Today we are uncovering F I V E reasons why you should book a bridal session before your wedding. If you are a bride, chances are you are wondering, “what is a bridal session?” or “won’t I get photos of just myself on the wedding day?” and I am here to answer all of those questions and to encourage you to consider adding it on to your package.
So what the heck is a bridal session? Bridal sessions are said to have originated in Europe but were quickly adopted as a southern tradition. This portrait session usually takes places a couple months before the wedding day and the bride schedules her hair and makeup trial, has her florist mock up a bouquet, and slips her dress on one last time before the vows. Don’t worry, they are always kept secret until after the wedding ceremony.
Typically you will find an image or two printed and displayed at the reception near the wedding cake or guest book. Now you know an overview of what a bridal portrait session is, so let’s uncover a few reasons why you might consider booking one!
1. Flowers, hair and makeup trial
Chances are you will schedule a hair and makeup trial before you make your way down the aisle. Scheduling your bridal session on the same day is the perfect opportunity to put your entire look together for the first time before the wedding day. This can definitely reduce stress and help you decide whether or not you want to make a change to your final bridal look: go for airbrush makeup vs traditional, make final tweaks to your hair style, etc.
This is also the perfect time to schedule a meeting with your florist to see the shape, color, and texture of your bouquet and make any last minute changes to it as well.
2. Trying on your dress
You’ve tried on the dress multiple times throughout alterations and it looks perfect, but does it feel perfect? This is your chance to wear it longer than 15 minutes, move around in it, and to determine if any last minute adjustments need to be made so that it feels as good as it looks.
3. They are totally stress free
“Won’t I get bridal portraits on the day of the wedding?” — it’s a common question that comes up during wedding consultations. And while we do get portraits of just you in your dress on the wedding day, the truth is, you may not get as many as you would during a bridal session because of time restraints. Even the most perfectly planned wedding can get a bit chaotic. Since wedding-day bridal portraits are often taken during those crunch-time moments— just before leaving for the ceremony or right ahead of the reception, during couples photos— relying solely on wedding-day bridal portraits may leave you feeling rushed.
Bridal portraits before the wedding day takes some of that stress off of the day and ensures that you will have all of the images you could possibly want of just you in your gorgeous dress. It also allows for tons of creativity, variety, and flexibility on the photographer’s side of things!
4. Location options are endless
There’s no rule that says you have to take your bridal portraits at your venue, unless you want to! Having a bridal session gives you freedom to do exactly what you want, where you want. Want a destination bridal session? My passport is READY! We can even plan them around weather trends and seasons if you want blossoming trees, beautiful botanical gardens, etc. The options are endless— let’s create something beautiful together!
5. Gifts for parents/grandparents
Bridal portrait prints make the best gifts for moms and dads, grandparents, or whoever is closest to your heart. You are creating heirlooms — something that will likely be passed down for generations to come. You can’t say no to that!
So that’s it ladies! I hope that you now have a clear understanding of what bridal portraits are and what an amazing opportunity it is to create beautiful imagery of you in your gown before the wedding day. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you’re interested in adding a bridal portrait session on to your wedding package!
