We get asked the same question time & time again: what is a bridal session?
Most brides are a little confused by what they are and whether or not they need one. It’s totally understandable too because they are confusing! 
Simply put: a bridal session is a separate session where the brides gets in her dress before the wedding day for photos of just her. This can be as elaborate as having a gorgeous bouquet made, all your bridal details, hair & makeup done, and all the extra bells & whistles on hand. It can also be as simple as the bride being in her dress with just her dress & hair & makeup done.
They offer a lot of benefits too! One, you get an hour of time dedicated just to you in your dress. It can save you time on the wedding day too that you can dedicate to other photos like the ones of you & your new husband or your family photos instead of you taking 30 minutes to an hour out for these photos.
These are also the photos that you’ll treasure for a lifetime and will be family heirlooms. Most of the time, moms are the ones who are most excited about the session/photos so you can also really make your mom happy! Second, a lot of brides love using bridal photos to display at their reception. That can make such a big statement when your guests are already seeing a stunning photo of you as a bride!! Third, and perhaps our favorite reason, these sessions are just SO darned fun!! You get to wear your dress more than once, get dressed up, and feel like a princess. What’s better than that?
Here’s a couple of sessions so you can see a glimpse of what one can look like:
Addie’s Tennessee Bridal Session at Antrim Celebrations
Sarah’s Birmingham Botanical Gardens Bridal Session
***A bonus tip just for you: Schedule your hair & makeup trial for the same day as your bridal session! This will save you time & money!***
Bridal sessions aren’t right for everyone though. Sometimes brides just don’t care enough to have a whole extra session for photos of them in their dress. Others don’t want to invest that kind of money into an additional session either. With brides who don’t do them we can still schedule in time for stunning bridal photos, and always make sure to at least get 1-2 of them even in the tightest timelines. The amount of time we schedule in is just based on how much of a priority it is to you. Just let us know how important they are to you and we’ll build that time into your schedule.
Before you decide if a bridal session is right for you, just weigh the factors! They are super fun and create such gorgeous images you’ll treasure forever. Will that be time & money you have free to invest though in the middle of planning? There’s a lot to consider but either way we don’t think you could go wrong with one!
Blessings,
Katie & Alec
