5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Bridal Session | Bridal Portraits

Bridal portraits are a wonderful time where a bride gets the chance to try on her wedding dress and pose for the camera long before her wedding day actually comes. And, they’re actually pretty important to the entire wedding planning process too! Bridal sessions are essentially a trial run for your wedding day. It’s a great way to see everything come together, and a great opportunity to make changes if they’re needed! So here’s four ways to make the most of your bridals!

Hair and Makeup trials

You’ll find that most people schedule their Hair and Makeup trial run on the same day as their bridal portraits. Hair and Makeup artists usually want to do a trial run to make sure they have your look perfect! So, you might as well make good use of that time! Schedule your bridal portraits the same day as your Hair and Makeup trial run and you’ll get the most out of the day by getting great pictures with you looking your absolute best! 

You are (almost) all you need 

I often tell brides not to overdo it. You do not need to bring much to your bridal session! You will need your dress, veil, jewelry and possibly your shoes. But, even those are optional. Additionally, most florists will do a smaller version of your bridal bouquet. So, if you plan for this to occur on the same day as your bridal portraits, you can get some amazing shots! I recommend trying to bring the bouquet because it gives a bride something to do with her hands while she’s getting her pictures taken, and it makes them extra beautiful.

Location, location, location 

I tell brides at this stage in their wedding planning, it’s time to take a moment, slow down, and pick somewhere where you’ll get great bridal photos. Many people like to choose the wedding venue and most venues are totally up for people getting their bridals done! And that’s something I do, I communicate with the venue and try to help report any fees and scheduling conflicts that may arise. But ultimately, location is key – lighting, space etc. You can try and find a location which will help your bridal dress stand out. Or, we can go to an awesome location you always wanted to go to! It’s totally up to you!

Bring someone to help you

Bringing someone with you to help out this day is always a great idea! Maybe it’s your mother or sister or maybe even your maid of honor. Regardless of who it is, it should be someone you feel comfortable with and will be a good person to hype you up for your session! This helps you relax and get comfortable. And, an extra pair of hands for holding things or for fluffing your train and fixing stray hairs is always useful. And, it’s also the moms who love to receive bridal portraits! Those are the photos they’re excited to print and show off to their friends. Bringing your mom is a great way to include and bring her into the process, and make it a special thing!

Have fun

Overall, remember to have fun! A bridal portrait session is a great way for things to slow down in the wedding process and for you to have fun with it. You get to hang out and dance around in your wedding dress! Bridal portraits are a way for you to have an extra day and soak it all in. And, a great way to relax, have fun, and enjoy the wedding planning process. 

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Emily Quigley is a wedding, engagement and newborn photographer in Northwest Arkansas. She’s been featured in Glamor and Grace, Aisle Society and several other online websites. Click here to get your booking today!

If you liked this blog post, check out some of my others:
Scenic Wedding in Ponca, AR (Christina + Joshua)
Gateley Hill Gardens Bridal Editorial Shoot
Engagement Session Styling Tips for Men
Engagement Session Styling Tips for Her
Tanyard Creek Engagement Session (Jillian + Craig)