Your bridal portrait session is a very important part of your wedding day preparations. Its obvious main purpose is to take amazing pictures of you in your wedding dress. However, what you will find out is that it’s also a great dress rehearsal for your wedding day. You will have to prepare for your bridal session just like you will on your wedding day. This is a much better time to find out what works and what doesn’t than on your big day with a ceremony just hours away. Here are a few things I have learned from shooting bridal sessions for over 15 years.

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Have your hair and makeup professionally done

Professional hair and makeup does make a huge difference in your images.  You will be getting hit by flashes, reflected sunlight, and the elements.  Professional hair and makeup will stand up and look great in your images.

Get some sun (or get sprayed)

Just like makeup, a nice tan will do wonders for you in front of the camera.  The bright light needed to make striking images can also easily blow out pale skin tones. If you do decide on a spray tan, try it out well before your scheduled shoot.  There are different tones available and you should be familiar with the results before your shoot.

Have a bouquet made

We will not use it in every shot but it is an important part of your bridal images.

Bring two pairs of shoes

You will need your dress shoes; especially if the hem on your dress is altered based on the height of the heels.  However, those dress shoes can be uncomfortable so bring some comfy shoes like flip flops just in case.

Bring a friend

Have someone there who can help you with anything you might need.  You will be busy making great images and it’s helpful to have someone who knows you and will support you.  The more comfortable you are, the easier it is to get great shots.

Make a change

Most of the venues we shoot at do not have a place for you to change into your dress.  So, you will need to come to your shoot in your dress.  There are a few that have hotels close by where you can change but get with us for more information if traveling in your dress just won’t work.

Schedule your session early

We don’t want to shoot your images too far out from your wedding date.  Not that you’ll do this, but, brides have a tendency to change hair color or length, or, drop a few pounds before their wedding day.  We want you to look the same in your bridal portrait as you do on your wedding day.  We suggest shooting your images no more than eight weeks before your wedding day.  But, get it scheduled as early as possible to get the best dates.  Generally speaking, we do not shoot bridals on the weekend.  There are two reasons for this.  One is that we are shooting weddings on the weekend.  We are dedicated to our wedding day clients and want to show up at our weddings with unbridled  energy and fresh equipment.  We can’t do that if we have been shooting all morning.  The second reason is that many locations are so crowded on the weekends that it’s almost impossible to get the shots we need.  For example, the Dallas Arboretum is a great place to shoot; during the week.  Go on a Saturday or Sunday and you’re buried in a sea of people who will end up being backdrops to your otherwise beautiful images.

Contact us via the CONTACT link if you have more questions or would like to schedule a session.