We booked with Patken.Do they call you for engagement shoot or do you call them?

You call them for it, when you want to.
I am doing mine with Steve from patken on Tuesday 7/23 (next week).
It is now 10 months untill my wedding, so it's really up to you.
Just be sure to call in advance to make an apointment.

when we booked patken, we were in the studio. we looked at a bunch of wedding albums and of those we picked 2 albums and asked who did these? they told us STEVE, and we wanted him and got him.
I suggest you go there and do the same.
ask me if you have any ore questions.

When we booked Patken, Doug, Vinny & Steve were booked for our date. We weren't familiar with the work of anyone else so we agreed to wait until after the engagement pictures to assign a photograher.

Originally, Doug was going to take them, but when we got there he suggested another photographer do them (since this guy was available on our day if we liked his work) We HATED our pictures - I'm so glad we found that out with the engagement shots rather than the wedding pictures.

Based on our dissatisfaction with those, Doug assigned Vinny (who had become available).

They're some truth to the idea of seeing a good fit once you're in front of the camera, but what if after you take your pictures, there's only 1 guy available. Obviously, he will be your chosen one.

If you went with Patken because you wanted something more creative, call and see if Steve, Vinny or Doug are available on your date (though I think you pay a premium for them)

I posted some 'cropped' versions of proofs Vinny did (under the post 'LisaT - we have the same dress')- we were generally pleased with his work but were hoping for some more 'different shots'.

Thought this might help. Engagement photos are by far the most important step you will take with your photographer, especially an educated one. As those of you know when you look at most brides albums you see various angles of ones face. This shouldn't be, everybody I mean everybody has a better side you might say. Whether it because of a part in the hair or one eye is smaller than the other, or even a bump in the nose . These are things that must and should be easy to detract from them. I like to tell people your engagement shoot is not there to wow you, it is more there to educate the photographer doing the affair as well as see the typee of personality of the subjects. In other words how willing they are to be contemporary or traditional or even a mixture of both. In other words are they flip when we ask them to lay on the ground.It also gives a photographer an idea of how well a subject falls into a pose. Basically I can go on for hours about the importance but there are many important things that this portrait is used for. As far as us calling for an appointment, we usually leave that to each brideto call us at their convenience. My recommendation is to do it in the summer when hopefully you got a nice tan and we can do it next door at a little outdoor lot next to the building. By the way thanks for the compliments it really means alot to me.
Thanks DOug