A bridal session is a photo session centered around the bride in her wedding dress that takes place before the wedding day!
I recommend scheduling your bridal session with me as far in advance as possible. The actual session should take place at least 6-8 weeks before your wedding date to allow enough processing time in case you want to display an image or two from the bridal session on your wedding day. It's always great to have a large print for guest to look at as they arrive to the reception.
I can suggest many locations around town, or maybe you have a favorite spot in mind. Some locations are free; others charge a fee. I’d be happy to discuss location options with you in more detail as the time nears. My personal favorite spot in South Louisiana is Rose down Plantation in St. Francisville, LA. Talk about a beautiful background! In north Louisiana Lachute Plantation is drop dead gorgeous!
Extra help is always appreciated, so if you would like to bring your mom or a bridesmaid be my guest!
You should bring yourself, your smile, your shoes and your wedding dress. Many brides also bring along a bouquet similar to the style they plan to have on their wedding day. I also recommend bringing along a white sheet to lay on the ground to protect your dress in case of dust or mud. Any jewelry, or accessories that you're planning to wear on your big day is a plus.
A session usually last between 1 - 2 hours. Make sure you schedule your day to accommodate the session and travel time. Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early. You may be unfamiliar with the location and it may take some time to find your meeting spot.
What about hair and makeup? Many makeup artists and stylists offer a trial run for wedding day hair and makeup. If you can coordinate these trial runs to coincide with your bridal session, that usually works best. It's also great to not only look like you will on your wedding day, but to make sure the look is perfect and the way you want it before the big day. Practice makes perfect!
Turnaround is approximately 2 weeks. So you should expect your photos to be delivered by the two week mark. I know how long that 2 weeks feels so not only do I work my hardest to try to give them to you before the turn around date, but I will post a sneak peak on either my Facebook, instagram, or both! Get ready to be amazed.
I edit and polish the best. So if I don't like a particular set up or lighting, I will cull those images out. Most bridal sessions end up with somewhere between 40 – 70 finished photos. That seems like a low number, but you'll see that it really is a ton of great and unique images all of you!
I’m on the fence about doing a bridal . . . what are the advantages? This is a matter of personal preference. Many clients have told me that they were really glad they did the bridal session. It’s a nice trial run at walking around in your dress; and through the process, some of my brides have discovered that they needed to adjust something – whether an alteration to the fit of the dress or a tweaking of the hair, makeup, or bouquet. We’ll have an opportunity to take photos of you by yourself in your dress on your wedding day, but it won’t be in such a leisurely and extended fashion. You may only get one or two images of you in that stunningly expensive dress. Most brides want a lot of details documented to remember and show for many years to come. You really can't go wrong with getting a Bridal session,
