Wedding Wednesdays with Em Series | Lynchburg Wedding Photographer
Bridal portraits hold such a special place in my heart. When I decided to niche down to just offer weddings and engagement sessions I almost gave up these portraits too. However, I remember how my wedding photographers made me feel during my bridal portraits (Adam & Sarah Mullins of The Mullins Photo Co). Knowing how beautiful and bridal I felt during those portraits, I just couldn’t deny my brides the same experience!
A bridal portrait session is one that is scheduled before the wedding day. They are typically done outside at a wedding venue, local public location, or maybe even a destination location. This may sound risky to bring your wedding dress out in the world before the wedding day but typically this session is done far enough in advance to where if something does happen, it can be professionally cleaned and steamed in time for the wedding. We don’t get too crazy though and I have yet to have a dress that needed to be cleaned after the session.
This session is an add on to the EHP Wedding Experience but over half of my brides book this session! So today I wanted to list my top 4 reasons you need a bridal portrait session and next week I will be sharing tips for your bridal portrait session. So stay tuned for part 2!
Reason #1 : Trial Run
This is the perfect excuse to put your wedding dress on and do a complete bridal trial of your: hair, makeup, spray tan, accessories, practice walking in your dress, etc. I have actually had a few brides tweak their bridal look after these portraits. After looking at their images, one bride’s spray tan was a bit too orange on her and one bride’s hair wasn’t quite what she wanted.
This helped out tremendously because they ended up ordering extensions to get the look they wanted! These little details can’t really be fixed on the wedding day (especially the orange skin tone) so I am glad these portraits served a good purpose!
Reason #2: More Photos in Your Dress
Another reason to do bridal portraits is you have more time for portraits in your dress which means more photos! On the wedding day you may only have time for 5 minutes worth of portraits in your wedding dress. I know that sounds harsh but things happen, timelines get messed up, and the pre-ceremony prep time just flies by. So little parts of the wedding day like 15 minutes worth of bridal portraits have to suffer because of it.
With how much dresses cost, I want you to have several portraits of you in your beautiful gown! This session gives you an entire hour of gorgeous portraits providing you with an ample selection for prints, albums, etc. Which brings me to my next reason for these portraits….
Reason #3: Gifts for Moms, Grandmothers, & (future) Family
These images make for great gifts for family and heirlooms for your future family. Bridal portraits are the perfect gift for moms, grandmas, and your new husband! So many of our brides that book this session print these photos for their homes and family. Often times, we help our bride order canvases for their reception to display next to the gifts table or guest book table as décor.
Whether you print them for wallets or canvases on the wall, these images are sure to be an heirloom for your future family. Our online gallery company includes access to professional printing companies to order directly through the gallery so that family and friends can buy prints easily!
Reason #4: Time with Me & Finalize Details
Last but not least, this time with me, your wedding photographer, only strengthens our friendship and trust to photograph your wedding day! I enjoy hanging out with my brides outside of the wedding planning and LOVE having this time with just us girls! I also have the freedom to get creative with these bridal portraits since this session is so laid back. These are often the photos that get published in magazines too!
This is also the last time you will see me in person before the big day! If you’re like me and talk with your hands, sometimes it’s easier to talk in person about the timeline, family formals, and any other wedding details. This time with me has been known to ease minds especially if your mom or bridesmaids are there with questions. So utilize this time to feel more secure about the game plan for your wedding day.
Let me know if this changed your mind about bridal portraits in the comments! What questions do you have about bridal portraits? Next week I will be sharing some tips that may come in handy as you plan your bridal portrait session. So stay tuned for next week!
Until next time,
Emily
Learn more about our services here!
Hey there, I’m Emily! James, and I are a husband and wife wedding photography team based in Lynchburg, Virginia. We specialize in weddings and engagements and serve Virginia, DC Area, South Carolina, and beyond!
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