Bridal Portraits - Before Your Wedding Day!

Growing up in the South, every bride I knew had professional bridal portraits taken a month or two before her wedding day. Just the bride, her mother, maybe her sister or closest of friends, and the photographer. It was a custom, a bridal staple, a non-negotiable tradition. Her bridal portraits were printed, framed, and displayed at her wedding reception, and sometimes were even put in the local newspaper after the big day. When an engaged couple booked a wedding photographer, the bridal portrait session was booked immediately also. It was only later in life that I realized that bridal portraits weren't actually a requirement, and people from other parts of the US had never even heard of the idea of bridal portraits before the wedding day. As I've gotten older, bridal portraits, even here in the South, have become less popular for a myriad of understandable reasons. For the typical bride-to-be, time never seems to be on our side when it comes to wedding planning. There is more to do than can get done as it is, so taking a full day for bridal portraits may not always be doable. Financial issues are also a large and valid reason that many brides forego bridal portraits. Because let's face it: even smaller, more intimate weddings can cost a fortune, and most of us are on a strict budget no matter the size of our wedding. Funds for all of the different vendors and parts of our wedding are allocated in the beginning planning stages, and for our sanity and for the sake of our bank accounts, we can't stray too far from the set budget. Another reason brides opt out of doing bridal portraits is because they simply don't want to, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But here is my shot at trying to convince you to do them. I would like to share my own experience (as a bride and as a photographer) and share some of the benefits of pre-wedding day bridal portraits.

Trial run for the big day

Before I go any further, I want to take a minute to brag on my stylists and photographer. Shannon Jordan with Shae's Salon is amazing, and she is the best in the business! I showed up at the salon in the early afternoon with a Pinterest inspo picture of a gorgeous bridal updo and my rhinestone encrusted hairpiece from David's Bridal, and Shannon matched the inspo picture entirely. Had you held the inspo picture and a picture of my hair side by side, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Next it was time to go get my make up done. Rachael Foss is a true artist and a master at her craft, and I hardly recognized myself after she worked her magic on my face. Rachel was so kind and professional and hyped me up the whole the time! I was so grateful to have her expertise for my bridal portraits and my wedding day. When I arrived at the bridal portrait location, I couldn't wait to slip on my dress, hold up my bouquet, and pretend like I was in a Vogue magazine photoshoot. My sweet, amazing photographer, Leah Janik (owner of LuMarie Photo and Design), cannot be given enough credit. Over the past few years, I have seen too many reels and tiktoks about brides being unhappy with their photos and/or photographer, and I could not be more grateful for Leah and the services she provided. From her calming personality, knowledge of posing, impeccable editing skills, to the timely return of my photos, Leah has it all and is an idol of mine to this day.

The photos below are of me. The first three photos are from my bridal portrait session taken a month before my wedding, and the fourth photo is from my actual wedding day. Year round, I wear my hair down. Even in the middle of summer when it's 100 degrees, I am not one to put my hair in a pony tale or bun. When I received my bridal portrait photos, I absolutely loved them, but I just didn't feel like I looked like myself. As amazing and true-to-inspo as the updo was, I knew it wasn't for me. I wrestled with still doing the updo for my wedding day because I had a backless dress and really wanted to show it off. But no matter how much I tried to convince myself that the updo was the right choice, I couldn't. I only got one wedding, and I wanted to feel confident and feel like myself. So for my wedding, I went with a simple, traditional curly/wavy style, and I felt more beautiful and more confident than I ever had in my entire life! My bridal portraits offered me a full view of how everything would look together on my wedding day, and more importantly, how I would look in my wedding photos. Without the bridal portrait session, I likely wouldn't have made the decision to go with my hair down on my wedding day.

core memory

They're not all about the trial run! Gather the most important women in your life and make a fun day out of it! My mom and I spent the entire day together and had the time of our lives. It was so much fun going place to place getting our hair, nails, and make up done and spending quality time together that didn't consist of addressing invitations or choosing a catering menu. One of the funniest inside jokes we have was birthed that day, and we are still laughing about it all these years later. Towards the end of my bridal portrait session, my mom helped me get into her wedding dress (featured below), and that moment became one of my core memories. If your mom, grandmother, or another special woman in your life still has her wedding dress, I would encourage you to do the same.

Ways to do it on a budget

Some hair and make up stylists require a trial before your wedding day. If you're already getting dolled up for hair and make up trials, take it a step further and scheduled bridal portraits for the same day! If you're doing a more simple hair style for your wedding that you can similarly replicate, do your own hair for your bridal portraits. When you're searching for a wedding photographer, see if any of their packages include bridal portraits or at least offer a discount for bridal portraits. If not, ask if they have any upcoming mini sessions where you could come in your dress and get a few photos. Instead of ordering a bouquet for your portraits through a florist, make your own with fresh flowers from a grocery store or order one with silk flowers from Etsy. There are plenty of DIY options out there to significantly cut costs when it comes to your bridal portrait session.

In closing: I've never had a bride regret doing bridal portraits (myself included), and I highly doubt you will regret doing them either!