Bridal Portrait Shoot : 4 Great Reasons to do One!

Think a bridal portrait shoot is a thing of the past? Think again!

What is a Bridal Shoot?

A bridal shoot is a session in which the photographer shoots pictures of the bride by herself in her wedding gown. For decades they were a regular part of the wedding photography process, but have become much less popular in recent years. They are still very popular in the southern United States, however, where they are revered as family heirlooms! In fact, according to Southern Living, brides and their parents will always invest heavily in a bridal portrait shoot.

Reason 1: It’s a Great Opportunity for a Trial Run!

Let’s face it: a wedding day is pure chaos! When you think of all the components that go into a bride’s look, from the dress and shoes to makeup and hair, getting that look just right on the very first time is kind of a big ask.

A bridal portrait shoot is a great chance to put together all those components, photograph it, and make any necessary tweaks to makeup or hair. That way, when the wedding day comes, the look will be put together to absolute perfection!

Before Katina’s bridal portrait shoot, she had her makeup artist and hairstylist do her makeup exactly as she wanted for her wedding day.

Reason 2: You Can Take Your Time

If they’re lucky, wedding photographers have about five minutes to take formal pictures of the bride by herself at a wedding. Considering all that goes into a bride’s look, that is not nearly enough time to make really creative pictures.

A bridal portrait shoot allows you and your photographer to take the time to make sure everything is just right! From finding the most flattering poses to making sure the dress settles just right, not being under a 5-minute time crunch really makes a difference!

For this location we were able to take our time and find the perfect spots for Katina’s bridal portraits.

Reason 3: Choose the Perfect Location and Timing

On your wedding day, your location for bridal portraits is generally the closest, prettiest spot to wherever your wedding timeline has you. It could be outside your church or a pretty spot at a resort, but your choices are usually limited.

For timing and location, a bridal portrait shoot is a blank canvas! You can pick a dreamy spot and schedule the shoot when the light is perfect.

Since we had the time, we could shoot at multiple locations at a time when the light was just perfect.

Reason 4: Strengthens the Bond With Your Photographer

My wedding photography approach is about making very romantic, loving pictures of my couples on the most amazing day of their lives. This requires them to be very comfortable in front of the camera. This doesn’t happen without them putting incredible amounts of trust in me.

This trust comes lots of personal interaction, particularly on an engagement shoot. But a bridal shoot strengthens that bond even more! This way you’re even more comfortable in front of the camera when the big day comes. And on your wedding day, you can greet your photographer with a great big hug and not a handshake!

Deep, moody portraits like this don’t just happen. They come from Katina having trust in me, which was only strengthened during this shoot.

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