The Bridal Session |  Reasons To Have One

Bridals. If you’re a bride to be. You’re asking yourself, what are they? Why do I need one? And my favorite question, why can’t I just do them on the wedding day?  I’m here to tell all the brides, what a bridal session is and the reasons to have one. When I have client consultations I talk about my collections and what I offer. I often get asked when we get to the words “bridal session”, what it is? I decided to write this post in hopes that I can easily answer those questions and convince all the brides to have one! 🙂

The Tradition

Bridals are said to have originated in Europe.  The bridal portraits (or “bridals”) were historically oil paintings of royalty in their bridal regalia and were traditionally commissioned by the bride’s family to commemorate such a special occasion. Before World War II, it was rare to have a photographer at your wedding, so bridal portraits were taken in the photographer’s studio before or after the couple’s wedding. Not long ago, bridals were a rite of passage for Southern debutantes and a family keepsake that was displayed on an easel near the guest book and then hung in the bride’s parents home for years to come.

Brides now opt for outdoor shoots and just indoor. The bride takes portraits typically 1-2 months before the wedding day in her full wedding day attire –hair, makeup, jewelry, veil, shoes, bouquet, and of course, the dress.  These Portraits are always kept a secret until after the wedding ceremony.  Generally a large portrait or two from the session is displayed at the reception near the wedding cake or guestbook.  In many cases the large photo is given as a gift to the Mother of the Bride after the wedding, with smaller photos being given to the Groom and the Father of the Bride, as well.  

Reasons to Have One 

This is the time when the bride schedule hair & makeup, & orders a floral bouquet for the session.  It’s basically a trial run before the actual wedding day.  Without further ado, here’s my top reasons on why every bride should have one scheduled.

1 Flowers, hair and makeup trial

Most all brides schedule a trial run with their hair and makeup artists before the wedding to make final changes to their bridal look.  Scheduling your bridal session on the same day gives you the opportunity to see your whole look pulled together, with veil or no veil, before the big day.  This can definitely reduce stress and gives you an opportunity to decide if you want to make any changes to your bridal look or even decide if you want to do airbrush or traditional makeup.

This is also the perfect time to get together with your florist and talk about your bouquet and see if any changes or colors need to be changed for the actual wedding day.

2 Trying the dress on

You’ve had alterations made. Everything looks perfect, but does it feel perfect?! Bridal Portraits are the best way to find out if any minor changes need to be addressed or minor alterations made before the wedding. Plus, it’s going to let you know if you are going to be comfortable and the best way to walk in your dress on the wedding day!

3 Break in the wedding shoes

Those Jimmy Choos might just need some breaking in before the wedding day. What if the shoes you have already ordered get caught on your dress every time you walk? Bridal sessions are the perfect time to find out.

4 Stress Free

There is a reason why bridal sessions are my favorite! We have fun! You’ll feel beautiful and knowing that the actual wedding day is near will feel even that much more intensely on your bridal portrait day!  You’ll feel comfortable and glad you did it, trust me! As a Dallas Wedding Photographer, I sometimes schedule more bridals than I do engagements.  So if you don’t do an engagement and you don’t do the bridal session, you are likely to feel more stressed on the wedding day because you won’t know hat to expect!

5 Girls day out

Make it a day to remember. Enjoy it. All these things leading up to your wedding day should be memorable! The Bride can bring mom, sister, maid of honor, whomever she likes!! think of this as a pre-bachelorette party!

6 location, location, location

There is no rule that says you have to have your bridal portraits at the wedding venue, unless you want to! Having a bridals sessions gives you the freedom to do exactly what you want! You can even have a destination bridal session!  (My passport is ready!) We can also plan them around blooming times for bluebonnets, peach blossoms, and other wildflowers. Finding the perfect scenery is just as important as scheduling! This is where we can get creative and do so many things!

7 have photos to display at reception

having bridal portraits done before and not on the wedding day allows ample time to have prints, or canvas ordered for the reception.

8 great gifts for mom/dad/grandparents

Having a bridal session is the perfect way to give a gift to parents, or grandparents.  You are creating an heirloom. Something that will likely be passed down to your kids and your grandkids. You can’t say no to that!

 

So that’s that ladies! Brides-to be, don’t miss out on such a beautiful session. Having Bridal portraits is definitely worth it! I hope you have a wonderful understanding about what bridals are! Either way, I hope you enjoyed this post and if you schedule one, I hope you enjoy that too!!

It doesn’t have to end here…check out more of this Dallas wedding photographer’s work by clicking over to our portfolio. You’ve seen it all and want to reach out to contact us for your own portrait session, wedding or event? You can do that by contacting us through our contact form.  Be sure and check out our other tips for brides here.

We cannot wait to hear from you!