What is a Bridal Session?

Something that wedding photographers often take for granted is that brides and grooms don’t know all the ins and outs of wedding tradition! For example, when I began meeting with couples for their wedding photography consults, I would start by getting to know them and would ask what services they most wanted. As I would walk them through the various services I usually offer, almost every time we’d stop at the words “bridal session.” And then I’d be met with either an enthusiastic nod, or a totally blank stare! I assumed everyone knew about bridal sessions, but I’ve since learned that’s definitely not the case! So today I want to answer just that: “What is a bridal session, and why should I schedule one?”

What is a bridal session?

a Bridal Session is a time for only the Bride to get dolled up in her wedding dress and have solo portraits taken. And when you schedule one of these sessions, you have the opportunity to wear that beautiful gown more than once! If you’re a little girl at heart like I am, then you know you’ll make an excuse to play dress-up. You have so much freedom to style the shoot how you want and you could even incorporate something into the shoot that may be very personal or intimate. A lot of brides use this as an opportunity to schedule their hair/makeup trial to make sure they’ve found the right look. I will use full discretion, of course, so your husband-to-be doesn’t accidentally see the pictures of you in your dress before the big day! And this isn’t just for the brides-to-be. This is for the Mrs. who may have gotten married recently and wants to bask in bridal glory a little longer. Or for the brides who didn’t get the images they wanted during their wedding day. Why should I schedule a bridal portrait session?

Deciding whether or not you want to have your “bridals” done (that’s industry speak) is purely a matter of personal choice! But I do think it’s important to learn about the reasons why a bridal session can be very beneficial. Then, you can decide for yourself whether it makes sense for you! So, what are some great reasons as to why you should schedule a bridal portrait session?

• Decide whether you want to change anything about your final look – One of the best parts about a bridal session is that you have the opportunity to see all of the elements put together. It’s not only exciting to see how gorgeous your hair and makeup look with your dress, but it also gives you the opportunity to tweak anything that doesn’t look the way you imagined. After I got my hair and make-up trials done, I came back home, put on my bum clothes and watched The Office. If I planned a little better, a bridal shoot could have allowed me to take full advantage of all the pretty. It’s basically a full test run for your day-of look.
• Bridal portraits give you a bit more posing practice – Much like your engagement session, your bridal session will give you more one-on-one time with your photographer. You also get the chance to practice moving AND posing in your wedding dress. When the big day arrives, you’ll be a pro!

Capture beautiful, stress-free bridal portraits – Scheduling a bridal session is the perfect time to capture photos of you all glammed up.  You’ll still have photos taken of just you on your wedding day, but this is a chance to get extra special photos without being worried about your timeline. Plus, I personally think it’s a lot of fun!

By now you should have a better understanding of just what is a bridal session as well as some reasons why you might choose to have them done.  Or, maybe you’re a little less confused about this old Southern tradition – if that’s the case, great!  Either way, bridal portraits are just another way to capture memories of an absolutely beautiful season of life, so have fun and enjoy yourself!