I joined my friend, Stephanie (see blogs below) for her bridal session yesterday. She was so lovely. I wanted to slip into a gown myself, not because I want to walk the aisle just yet, but the idea of having your hair and makeup done and wearing a gown is a girl’s dream. I was thinking that maybe I would just buy a wedding gown just to wear around the house (is that weird?!). Maybe I could wear it to clean the stove (if I ever cleaned the stove), go to the grocery store, or wear it to watch my daughter play soccer!

Stephanie was stunning as I watched her swirling and twirling all over the beach in her wedding gown and veil. On our way home, I mentioned to her that, from my experience, many brides choose not to take bridal photos, which prompted me to blog on that issue this morning.

1.  A bridal session is a great time to do a “dress-rehearsal”: Hair, makeup, shoes, veil, etc. It’s even important to try on the appropriate undergarments pre-wedding and spending enough time in the dress to make sure all these pieces work together and that there are no unexpected wardrobe malfunctions! Should any of these be not-quite-right in the dress-rehearsal, there’s still time to adjust them before the big performance.

2.  Get comfy with the photog- By this time, most couples have completed an engagement session with the photographer. However, for you to look your absolute best in front of the camera, a bride needs to be relaxed. The more time you spend with your photographer in front of his/her lens, the better. (oh, we also provided cocktails for our bride. That helps, too!). It’s also a great time for the photographer to be able to understand the best angles for the bride (which is all angles, if you’re my friend Stephanie! awe!!!), learn what makes her comfortable, how to get her to relax, and overall body positioning to capture the best picture possible.
3.  It’s a lovely gift for family and hubbies. (Side story…) While on the beach, 2 Coast Guard helicopters flew over us. We imagined the groom-to-be was going to parachute out of the helicopter while doing a triple back flip into the water in his scuba gear, swim to the shore, and, (standing in his Superman cape), would kneel down just to admire his bride-to-be. Or we can just frame a picture for him, whichever is easier! What can I say, it was funny at the time!

4.  Free up time on the wedding day- if you’ve ever been involved in a wedding, you know that there is A LOT going on during that day. There will be plenty of pictures taken, however, if the bridal shots are taken in advance, this can free up some time that the photographer will spend post-ceremony taking pictures of just you. (So, instead of taking 150, the photog will only take 100! ha!) More time for you to enjoy the wedding and reception and less time saying “cheese”.

5.  One more chance to wear your gown! Enough said.

6.  Proof to your future grandchildren, that yes, you were smokin’ hot on your wedding day!

Many photographers either include this in a package or can be added on ala-carte. Ask to see former bridal portraits and get their opinion on why this is essential for your wedding day.

Happiest Planning~