Sorry I have been MIA. After we got engaged in December, I have been going 1000 miles a minute! But, the big day finally came and it was beautiful, wonderful and everything I imagined. Now Sterling is my husband, and I love being his wife!
I will be using this blog to post about wedding tips and the adventures of being newleyweds. Sterling and I also have a
date blog that we use to post the fun things we do around DFW.
One of the most fun days during engagement was taking my bridal portraits. I am not claiming to know everything about bridal portraits, but I did have a wonderful experience. I hope the same for every bride. Check out my five tips for having beautiful bridal portraits you will cherish.
Hire a good photographer
I know this sounds like a
no-brainer, but your photographer can make or break your experience. I was so
lucky to have found
Lauren Guy Summersett! She shot Sterling and my engagement pictures and our wedding. When Sterling and I were planning our wedding, we knew
photography was an important investment, and Lauren was worth it. It is
extremely important to have a good rapport with your photographer. The more he
or she understands you, the more they can deliver what you have dreamed of.
Beyond getting along with your
photographer, make sure he or she understands your style. After looking at
Lauren’s portfolio and blog, I knew she would capture the moments the way I
wanted to remember them. She also understood Southern feel I was trying to
accomplish.
Pick a venue that fits you
I love all things southern and
feminine. I love little white churches and big southern homes with columns.
Once I knew the look I wanted for my portraits I started researching on
Pinterest for Dallas Bridal Portraits, so I could see pictures of locations
with other brides. Lauren was also a huge help in this search. I think she
actually was the one who suggested my pick,
Dallas Heritage Village.
I loved that this location had the
look of many locations in one spot. They had a little white church, a big
southern home, beautiful crate myrtles and cute old staircases and pews. It was
perfect.
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| Lauren Guy Photography |
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| Lauren Guy Photography |
Venue Tips:
·
Make sure you make contact with your venue
before your bridal portrait date. I couldn’t have just walked into my venue or
many of the others I looked at and just started taking pictures. Many places
have guidelines and small fees.
·
Be prepared to spend a little money on reserving
the venue for portraits. I also went there before Dallas Heritage Village
opened, so there were not visitors just hanging out in my pictures.
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| Lauren Guy Photography |
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| Lauren Guy Photography |
Think about season and time of day
I took my bridal portraits in July.
In Texas. Outside. Many people would say that's silly, because that is exactly
what my mother said when I told her. To avoid the typical Texas summer heat, I
took my pictures from 7 to 9 that morning. Just as it was getting hot, we were
done. I will say I had to get up at 4 am for hair and makeup, but it was so
worth it.
If you followed tip 1 and hired a
good photographer, they will help you determine the best time of day for the
season you are in.
Plan for the day
Here are some helpful tips to make
sure your bridal portraits go as smoothly as possible:
·
Get your dress and veil steamed the week of your
portraits. You don’t want a wrinkly dress and veil for these once in a lifetime
photos.
·
Treat yourself to a mani and pedi. This may seem
self-explanatory, but it is so easy to forget in the craziness of the week
leading up to your portraits.
·
Bring a cheap white sheet to your portraits. You
can lay this under your dress so you don’t have to get it cleaned between your
portraits and the wedding. I got mine at Wal-Mart for $3.
·
Don’t bring an entourage but a support duo. Originally,
my bridal portraits were going to include just my mom and my photographer, but
then my dad wanted to come. What a huge help it was to have both of them there!
One was able to help Lauren adjust the white sheet and the other could hold my
bouquet while I held up my dress. I think they thought they were going to get to
sit in lawn chairs while I had my pictures taken (not so, Bill and Susan J) Don’t go overboard
and bring 12 of your closest friends. It was special just having my parents
there and everyone could see me in my dress on my wedding day.
·
Get a contact number. If someone is your point
of contact for the day of the portraits, get the number they can be reached on.
You don’t want to show up at the venue and start yelling out the name of the
contact (because that might have happened…)
Use this day as a trial run
This is the perfect opportunity to
have a trial run for your wedding day. Use your hair and makeup professional for
your portraits. You can see how it will look for your wedding day with the
dress. You will also learn how well your hair and makeup will stay or if you
need a tad more hairspray.
Wear your wedding shoes,
accessories and veil for the portraits. This is an excellent chance to break in
your shoes. (Unless you have really fancy shoes and you are taking pictures in
a field. I had hard ground to walk on so it was in my best interest to wear my
wedding heels.) I did learn that my belt had a tendency to catch on the lace on
my dress, so I needed to be careful on the day.
Each bride is different, and your bridal portraits are a testament
to your style. This day is your chance to be a bride before the big day, so don’t
forget to HAVE FUN! I couldn’t have asked for a more fun morning with my
parents and Lauren. To see more of my bridal portraits, check out Lauren’s
blog.
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| Lauren Guy Photography |
