Bridal sessions are one of my favorite sessions to photograph for many reasons. Seeing my brides all dressed up, giddy with excitement, completely relaxed, and spending extra time with them does the heart some good. It’s such a special opportunity to get to know my bride even more, and feels like the ultimate girl time! I mean pretty flowers and a beautiful bridal gown – how could that not be the best time!?

If you’re getting married and on the fence about whether or not you want to invest the extra $$$ on a bridal session, this post is for you! Here are 3 benefits of a bridal session:

1. Extra Time and more portraits!

You spent a pretty penny on the dress of your dreams, why not wear it more than once? I didn’t get very many images of just me/my dress the day of our wedding, which is actually pretty typical. Yes, you’ll take a few photos of just you on your wedding day, but if you have a bridal session you’ll get a lot more photos! Without a Bridal Session, you’ll have about 10 minutes on the wedding day to get photos of just you. With a Bridal Session though, you’ll have 1-2 hours without the stress of a wedding day! Then you’ll only need about 5 minutes on your wedding day for just you, giving you extra time for portraits with your groom! Plus, the bridal session will be way more stress-free because you aren’t following a wedding day timeline and needing to rush to the next event of the day. It’s all about YOU, girl!

2. Trial Run before the big day!

I will say it is a HUGE benefit to do a bridal session because it’s a great trial run for the big day. Think of it almost like a practice round. It gives you the opportunity to wear your dress, veil, and shoes and see how everything fits. Maybe you’ll realize you could use some different undergarments, or you need some practice walking in your shoes, and your dress might be heavier than you expected. Most brides can’t tell the things by simply trying on their dress at home, it takes a practice round to get it right! It is also a great opportunity to schedule your hair and make up trial runs for the same day as your bridal session. Not only will you be able to see what your hair and make up will look like, you will find out how long it will take to achieve your look and what kind of staying power your look has. I have had brides change their hair or make up on their wedding day because after seeing everything together in photos they didn’t like how it looked as much as they thought they would. So if anything, it’s great to get a feel of how long the getting ready process will take, how well your hair and make up will hold up, and what everything looks like put together with your dress and veil. And if by chance you need to make any changes, you will still have time to do so before the big day!

3. Boost of confidence!

Remember, wedding planning should be fun! Other factors in wedding planning may start to stress you out but when you put on your dress you should feel nothing but absolutely beautiful and excited to marry your best friend! Having a bridal session gives you extra time to become comfortable in your look and in front of the camera, and it gives you a glimpse into how stunning you will be on your wedding day! There should be no insecurities of, “Do I look ok? Should I do something different with my hair? Is my lipstick the wrong color? How should I pose?” because you will already know! Bridal portraits will give you that extra boost of confidence you need on your wedding day to ensure you not only look beautiful but feel beautiful too!

And a bonus reason for all you Southern brides out there: Did you know that it’s a true Southern tradition to have a bridal portrait on display at the wedding reception? It is!

It’s safe to say that I LOVE the benefits of a bridal session! If you’re interested in having a bridal portrait session, please send me an email and let’s make it happen!! I’m confident you won’t regret it!