So what is a bridal session anyways?? Bridal sessions were something I first heard about living in Utah. If you don’t know what they are, bridal sessions are sessions where the bride gets in her wedding gown, gets her hair and makeup done, has her florist prepare a bridal bouquet, and she gets a whole photo session solely focused on her. These sessions are typically done about 2-3 months before the wedding. And although most of the time they are just done with the bride, I’ve done a few bridal sessions where the groom is included too and we do a first look! I call those “formal sessions” but the idea is the same. It’s an opportunity to have photo time dedicated to just portraits before the wedding day.
Check out this article on why you should get your hair and makeup professionally done!
After moving from Utah to Pennsylvania, I noticed that no one in the northeast even knew what a bridal session was! So I didn’t do them for a few of years while I lived there. But then I moved to North Carolina and bridal sessions were definitely well known in the south. In fact, at least half of my southern brides book them! It’s also traditional in the south that a portrait of the bride is displayed on an easel at the reception on the wedding day.
Pros to doing a bridal session is that you get more portraits of just you and your bridal details. The wedding day can be very fast-paced and hectic, and while I prioritize at least 10-20 minutes of bridal portrait time on the wedding day, it’s very quick. So if you really want to make sure you get lots of photos of you in your wedding dress and details, definitely book a bridal session.
Another thing that I love about bridal sessions is that like engagement sessions, you can make sure to book them on a day when the weather is nice. So no matter what kind of weather you have on your wedding day, at least you have a whole gallery of photos with you in your dress on a nice day. You also have flexibility with locations for your bridal session. While most brides get their bridal session photos taken at their venue, you can also pick a completely different location to give yourself a bit of variety. Totally up to you! Here was a session I did this fall just a week before her wedding day! I love all the portraits as well as the details of her hair, bouquet, closeup’s of her dress, and her jewelry :)
Check out my pinterest board to see more examples of bridal session portraits and details!
