Today’s post is a little bit of a personal one for me! I don’t typically share my personal photos or even talk about my own experiences, but after a wedding season where I attended more than one bridal portrait session for my brides, I realized that Bride’s are seeking advice on how to do, where to do and what to do for their bridal portraits.

Here are a few of my own personal reflections and tips for making your bridal portrait session run smoothly and how to get the most out of your bridal portraits.

1. Bring an assistant with you! Ladies, if you do not take any advice at all from this post, PLEASE PLEASE listen to this tip. Your photographer is there to take your photos, direct you and make you look glamorous. Having a friend, family member, planner…anyone you can get, will allow the photographer to focus. Your assistant can help with holding your bouquet, helping you with your dress, make sure you look your best, the list goes on and on. After the shoot, please take your assistant out to lunch and thank them for doting on you because it can be a lot of work!

2. Purchase a mini version of your bouquet. Many florist will be happy to make your wedding bouquet for your portraits at a reduced cost. You do not need to have all of the same flowers or the size of the bouquet you will have on your wedding day. Seeing your bouquet prior to the wedding will also help you envision what your flowers will look like on your big day. This trial run can be a great way to see what your full look will be like on your wedding day.

3. Use this time for your hair and makeup trial. Many brides will get their hair and makeup trial prior to their wedding day. These trials can be expensive and take a lot of time. If you can time it right, I always recommend using this day to get your trials done. Not only will it complete your look, but it makes sense to spend the extra money for this special shoot.

4. Bring some comfortable shoes! Bridal Portraits take an hour to a couple of hours. There can be a lot of walking involved. If your like me, you probably will choose multiple locations with different terrains. My cowgirl boots are a staple in my attire and I knew I wanted a few photos with them on. So I brought them along to take some fun photos too! In between the locations I wore the boots to relieve some pain from my gorgeous Kate Spade heels.

5. Choose your locations ahead of time. If you are going to have photos taken at multiple locations, let your photographer know those locations. Have some areas on property in mind and plan as much as you can. If your location is at a public location or at a space where weddings take place, contact the venue and make sure there is not another wedding going on that day and ensure it’s okay to use that property.

6.Get your alterations done early. When purchasing your wedding dress, keep in mind the time you want to do your bridal portraits. If you want to purchase a canvas portrait following your bridal portrait session, you will want at least a month and a half prior to your wedding date to get the photos. If you can, I suggest doing your final alterations 3-4 months prior to the big day so you can fit in your portraits and getting your portrait.

Remember, just enjoy the day! This should be a fun, relaxing day. Plan ahead so you can wake up, get pampered with your hair and makeup trial and then step into your wedding dress. I know with the help of my mom (THANKS MOMMA), I had a really fun day and really got a feel for what to expect on my wedding day.