonal family, different pieces.
Book somewhere that means something to you. The trailhead where you got engaged. The bar where you met. Those pictures beat a pretty generic field every single time, and in ten years you will care about the place.
And if you are hiring both photo and film for the wedding, use one studio for both. At ConneryFilm we shoot the photography and the cinematic film with one team, so the pre-wedding session doubles as the rehearsal for both crews at once — my camera operator learns how you move at the same time I do, and nobody spends your wedding day negotiating for the same three feet of space. Two separate vendors quietly costs you portrait time you will never get back.
Common questions about pre-wedding photoshoots
Is a pre wedding photoshoot the same as an engagement shoot?
Yes. Identical session, different name. "Pre-wedding" is the more common term in South Asian, Persian and Armenian wedding planning; "engagement session" is what most American photographers list on their pricing. If a vendor tries to charge you for both, they are selling you the same thing twice.
How long before the wedding should we do it?
Four to eight months out. That leaves time for the two-to-three-week edit, save-the-dates, and a wedding website, without the pictures being so old that your hair has changed.
How many photos will we get?
Expect 40 to 80 fully edited images from a 90-minute session. Anyone promising 400 is counting near-duplicates, and you will never use them.
Do we need professional hair and makeup?
No, but the bride often books it anyway to trial the wedding-day look. Budget $150 to $350. If you skip it, keep makeup slightly heavier than everyday — cameras flatten it.
Can we do it at our wedding venue?
Sometimes, and it is a smart move when the venue allows it — I get to scout my angles and check the light months in advance. Ask your coordinator; many venues permit it on a non-event weekday, and a few charge a small site fee.
Is it worth paying for if it is not included in our package?
For most couples, yes. $300 to $900 to make your wedding-day portrait hour dramatically more productive is the best value in wedding photography. If the budget genuinely will not stretch, put the money into wedding-day coverage hours instead and we will do a fast fifteen-minute warm-up before the ceremony.
If you are planning a Los Angeles wedding and want the session and the wedding shot by one team — photography and cinematic film under one roof — I would love to hear about your day. Call or text 818.749.7039, or take a look at the work at ConneryFilm.com and tell me where you are getting married. Even if you just want a straight answer about timing or budget, I am happy to talk it through.
Meet the Author: Connery Davoodian Hello, I'm Connery Davoodian, the visionary behind ConneryFilm, and I'm thrilled to share insights from my 17-year journey through the world of wedding photography and videography. My passion extends beyond simply capturing images; it's about artfully weaving your unique love story into a timeless, cinematic masterpiece. My artistic path began long before I ever picked up a camera, deeply rooted in music as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. This diverse background in directing, producing, and editing has cultivated a unique perspective, allowing me to approach each wedding not just as an event, but as a dynamic narrative waiting to be beautifully told. This blend of technical mastery and creative storytelling is the heartbeat of ConneryFilm, ensuring that every frame, every shot, and every film is infused with depth, emotion, and unparalleled artistic integrity. At ConneryFilm, we believe your wedding memories deserve nothing less than bespoke luxury. My philosophy centers on capturing the authentic, unscripted moments – the genuine smiles, the tender glances, the joyful laughter – that truly define your day. While we obsess over exquisite details and sophisticated aesthetics, our true joy comes from making you feel completely at ease, like a "friendor" who genuinely celebrates alongside you. This calm, organized presence allows your true personalities to shine, resulting in images and films that are as real and vibrant as your love itself. Based in the heart of Los Angeles, California, my team and I are privileged to serve couples across the globe, bringing our signature high-end wedding photography and videography to destination weddings worldwide. Through these blog posts, I aim to share invaluable insights, luxurious inspiration, and practical, fun advice to guide you through your wedding planning journey, helping you make informed decisions about preserving your most cherished moments. Thank you for trusting ConneryFilm to be a part of your extraordinary adventure. I'm excited to share my knowledge and passion with you, helping you create memories that will last forever.