I normally do my Engagement Shoots or Wedding Pre Shoots with couples only, me, the bride to be and bridegroom to be, however occasionally I get asked about combining the event into something of a family styled shoot – and thats just fine. Its always good to just spend some time getting to know the couple instead of having too many distractions, but if kids are around, it seems important to get them involved too. On this occasion I had spent a good amount of time previously with the couple getting to know each other one evening, so when it came around to shooting some frames ahead of their wedding in a few weeks time, it was cool to be introduced and get to know their two children a little.
For the most part I think of this scenario as just allowing them to get on with a few activities and observing and documenting from a distance initially and then a little more intimately as we go on, whether that be walking, building sand castles, collecting rocks, or throwing stones in the sea.
We even managed to shoot for a few minutes without the kids, with them happily playing a few meters from where you’ll see the pictures of just the couple below.
Hope you like these frames, shot on a Cornish beach not far from where I live. The couple were down in Cornwall visiting their wedding venue which will be at the Rosevine not too long from now. :)
– by Barney Walters
