According to Southern Weddings, the southern tradition of the bridal portrait most likely started prior to World War II it was rare for a photographer to attend a wedding, so bridal portraits would be taken in a photographer’s studio prior to the wedding. While the traditional studio portraits are becoming a thing of the past, the tradition is still very much in style for today’s modern brides. We’ve had our fair share of gorgeous bridal portraits taken here at Dellwood over the years, so we wanted to share a few tips for brides planning for bridal portraits.
Tips for Gorgeous Bridal Portraits
Tip #1: Schedule Your Hair and Make-up Trial to Coincide with Your Portraits
Since you are most likely planning a hair and make-up trial, schedule the trial for the same day so you can give yourself a full trial run of the look you want for your wedding day – the dress, the shoes, the jewelry and the flowers. Not only will you get an idea of your full bridal look, but you’ll get an idea of how easily you’ll move in dress and how it feels to carry your bouquet.
Tip #2: Determine the Look You Want
Understanding your personal style and the "look" you want in your photos is very important to discuss with your photographer. Are you going for rustic? Vintage? A little bit of both? Talk through the options with your photographer and decide on locations that will work best for your vision. Not sure the style you want for your bridal portraits? Check out our Pinterest board for bridal portrait inspiration.
Tip #3: Be Open to Suggestions from Your Photographer
While you may have a Pinterest board with various poses and looks you want, your photographer has years of experience to help you look your best. Be sure to work with your photographer to not only convey your ideas and vision for your bridal portraits, but also be open to multiple angles and locations. Also, be open to trying something a little different – that might get you your favorite photo!
Tip #4: Be Yourself!
Most importantly, just be yourself! Do not be afraid to let your personality shine through with different poses or photo locations that show your true personality. We couldn't help but include this amazing photo of Priscilla in the tub in the bridal suite - now she looks like a girl who is up for anything! Photos like this will be treasured for years to come and be great conversation pieces with family, friends and future generations to come.
Do you have any bridal portrait advice you'd like to share with future brides? Did you take bridal photos or not? We'd love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment below to share with new brides-to-be!