Engagement Shoot?

I'm a little confused about engagement shoots... I was reading the Mark Kauffman thread below & his clients seem to have their engagement shoot awfully close to their wedding day. However, the photographers we have been speaking with (we are still deciding) suggest an engagement shoot 6 months or so before the wedding so you can have the photos for engagement announcements, etc. I suppose it doesn't really matter, but when are most of you getting this done? Assuming of course you are having a shoot - I know not everyone does it, but we want to so we can give to our parents, etc. Thoughts?

Engagement Shoot vs. Practice Session

What has been called an engagement shoot in the Mark Kaufman thread is acutally a practice session he includes with all packages that helps the bride and groom get comfortable in front of the camera. A traditional engagement shoot should happen when you get engaged!

Engagement Shoot vs. Practice Session

We had a practice session which we called engagement shoot. We can buy the pictures (get to keep the proofs) and it is just what sonicsted said to get comfortable in front of the camera and have some nice perfessional casual pictures of us. An engagement shoot would take closer to the time of the engagement for announcements and such.