Engagement Photography, Charlotte NC

In the post-engagement rush, finding the right wedding photographer ranks right up there on the list of priorities with booking the right wedding venue and reception site. Normally, my clients contact me just after they’ve finalized those two choices, and I’m often booked a year to eighteen months in advance. We’re lucky in the South to have an extended peak season for weddings, but prime dates in the Spring and Fall are in high demand. Once you’ve booked Piper Warlick Photography, we’ll get the ball rolling quickly.

From the moment we meet until I hand over your images, my approach to everything I do can be summed up in one word: intimate. I want to know who you are, what you want, and what you need from me. I learn some of this over the phone, some of it during the engagement shoot, and some of it over drinks (on me, of course).

Engagement sessions are invaluable to me. These are the moments when I finally get some time to spend with the couple and learn a bit more about them—not necessarily about the details of their life together, but about the unspoken dynamic between them. Are they naturally touchy or more reserved? Do they wear their hearts on their sleeves, or do they need to be drawn out a little bit? What’s their level of comfort with being in front of a camera? In short, all of the things I need to know to expect on the wedding day.

This is also where I start forming my personal relationships with the couple, and it is the rapport we form over the phone, during the engagement session, and during our pre-wedding happy hour date that allows be to serve my clients so effectively and personally. Once the initial photo-shoot jitters wear off, I start to hear the funny stories and to learn what makes these people tick both as individuals and as a couple. I want to understand—in at least some basic way—the way your families work. Who gets along? Who doesn’t? What are the relationship dynamics I need to respect? Why is your Uncle Harry wearing a green leisure suit at the wedding? You know, that kind of thing.

In all seriousness, my intention is to do my job as thoroughly, as artistically, and as respectfully as I possibly can. In the days before a wedding, I memorize the names of your family members, make sure I know each and every special image you hope to come away with, and check and then re-check my final shooting list. My goal is for you to be able to relax into your special day without having to worry about your photography in any way.

I look forward to sitting down with you soon to discuss your plans, and to start getting to know you as a couple. Once we’ve established that baseline, I can really get to work.