Why Should You Book a Bridal Portrait Session?
When planning out your wedding photography, one of the sessions usually offered and included in wedding packages is a bridal portrait session. During this session, the bride gets to dress up in her wedding dress and have professional photos taken in a more relaxed setting. These days, this type of session may seem unnecessary and old-fashioned, but there are several reasons why having a bridal portrait session can make a huge difference in your photography experience and for your actual wedding day!
Benefits:
A bridal portrait session allows you to get comfortable in your wedding dress. Most brides don't get to wear their wedding dresses until the actual wedding day, so having a bridal portrait session allows them to get comfortable with the dress and identify any specific areas that may need alteration before the big day. It allows you to move around in your dress so that you get familiar with how heavy it is and how you are able to move in it!
A bridal portrait session allows you to get comfortable in front of the camera. If you did not have an engagement portrait session with your photographer, a bridal portrait session is a great way for you to get to know each other! This is especially important for brides who may not have had professional photos taken before. The photographer can use this session to learn what your best poses and angles are, how to arrange your dress, and develop that rapport that will make the wedding day photography run more smoothly!
A bridal portrait session is a chance to practice your hair and makeup. The bridal portrait session provides an opportunity to experiment with your preferred hair and make-up styles. It gives you a chance to work with your hair and make-up artist to make sure the style is what you want before the actual wedding day.
A bridal portrait session gives you time to break in your shoes. You don’t want the first time you wear your wedding shoes to be when you walk down the aisle. When you wear your shoes to a bridal portrait session, you get the chance to scuff up the bottoms so that they aren’t as slippery, and you can identify any spots that might cause issues for you on your wedding day.
A bridal portrait session gives you a chance to showcase your wedding dress. After all, you have spent hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars on this dress that you will wear for one day. What if it rains on your wedding day and your dress gets wet? What if there is a hiccup in your wedding day schedule and you aren’t able to get as many photos before the ceremony? A bridal portrait session is a dedicated opportunity to capture beautiful images of you at every angle and every detail of your dress. You will end up with a collection of images that you can put on display at your reception and in your home! (And your mom would probably love to have a large print in her home in order to brag on her beautiful daughter!)
A bridal portrait session gives you the chance to explore photo opportunities at your venue. If you are having your bridal portraits made at your wedding venue, it’s a great opportunity to find the spots with the perfect backdrops and settings for portraits on your wedding day. If your portraits are being made around the same time of day as your ceremony, it also gives your photographer a chance to seek out the best lighting and locations, which will save precious time on your wedding day.
Tips:
Be sure to schedule your bridal portrait session at least 6-8 weeks before your wedding. This gives your photographer time to edit your photos, and then you can decide which ones you want to have printed to have on display at your wedding reception!
Make sure your alterations are complete before the bridal portrait session. Then during your session, you can identify any spots that may need tweaking before the big day.
When booking your session, make sure to reach out to your hair and make-up artist(s) to coordinate schedules.
Before your session, ask your florist to create a bouquet for you out of silk or wooden flowers. Then use that bouquet for the toss at your reception! It’s also a great keepsake.
Bring along someone who you are truly comfortable with for your session (mom, friend, aunt, etc.). It can be so much fun, and that person can help fluff your dress, hold your train, and make you smile those genuine smiles!
HAVE FUN!!!
In conclusion, a bridal portrait session provides a wide range of benefits that are worth considering. It provides an opportunity for you to get comfortable in your wedding dress, work with your photographer, explore your wedding venue, experiment with hair and makeup, break in your shoes, and showcase your wedding dress, creating stunning portraits for your home. It's yet another way to capture beautiful memories of one of the most special times in your life!
