Modern Day Bridal Session
Earlier in my photography career I worked for a couple of photo studios in the south. That was St. Louis, MO and Beeville, TX. When I tranfered to Omaha many years ago I was shocked to find out that many brides here do not do bridal sessions. In the southern part of the United States, the bridal session is nearly a necessity, as brides like to showcase a huge bridal portrait at the entrance to their receptions. The bridal session allows me to get to know my bride before the wedding day to see what she is comfortable doing with regard to her photos. It is also a great dress rehearsal for the bride, as she can make sure that all parts of her dress fit just right, and that it looks exactly the way she wants it to look.
I always approach my bridal sessions from the perspective of a fashion shoot. I tell my brides to expect to be my model for a day and to prepare to have a lot of fun. During the session, I will do quite a variety of shots: ranging from very sexy and fashion-forward, to traditional in order to please Mom and Grandma. This usually ensures that everyone is happy! Here are a few more tips to ensure that the session goes well:
1) Have a glass of wine to relax before the session; putting on the wedding dress usually conjures a few nerves.
2) Wear comfortable shoes (tennis shoes or flip-flops), especially if you cannot see the shoes under the dress when standing. When we need the shoes we can just slip them on.
3) Will bring a white sheet to place under the dress during some shots. This is the secret to keeping the dress clean.
4) Bring a few friends to the session to help out with all the accoutrements (Shoes, makeup, veil, etc.). Most Brides also relax more around friends.
I try to do the bridal session about two months before the actual wedding, as the bride's weight and hair length will look pretty close to what they will be on the wedding day. Also that allows me plenty of time to order and frame the print that will be displayed at the reception. A typical bridal session will last about two or three hours depending on where we go.
I always approach my bridal sessions from the perspective of a fashion shoot. I tell my brides to expect to be my model for a day and to prepare to have a lot of fun. During the session, I will do quite a variety of shots: ranging from very sexy and fashion-forward, to traditional in order to please Mom and Grandma. This usually ensures that everyone is happy! Here are a few more tips to ensure that the session goes well:
1) Have a glass of wine to relax before the session; putting on the wedding dress usually conjures a few nerves.
2) Wear comfortable shoes (tennis shoes or flip-flops), especially if you cannot see the shoes under the dress when standing. When we need the shoes we can just slip them on.
3) Will bring a white sheet to place under the dress during some shots. This is the secret to keeping the dress clean.
4) Bring a few friends to the session to help out with all the accoutrements (Shoes, makeup, veil, etc.). Most Brides also relax more around friends.
I try to do the bridal session about two months before the actual wedding, as the bride's weight and hair length will look pretty close to what they will be on the wedding day. Also that allows me plenty of time to order and frame the print that will be displayed at the reception. A typical bridal session will last about two or three hours depending on where we go.
posted by Douglas Gunder, Photographer at 9:16 AM
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