A stunning engagement photoshoot in London

We always recommend that you have an engagement photoshoot with your photographer before the big day. You can learn to relax in front of the camera and have fun, and that way you can get the most out of your big day photographs. We chat with our very own Pippa Ward, who recently had an engagement shoot from the master of wedding photography Damien Lovegrove. Over to you, Pippa…

A romantic proposal

After the very romantic proposal, on a gondola in Venice last December, we are now full speed ahead planning our wedding, which is set to take place on the beautiful island of Antigua next February at The St James’s Club Resort. We are now into the 10-month countdown and we cant wait!

When we were offered an engagement shoot with Damien Lovegrove from LoveGrove Weddings to celebrate our engagement. We were absolutely thrilled and couldn’t believe our luck! We both love the chance to have a good pose but when it comes to being photographed for your wedding this is a completely different matter. So to get the chance to have time in front of a camera with a professional photographer before the big day was incredible and something I would recommend to anyone.

The photoshoot

The first, and of course, biggest worry was ‘what to wear?’ with the English weather being so changeable. I was in a mad panic worrying whether I will be wrapped up in a coat or not! We were actually very lucky to have some sunshine so we both opted for a jacket and jeans that complemented each other. I also brought along a scarf, sunglasses and a fur gilet so I had a couple of options to change throughout the shoot. I also took some flat pumps so I had something comfortable to wear while we were walking around to find good spots for pictures.

The shoot took place in the back streets of St Paul’s in London, you can see the cathedral in the background of a couple of the shots. Although Damien had been to the area and knew what he wanted to achieve we enjoyed wandering around the streets looking for picture perfect spots to capture a moment, we even came across a parked up bike so I jumped on for a quick photo opportunity! You will also see a lovely gentlemen dressed up in his Sunday best, we couldn’t resist joining him on his bench for a quick snap.

We had never done this before so we were nervous to start but Damien put us at ease completely from the first shot, he directed us in to the right positions and made it fun. He made us feel good about how we looked and he made it fun! We almost forgot we were being photographed some of the time! Some shots are quite close and probably look like we were really making out, but we were trying not to laugh! After a while and enjoyed the chance to have a little moment together.

Top tips for an engagement shoot

Dress for the weather. Sometimes you are stood around waiting for lighting and cameras to be set up, so bring something to keep you warm even if you aren’t going to wear it in the shots and talk to each other because it’s good to have colours that complement.

Invest in professional make-up. I had my make-up done before the shoot by the lovely Makeup By Ana. Definitely well worth it, my skin looked flawless even in daylight!

Bring some additional accessories with you (scarf, sunglasses etc) but remember you will be carrying these around so pack carefully.

Bring a pair of flat shoes because you may do a bit of walking around to find the best locations.

Relax and have fun! This was one of the best days we have had. We really enjoyed working with our photographer and now feel so much more confident in front of the camera together.

Pippa and Chris’ engagement photoshoot gallery