Tips For Your Bridal Session

After saying yes to your dress, you can’t wait to get it fitted. Now what? I’ll tell you!! Schedule that Bridal Session before your wedding day! As a wedding photographer I love the idea of a good bridal session. You maybe wondering why you should do a bridal session in the first place right? Well, prepare yourself for your bridal session by following these tips. Prepare the right people so your wedding photographer can create seamless bridal portraits.

If you want a sense of how you will look on your wedding day, this is a great time to try on your dress and all dolled up. Most brides schedule their trial hair and makeup team and also get mock bridal bouquet from their florist. What do you get… the WHOLE LOOK girl!! 

Austin Wedding Photographer

Timing and Location, let’s start here.

 

Timing & location are super important when it comes to planning your bridal session. Do want your session to be outdoors or indoors? Many wedding venues allow brides to take bridal portraits on site, so be sure to inquire.  Some things to think about are:

• Do I want my session indoors or outdoors? Maybe both.
• What time of year will should you schedule a bridal session?
• Do I want them at the venue? 

If you are concerned about your wedding dress getting dirty I would think about having your session indoors. If you are looking to do something out of the box and not at your venue I would look for a space that has plenty of natural light or something that is contemporary and present I would check these out for reference. Outdoor sessions can be fun also so if you are looking for beautiful nature or more uptown vibe check these out for inspiration.

If this is not enough, let’s go take it out to the sand dunes or hike enchanted rock in the Texas wine country. I’ll do my best to make your bridal session as exciting and fun as you could ever imagine. Having a bridal session with your wedding photographer is a great way to meet each other, get to know them better, and feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. 

Hair & make-up Artist

The next tip is vitally important. Your bridal session is the best time to test out your beauty look with your hair and makeup team. Be sure to hire a professional for you wedding day look. Your wedding day is not the time to learn that your HMUA can not get your look done to perfection. The benefits of hiring a professional is that they understand the demand of the day. Things to think about:

• Schedule your bridal session with enough time to get to your bridal session location.
• Make it a pamper day and get your nails done as well
• Avoid self tanners a least a week before your bridal session. 
• Get any other beauty stuff done prior to your bridal session lashes, lip filler etc.
• Bring extra lipstick for touch ups, hair spray bobbi pins. 

Your Floral Plan & Details

 

At some point in the planning process you have a secured your florist and when you do be sure to ask about a mock bouquet for you wedding day. A mock bridal session bouquet ties it all in and allows you to practice how to properly hold the bouquet. If there are details that you would like photographed this is a good time to also take care of that. This allows for me and my team to jump in on your wedding to focus on the getting ready and photograph the venue in a way that is not rushed. Details can be and mean a number of things but, here are a few to bring:

• Engagement ring, and jewelry for your wedding day
• Your vail
• Your shoes ( an extra pair to walk in)
• Any meaningful items like mom’s earrings, dads watch, etc.
• Invitation suite 

Have FUN!!

 

Your bridal session will go much smoother than you think. The key  is to just have fun, and trust your wedding photographer. Getting comfortable in front of the camera is weird for everyone but, once your photographer gets on a roll you’ll be posing like a pro in no time.  Bring someone with (not your fiance of course), to help! Mom, maid/matron of honor; it doesn’t matter. This person is there to support you and add to your day.  There job will be to help with picking your dress up when your moving from one spot to another. Making sure you hair and makeup is flawless and touch up when needed.  I know when photographing my brides we have a ton of fun and also capture the essences of who they are. Take advantage of your bridal session to feel amazing, fierce and above all beautiful. Congratulations!!! 

• Have a small meal before your bridal session.
• Pack a small bag the night before with all the details you are bringing.
• Ensure you dress is steamed and ready to go.

If you have found these helpful, and are in need of a photographer, I would love to connect and chat with you! Happy planning! 

Featured Vendors 

Venues:

Cathedral Oaks

Deep In The Heart Farms

Hidden River Ranch

Inn at Salado

Little River Event Center

Ma Maison

The Chapel at Caliber Oaks

The Olana

The Garden at Cranesbury View

Villa Antonia

 

Carmen J Williams Photography is an Austin Wedding Photographer husband and wife team specialized in weddings, destination weddings, engagement and bridal photography for joyful, and down to earth couples who value pure love, connection and authenticity. If you would love to see more of our work, you can view our Fort Worth engagement session and Austin Weddings on our website.