Studio Gabriel

Pre-Wedding & Engagement Photography

Couple walking hand in hand under pink bougainvillea in a stone village lane

A pre-wedding shoot is a relaxed photo session for the two of you, a little while before your wedding. Some couples call it an engagement shoot, some call it a save the date shoot — it’s the same idea: time together somewhere you love in Cyprus, with no schedule to keep and no guests watching.

It’s one of our favourite things to photograph, because it shows couples the way they really are before the wedding day gets busy.

Why couples do a pre-wedding shoot

  • You get used to the camera. If you’re nervous about being photographed, this is the best cure there is. By your wedding day we’re not strangers, and you already know how natural you look.
  • Photos for your save the dates and invitations. Pre-wedding photos are made for save the date cards, invitations, a welcome sign at the wedding or the announcement you share with friends.
  • Photos that look like everyday you. Your own clothes, your own style, a place that means something to you — a different kind of photograph from the wedding day itself.
Woman in a red dress leading her fiance down an old town street by the hand

Where we can shoot

Almost anywhere that feels like you. Cyprus gives us a lot to work with: stone village lanes covered in bougainvillea, old town streets, green fields in spring, the coast at sunset. It doesn’t have to be postcard scenery either — your favourite café, or the bar where you had your first date, can make for the most personal photographs of all.

Couple walking hand in hand through a green wheat field
Couple leaning in close at a bar during their pre-wedding shoot

In summer, early morning or the last couple of hours before sunset give the softest light and the most comfortable temperatures. In spring and autumn there’s more freedom to shoot through the day.

How it feels on the day

No stiff posing. We walk, talk and give you simple prompts — hold hands, walk towards us, tell each other something that makes you laugh — and photograph what happens in between. It’s the same approach we take on wedding days, which is exactly why a pre-wedding shoot is such good practice. We explain it in more detail in how to get natural, candid wedding photos without feeling awkward.

Couple embracing and smiling in a narrow stone lane lined with plants

What to wear

  • Something you feel like yourselves in. If it isn’t comfortable, it will show.
  • Colours that sit well together rather than matching exactly.
  • Avoid big logos and busy slogans, which pull attention away from you.
  • Shoes you can walk in, even if you bring nicer ones to change into for a few photos.
  • If you’d like two looks — one relaxed, one dressed up — bring a second outfit.
Couple dressed in white walking hand in hand down a lane past red trees

Recent pre-wedding shoots

A few of the couples we’ve photographed before their weddings — each one a different place, a different mood and a different way of being together.

Village lanes, green velvet

Woman in a green velvet dress beside pink bougainvillea and a blue wall
Couple dipping into a kiss in a narrow blue village lane
Couple standing close together, foreheads almost touching
Couple holding hands in front of a weathered wooden door
Couple walking hand in hand past a cafe in an old stone street
Woman in green velvet standing under a vine arch in a stone lane
Couple sitting together on stone steps among potted plants
Close-up of a couple, her hand resting on his chest

Old town in red

Couple walking hand in hand down an old town street
Woman in a red dress sitting on a bar stool
Couple embracing, her arms around his neck
Woman in a red dress standing in an old red telephone box
Couple running hand in hand past an orange wall
Couple walking hand in hand past a graffiti wall
Couple laughing close together against a wooden wall
Couple reaching for each other's hands across a square

Bougainvillea and stone

Couple laughing together on a bench against a stone wall
Woman in a white dress walking under bougainvillea in a stone lane
Couple leaning in close among green plants
Her hand resting on his back as they embrace
Couple laughing together in front of an old door
Close-up of a couple, her hand on his face
Couple running hand in hand past a blue shopfront
Man lifting her up for a kiss in a narrow village street

A night at the bar

Couple sitting close together on bar stools
Motion-blurred kiss in warm bar light
Couple leaning together at the bar under hanging glasses
Couple dancing close in a wood-panelled bar
Couple sitting close together on the floor of the bar
Couple playing pool at a red pool table
Woman in a red satin dress posing on the bar stairs beside him
Couple laughing in the street at night

Wheat fields and wildflowers

Couple embracing in warm evening light
Couple laughing together in a wheat field
Couple embracing by the sea
Woman smiling back at him in a field of wildflowers
Man dipping her for a kiss in a green wheat field

A lane of red trees

Double exposure of a couple's hands over a hillside
Man lifting her on old stone steps among red trees

Questions couples ask

Is a pre-wedding shoot the same as an engagement shoot?

Yes. Pre-wedding shoot, engagement shoot and save the date shoot all describe the same thing: a relaxed photo session for the two of you before the wedding.

When should we do it?

If you want the photos for save the dates or invitations, plan it a few months before the wedding so you have time to print and send them. If it’s mainly about getting comfortable with the camera, any time before the day works.

We’re awkward in photos. Is it still worth it?

That’s exactly who it’s for. Most couples who say they’re awkward relax within the first few minutes of walking and talking together.

Can we choose our own location?

Of course. Tell us about the places that mean something to you and we’ll help you pick the one that works best for the light and time of day.

Couple walking hand in hand along a village street with red flowers

Plan your pre-wedding shoot

Have a look at more of our work on the photography page, then get in touch with your wedding date and the kind of place you have in mind. We answer every enquiry ourselves.