I am asked quite often if my clients choose to have bridal sessions, as well as the pros to having them. It usually goes along the line of “Do I really need a bridal session, won’t you get plenty of shots of the bride on the wedding day”? In my opinion, bridals, while not essential to every wedding, are very worthwhile and I usually recommend that all brides consider them along with their wedding day coverage. The reasons are numerous, but the biggest has to do with time. On the wedding day there just isn’t enough time to dedicate to bridal portraits, at least not an extensive amount of time. If I can have 5-minutes on the wedding day for bridal portraits I would be lucky. The average wedding is fast paced and between getting all the pre-ceremony detail shots, as well as bridesmaids/groomsmen shots, it is difficult to spend any real length of time for dedicated bridal portraits. This is why I think future brides should consider a bridal session. My sessions last around 2-hours and often include two locations. Most of the bridal is dedicated to getting every element of the shot (hair, dress, pose, etc.) exactly perfect. A great deal of time is often spent setting up the lights/reflectors, making sure the dress is not touching the ground and carefully crafting the most pleasing lighting effects. These are the types of elements that can be too difficult to achieve during a wedding due to time constraints. So if you think you might want to have a dedicated bridal do not hesitate, do it! You deserve it! You may have spent countless hours picking out the perfect dress, considering all the options and what was best for your wedding. Why not cap that process off with a bridal session that allows you to immortalize the dress and how it looks on you! Below is a sample from a recent bridal session with Brittany. In this session I was able to use a variety of lighting techniques, both natural and artificial. Careful attention was paid to each shot, often it took 5-10 minutes to set-up the shot! I think this session shows the advantages of having a bridal session.
