Bridal Portraits: Why They’re Worth it

5/15/17

Filed in : Bridal, LG Tips

While most brides understand the importance of beautiful wedding photography and jump at the chance at taking engagement photos, some hesitate before scheduling a bridal portrait session.

“Won’t I have enough photos of me in my dress on my wedding day?”

“Is it worth putting in the time to have these portraits taken?”

These are valid questions. It’s normal to have a TON of questions while you’re planning your wedding.

I’ve photographed many weddings and was recently a bride myself, so let me tell you why I’ve never seen a bride regret taking bridal portraits! I’ve only seen brides have an amazing time and LOVE the extra photo time!

A perfect hair & makeup test run

One of the biggest benefits to taking bridal portraits before your wedding is having the opportunity to test out the hair and makeup styles you plan to wear on your wedding day. Most people don’t often have their hair and makeup professionally styled, and it may be hard to imagine what will look best.. Now is your chance to see the options and work with a professional to decide what will look amazing on you!

It’s also a great time to meet your hair and makeup artist and get to know how they work. When working with larger companies, request to work with the same artist for your bridal portraits who will be at your wedding. This will ensure that person has a practice round with your hair and can remember what you liked best.

Surrounding yourself with friendly familiar faces on your wedding day is a great thing, even when it comes to your vendors, so building a relationship with your hair and makeup artist is a huge plus!

Most common changes made after a bridal session:

My hair needs to hold up better to wind. (#1 change!)
My makeup needs to hold up better to heat.
My shoes are not very comfortable. I’ll need to switch after the ceremony.
I want my makeup to look more dramatic/ less dramatic.
I want to switch lip colors.
My veil is kinda of difficult to wear. Maybe I’ll only wear it for a small part of the day.

Your photos will make the best decorations

Nothing makes me happier than walking into a wedding reception to find a huge bridal portrait print! And I’m not the only one… your guests will LOVE it too.

Remember that your guests will have only seen your dress during the ceremony, and for most of that time, they’ve been looking at your side or your back. Walking into a reception to find a stunning portrait of you in an amazing location will WOW your guests, and your groom!

You’ll figure out how to wear your dress comfortably

Before your bridals, you’ll have only worn your dress a few times; in the store and at fitting appointments. These portraits are the first time you’ll wear your dress for an extended period of time, walking around outdoors and on a variety of surfaces.

This gives you the chance to get comfortable moving around. You may also decide that your shoes are too tall, too short, or too uncomfortable to wear for a whole day.

You’ll get to wear your dress more than once

This one is a big deal! Your wedding dress is probably one of the most elaborate and expensive pieces of clothing you’ll ever own, so why limit yourself to wearing it only one time?

Extra Tip – The best time to take your bridal portraits is 1 to 1.5 months before your wedding. At that time, your dress alterations should be wrapped up, but there is still time to make small changes. You’ll also have time to reschedule in case of rain and still have time to get your photos back and printed before your wedding.

Your photographer will make you look great

Your photographer will help you get comfortable being photographed in your dress, and will find the poses and angles that make you look the best. This will save valuable time on your wedding day! Instead of experimenting with angles, you will both know exactly what looked amazing in your wedding photos.

Your photographer will also already know what features of your dress are your favorite. They’ll be able to jump right in and focus on those details.

Extra Tip – Bring a family member or bridesmaid along to help out! Make sure they’re someone who will make the experience even more fun and be a supportive and encouraging (not critical or judgemental) presence during your session.

There’s NO pressure or stress!

Lastly, being in your wedding dress and hanging out in a cool location is really fun! Like I said, I’ve never seen a bride regret taking bridal portraits.

Remember that there is no pressure at all to be “perfect”! This time is all about experimenting. So take a few extra minutes getting your hair done to really discover what you like the best. Ask to try out fancy poses, and don’t be afraid to choose your dream location, whether that be your venue or not. Bridal portraits are all about you!

Have questions about bridal portraits?? Send me a message!