Location. Almost all bridal sessions will have a portion of the session indoors. In most cases, this will either be at your venue or at our studio. (As a note, if you are planning a bridal session and are not using your venue or the studio, most locations used for bridal sessions will have a location fee of between $150 to $250.)
Having an indoor location is key. Why is having an indoor location so important?
One of the main goals of having a bridal session is to create images that are as flawless as possible. This includes your dress, hair, and makeup. As weather, humidity, and wind are so unpredictable, we will normally start sessions in an indoor space before moving outside to allow for your hair, makeup, and dress to stay as pristine as possible for the majority of your gallery.
Weather back-up. Most bridal sessions will require scheduling with not only us, but your venue and hair and makeup artist as well. As it can be difficult to reschedule around everyone schedule to have time for images to come back, it is not often that bridal sessions are reschedule. Using a location that has a solid and stunning indoor space allows us to have a weather backup, even on days when the weather may be great the day of but where the ground is muddy from rain the previous days.
Getting ready. To prevent wrinkling, we always recommend changing into your dress once you have arrived rather than before. Having a location where there is access to an area where you can change (oftentimes, you will need help!) will help to make getting in and out of your dress much easier.
Choose a day mid-week. Bridal sessions typically occur mid-week when it is more likely for locations and your hair and makeup artist to have availability.
Timing of your session. For bridal sessions, our start time is normally centered around your hair and makeup trial and your venue/location availability. However, if you do have an option and your session will be outdoors, we always recommend setting the start time of your session as late in the day as possible, when the sun is a little lower and there is more access to shady areas (this also helps during summer months as it can be really hot and humid outside!)
Check your alteration timeline. You will need your wedding dress altered for the session, so you’ll want to schedule it for a time after when you receive your dress back from the seamstress or store of purchase.
Have a bouquet. We always recommend trying to have a bouquet for your session, if possible. Oftentimes, florists will have a discounted rate for bridal portrait bouquets.
Ordering prints or canvases for your wedding day? If you plan on ordering prints from your bridal session for your reception, please be sure to schedule your session at least one month before your wedding day.
Your dress can get dirty. Please also remember that your wedding dress can get dirty during your session. While great care is taken to prevent this, you may have to have your dress cleaned before your wedding. This is especially true for silk and satin gowns. Be sure to check before booking your session on availability and pricing for cleaning your dress just in case it is needed. You can also find some helpful tips to keep in mind during the session to help prevent your dress from getting dirty.
Putting on the Dress. As it is more likely that the outer and upper areas of your dress will touch the ground as you get ready, bring a bed sheet or light blanket with you that can be put on the ground where you are getting dressed.
Bugs. Bugs love to crawl in wedding dresses, especially ones with lace and tool. If you see one in our on your dress, resist the urge to smash it and coax it out safely.
Keep Your Dress Tucked in Beside You. As you walk from place to place, grab the sides of your dress and pull them in front of you to prevent it from brushing up against walkways, doorways, and plants.
Are you concerned about your dress getting dirty? If you have any concerns about your dress getting dirty, please schedule a studio session instead. Our studio location provides a safe and more controlled environment that helps to prevent unnecessary dirt from getting on your dress. Plus, images taken within our 2,000-square-foot studio will have a more luxury feel as the space has been designed to capture imagery and comes complete with four curated design sets to create beautiful backdrops for your imagery. You can use the link you have already been sent to schedule your session in-studio, just please add a note that you would like for it to be a fine art studio session.
Bring a friend. Friends are super helpful in making you laugh during your session! But only bring someone with you if they are super supportive and uplifting. If in doubt, remind anyone who is with you that this session is a time for you to have fun and not point out your flaws. If you get into a doubtful or self-conscious mindset during the session, it can be hard to pull you out of this head space, which will show in your photos. Please know that we try to be conscientious of what we are capturing and will always combine adjustments we mention to you with what we know we can adjust in editing while trying to make sure that you feel as confident and comfortable as possible.
Save your shoes for your wedding day. As so few photos (especially with dresses long enough to cover your feet) will show your shoes, and there will be a lot of walking and standing during your session, so opt for comfy shoes and preserve your wedding day shoes for your detail photos on the wedding day.
What time should I schedule my hair and makeup for? At least three hours before your bridal session. For bridal sessions, in most cases, you’ll be scheduling your hair and makeup trial the same day as your bridal session. It is so important that you give yourself the time to be able to communicate with your hair and makeup team and try new things, which is why we always recommend giving yourself at least a three hour buffer between the start of your hair and makeup appointment and the start of your session.
Length of session. Bridal sessions typically last approximately 60 minutes for a venue session and 45 minutes for a studio session and will have an end product of approximately 60 images. Studio sessions are slightly shorter as our studio is fully pre-set with a variety of setups that are just a few steps a part from each other.
Bridal sessions in our studio. If you are having your session in our studio, here are a couple things to know:
You can have hair and makeup done onsite. If you are using a hair and makeup artist who exclusively travels, please know you are welcome to have them come to the studio. Our studio is outfitted with dual beauty stations set next to natural light. When making your booking, schedule for the time you would like for images to begin being taken and add a note or email us to let us know what time you and your hair and makeup artist will be arriving that day. Need a hair and makeup artist for your bridal session? Don’t hesitate to reach out to let us know!
Cost. There is no additional charge for sessions to take place at our studio.
Curated Sets. The studio always has four pre-designed curated sets, in addition to our cyclorama wall and movable arch doorway to ensure multiple options are available as backdrops for your imagery.
Ideal Lighting. The studio has been designed for imagery so you will notice a more luxury feel to images taken at the studio.
A/C + Heat. Worried about humidity or fridgid weather? Our studio has been outfitted with two separate HVAC units to ensure we never miss a beat on comfortable conditions even if one unit goes down.
Bouquet. No need to order an additional bouquet if you don’t want to. Just let us know and we can create one for you with floral available in the studio.
