Wedding Blog

I was given bits and pieces of advice for my own bridal portrait session from my photographer and various brides before I actually went to take pictures in my dress before the wedding. A couple of friends who have gotten married were surprised to hear of some of the tips, so I thought it might be a good idea to share with the hive as well! Here are some suggestions for your shoot:

1) Try to choose a time of year with mild weather. Sometimes this is easier said than done. It pays to try for a cooler time of year when you are wearing a heavy dress, and walking around for a long period of time outdoors. While the heat is not always avoidable, try your best to schedule the shoot during mild weather, even if it means taking your pictures months before your wedding. (Although I tried to plan for the cool weather, my luck it was record heat on the day I took my photos - 4.5 months before our wedding!)

2) Bring at least one person along to be your “assistant” for the shoot. I was fortunate enough to have both my mother and my best friend there to help me. Excessive? Maybe so, but oftentimes, you will shoot your pictures in some unclean areas, and it pays to have the extra hands around to help carry your belongings and keep your dress off of the dirty floor.

3) Pack a bag of items to bring with you. This can included water, baby wipes (you’ll be amazed at how easily your hands get dirty when you’re wearing a white dress), makeup, tissues, deoderant and flip flops (those heels start to hurt after a while). Add to this whatever you think might come in handy… it’s always good to be prepared.

4) Bring a white sheet - actually, bring two. So many brides now opt for taking pictures outside, which can lead to many locations that are far from desireable when you are wearing a white dress. A white sheet can easily be placed underneath the dress, on dirty surfaces, around the skirt of your dress, etc. Photographers are great at placing it so that your beautiful dress doesn’t meet that dirty ground and the sheet never appears in the photos.

5) Have fun. When you are wearing what is (or was in my case) the most expensive dress of your entire life… and it’s white… it’s easy to get a little nervous, but try to remember to have fun with your photo shoot. Enjoy your time wearing your wedding dress and what it represents - this is one of the best experiences of your life!

And, just to illustrate how your pictures might end up being shot in some untidy locations, here are a couple from back when I took my own portraits.*

Have anymore advice to add? I’m sure all of the girls in the hive would love to hear of any tips/tricks that you used when taking your bridal portraits.

*photo credit to Perez Photography