Engagement photo sessions aren’t just about getting close with your fiancé. They’re also about building a relationship with your wedding photographer prior to the big day. “On your wedding day, you’re going to have a person show up to your getting-ready rooms while you’re in your robe with no bra or your boxers watching TV.

They will be snapping photos all day and being a part of your most intimate and private moments with your new spouse,” says photographer Whitney Stark of Les Petits Bijoux Photography who captured these photos of Leslie Dupré and Nelson Bean in New York City. “When you do an engagement session, you can learn your photographer’s posing style, editing style and personality,” Stark says. “This is so important when it comes to the wedding day.”

She suggests getting creative with the destination, attire and formality of engagement photos in order to ensure that the gallery allows your personality as a couple to shine through. “These are going to be more carefree, silly, unique, truly whatever you want them to be,” she says. “Do it on a vacation, make a weekend trip or do it right from your own home.”