The pre-wedding session

Almost every couple says the same thing at the start: "we don't know how to pose". Nobody is comfortable before a camera the first time. The problem arises when that first time is the wedding day, which offers no second chance.

Is it worth it?

Yes, and not so much for the session's images as for those of the wedding day. It is a rehearsal. The first twenty minutes of any session feel stiff, and the warm light at the end of the day lasts barely forty minutes. Spending those twenty minutes on that day means losing half of the best light.

In an hour and a half, three useful things happen:

• Shyness disappears, better on any Tuesday than on the wedding day.
• You see us at work: how we speak, how close we come, when we withdraw.
• We learn how to look at you: your favourable side, your gestures, how you laugh together.

How it unfolds

Without directing and without learnt poses. It is a walk: you stroll, you talk, and now and then we suggest something. It lasts an hour and a half, towards the end of the afternoon, with the sun low. The place matters less than it seems: one you have a bond with always works better than the viewpoint appearing in every session. If you are unsure, we propose one.

Before you go: permits, opening hours and logistics

Before choosing the place, it helps to know that Madrid City Council has an office that authorises "film shoots, broadcasts and photographic reports" on public roads, open spaces and public parks, and that it sees people by appointment only. If the idea is more than a walk with a camera, ask there which procedure applies to your session.

• Park hours: the Retiro opens 6:00 to 24:00 from April to September, and 6:00 to 22:00 from October to March.
• Meeting point: choose a gate or a specific spot, not "in the park": a large park takes time to cross.
• Water and comfortable shoes; the rest goes in your photographer's bag.

What to do with the images afterwards

If you plan to use them for the invitation or the welcome sign, say so beforehand: an image with free space for text is chosen during the session, not after. Ask also for the delivery time in writing.

What the images are for

• Invitations and save-the-date notices.
• The projection or sign at the banquet.
• And, frequently, the one photograph of the two of you that will hang at home before the wedding.

Is it necessary to hire us for the wedding too?

No. It can be a standalone session, or one made after the wedding. But if the wedding has already been entrusted to us, it is the investment of greatest return: it improves the images of the main day, which are the ones that truly matter.

Estimate

It is prepared to measure and in writing. Tell us an approximate date, whether you already have a venue, and whether the session stands alone or accompanies the wedding.