It seems as of recently I have been asked “what is a bridal session?”, especially from my out of state clients. Bridal sessions typically are a Southern tradition where the bride has a session in her gown, shoes and veil if she has one. Some have the bouquet and some do not. The framed portrait from the session is displayed at the reception near the entrance to the reception room or guest sign-in book. It is pretty common for my bride to then give it to their mother so it can be displayed in their home.

If it works within your budget, I strongly encourage you to schedule a bridal session. Not only do you get to have your hair & makeup done, but it’s a day dedicated to you! It is really fun and we will get a mix of classic, elegant, fashionable and fun images. When does a woman get a chance to get dressed to perfection and have their own fashion shoot? It’s also a great way to have a trial run for your big day and much more important than you might realize. Many of my brides who have a bridal session end up changing something about their hair, makeup and wardrobe. It may be something that isn’t fitting right with the dress, a piece of hair keeps falling or that coral colored lipstick really was just not her style. When I get to see them on the wedding day I often hear “I am SO glad I changed ____”.

Here are a few things to keep in mind for your bridal session:

1. Get your hair and makeup scheduled so that you will be finished in time to get to your shoot.
2. Eat something and stay hydrated, especially do this the night before.
3. Bring a friend or a bridesmaid to help out or just to have there for fun.
4. Make sure that you allow a little wiggle room in the delivery time of your dress. So just in case it arrives late, we
still have time.
5. Understand that while I am EXTREMELY careful to keep your dress spotless, there may be a little bit of dirt under the gown
or you might accidentally brush up against something and it might need to be touched up. 99% of the time this has not
been a problem, but even if so, it always is great for the day of the wedding.
6. I often have dogs included in a few images on the day of a bridal session, but please make sure that you have someone to
help out.
7. The biggest thing is to relax and have fun!!

Thanks for stopping by!

~lisa