Bridal sessions are perfect for doing a test run before your wedding day. Here are a few tips that will help you prepare for your bridal session.

Schedule Accordingly

Get with your vendors and schedule everything accordingly! You will want to schedule your bridal session after your final dress fitting. Your bridal session can be done a month before the wedding, or in the weeks/days leading up to your wedding. The biggest part is scheduling everything accordingly. Considering most weddings happen on the weekend, your bridal session will most likely be on a weekday. It is so important to make sure that all of your vendors are available: photographer, videographer, hair, and makeup. If a trial is included in your hair and makeup package, schedule this on the same day as your bridal session. If it doesn’t, inquire with your vendors. This might bring an additional cost, but it is so worth it!

Decide if you’ll do a first look or not

Some people will turn their bridal session into a bride and groom session, and throw in a first look. Doing a first look during your bridal session has its perks: it’s super intimate. There’s nothing else happening, so you can really take in the moment and enjoy it. If you’re looking for more information and advice about first looks, I have a whole blog about first looks!

Finding a location

When planning your bridal session, think about how you want your wedding photos to look as a whole. Do you want your bridal photos to match the photos of your wedding day? If so, ask your venue if it would be possible to hold a photoshoot there. If not, work with your photographer to find a similar location.

Your bridal photos and wedding day photos do not need to be in the same or similar location. The great thing about bridals is that it allows you to get really creative. If you want an epic cliffside location for your wedding photos, this is the time to do it! Spend some time looking through pinterest and Instgram to gain some inspiration. Again, talk with your photographer and they will be more than happy to plan it all out.

Get excited & have fun with it!

One thing that I’m asked a lot is if bridals will take away from the wedding day. Bridals will not take away from the wedding day. I repeat, bridals will not take away from the wedding day! Bridals will help ease any nerves that you have and make any needed changes before the big day. For example, changes to your makeup look or additional dress alterations. Bridals brings excitement and gets you pumped for the big day. By the time your wedding day comes, you’ll know that you’ll be happy with your hair and makeup artist, and you know you already have amazing bridal photos/videos from your photographer and videographer. You’ve had the time to bond with them, so you can throw those nerves out the window.

Not sure if you should even do a bridal session? Here are 4 reasons why you should consider doing a bridal session.