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What is a Bridal Session & Why Should You Have One?

A lot of my brides ask what is a bridal session and do I need one? While it’s obviously not required, I do highly recommend booking a bridal session a few months before your wedding!! This is SUCH a fun shoot focused soley on YOU – the bride. None of my clients ever regret doing bridal sessions before their wedding day.

On the day of your wedding your mind will be running a million miles a minute! You shouldn’t have to stress about how your look is going to come together in photos on top of everything else! That’s why a bridal session is the perfect solution to help you prep for the big day.

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What Exactly is a Bridal Session?

A bridal session is a photo shoot separate from your wedding day that is just for the bride! This typically happens a few months ahead of your wedding and can help you prep for all the wedding day things. Consider it a dress rehearsal for your wedding day!

This kind of trial run allows you to see how all of your planning is going to come together on your big day– from your hair and accessories to makeup and dress. Best of all you get to enjoy taking photos without the chaos and stress of all the actual wedding day events.

Pros of Having a Bridal Session:

There are so many benefits to having a bridal session– I can’t recommend them enough! First of all, having a bridal session means you have total flexibility. You can use your planned wedding venue as a backdrop for photos or mix it up and take them somewhere else for a different look. Is there a location that you LOVE but didn’t end up picking for your ceremony? Let’s take some pics there! It’s completely up to you.

Additionally, a bridal session lets you test out hair and makeup styles before fully committing to a look for your wedding day. This way you can plan necessary changes to make sure you love your final look.

Another reason to plan on a bridal session is so that you can have more time dedicated to bridal photos outside of your regular timeline. All too often photo sessions on the day of the wedding are squished between events, leaving everyone feeling rushed. So, having a preliminary bridal session helps ease a bit of that stress!

This is also a huge perk for my ladies who aren’t the most confident at posing for the camera because we can take our time practicing poses and finding angles you like before the wedding day. You deserve to feel beautiful in all of your wedding photos which is why I love bridal sessions to get on the same page with each bride.

3 Tips to Make the Most of Your Bridal Session:

Have your bridals done a few months before the wedding

I think it’s a great idea to have a bridal session a few months in advance so that you can see them and make changes with enough time. I will share the photos with you when they are done but don’t worry, no one else will see them until after your wedding day!

Add personal touches

If there are any unique elements that you want in some photos but don’t want to incorporate into your wedding day this is a great time to do that! Whether it’s using some props or taking a few photos with your pup, a bridal session is the perfect chance to do so without the pressure of time.

Get a bouquet with the same florals as your wedding

Have your florist make you a bouquet with the same florals you’ll have at your wedding so that the bridal photos match your wedding day photos. No one will know they were really taken months in advance!

Whether you’ve already begun planning your wedding or have yet to start it’s a great idea to consider a bridal session. Bridal photos can help you prep for your special day and lessen the day of stress. Check out the three tips above to make the most of your bridal session.