What is a bridal session?

As a photographer that has been to hundreds of weddings, I often forget that new brides don’t know about most of the things that are just normal to me! One of the most common questions I get is “what is a bridal session?” A bridal session is a session where the bride and groom get dressed up in their wedding attire and take photos at a chosen location prior to the wedding day. Bridal sessions used to be more focused on the bride, and still are in some states, but they are becoming more about both the bride and groom! Bridal sessions are very common in Utah and are slowly spreading to other states.

Choosing to book a bridal session is a personal preference. Some brides don’t want their soon-to-be husband to see them in their dress until they are walking down the aisle – which is totally understandable and okay! However, all my brides that do a bridal session say it’s the best decision they made and it was totally worth it! Not only are these sessions fun, but there are tons of reasons as to why you should book one.

Why should I book a bridal session?

1. You can print and display photos from your bridal session at your reception on your wedding day! This is one of the most common reasons people get bridals done. Big canvas prints of you and your lover makes for the perfect decor.
2. You can choose whatever location you want! Personally, I am not a fan of venue wedding day bridals. Most venues aren’t nearly as pretty as any other location you could go for bridals. The best part about this is you can go wherever you want – whether that us somewhere close, an iconic spot such as a National Park, or a location that is special to you and your significant other.
3. Doing bridal photos on a separate day gives you control over the lighting which makes the photos 10x better. Typically on your wedding day you just get what you get on lighting, but doing a bridal session in advance gives you the opportunity to shoot at the best time of the day for the best light.
4. You can decide if you want to change anything. You can schedule your bridal session to take place on the same day as your hair and makeup trial. This way you can see the whole look together and decide if you want to change anything about your hair, makeup, florals, etc. for the actual day.
5. You get stunning and stress-free photos. Let’s be honest, the wedding day is always rushed and busy, no matter how much you planned it out. Even when you plan it out, there is usually only a small window of time to get photos and you will likely feel rushed and stressed with everything going on in the day. While you can still take some photos on the day of, this gives you the opportunity to get all the photos you want without missing any!

Below are some photos from my recent bridal session!