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So what is a bridal portrait session?

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Bridal portraits are a Southern staple. While bridal portraits are a long-standing tradition, they have evolved over the years.

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Having a bridal portrait session with your photographer is a great way to get wonderful pictures of your wedding gown, do a trial run with your hair & makeup artists and florist, and keep pace with a long-standing tradition.  

 

A bridal portrait session is taken usually a few months before the wedding... we spend around two hours together at your favorite location. The bride has a trial run for her hair & makeup, and gets dressed as if it was her wedding day! This is the moms’ favorite part because with the Southern tradition the portrait that is typically displayed on canvas at the wedding reception is then given to the parents of the bride! {A great display over the fireplace}

         A few things to consider:

 

You should have your bridal portraits taken 4-6 weeks before your wedding if possible.  All of the final alterations on your dress should be finished and it also leaves plenty of time to have your favorite portrait printed and framed to display at your reception. Your wedding venue is a really great spot to have your bridal portraits taken because there will be sentimental value.  You can also travel to other locations around the city that you like but won't be able to get to on your wedding day.

 

  • Weddings are an uncontrolled event that follows a strict timeline. It is very important that your photographer sticks to your wedding timeline so that all of your wedding festivities stay on schedule. This means that your photographer is going to have to move relatively quickly to capture all of the photos on your wedding shot list. Having bridal portraits taken before your wedding will allow your photographer to spend more time on the shoot. They will be able to take their time, takes tons of photos, and give you plenty of options to choose from. 

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  • Make sure to schedule your hair and makeup trial the same day as your bridal portraits. In most cases, the artist that you’ve chosen for your wedding day hair and make-up services often includes this in their packages.                                                       

  • Ask your florist for a smaller bridal bouquet for your bridal portraits. I think it a great idea to include your bouquet in some of your photos. It will add more variety and style.                                                                                                                                            

  • Having your bridal portraits taken before your wedding gives you so much more flexibility. On your wedding day, your photographer will be somewhat limited with where they can photograph you -- they will want to keep you hidden from guests and from your groom before the wedding. If you have your bridal portraits taken before your wedding, you can take full advantage of your entire wedding venue. Your photos will have so much more diversity to them. You can also have your photos taken somewhere other than your wedding venue if you would like. You just have so many more options!                                                                                                              

  • You will feel so much more at ease posing for photos on your wedding day if you have bridal portraits taken before hand. By that time you will have a better idea of what to expect and know which poses are most flattering. You will also probably feel more comfortable working with me.                                                                                                                                                      

  • You will also receive your photos way before the wedding and will be able to see exactly how it will all photograph                      

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