Good afternoon!  I’m currently snuggled up next to Mack writing this post and I’m just excited that he hasn’t even tried to eat my laptop yet! Today I decided that I wanted to share about one of my favorite parts of a wedding day… bridal portrait time.  Now I must admit, at the beginning of my time shooting weddings, bridal portraits came as a bit of an after thought; but after discovering the beauty that a simple window and clean backdrop can create of a bride, beaming with anticipation, it wasn’t long before I was smitten.  There’s something so special about capturing a bride before she goes to see her groom, whether it be before the first look or as she gets ready before the ceremony.  It becomes an image that one day her granddaughter will look at and admire, and so I think that it’s of utmost importance.

Here’s the thing though… sometimes bridal portraits don’t happen in an ideal spot.  Sometimes bridal suites are full of clutter, interesting (read- outdated/special, haha!) hotel furniture, or no windows at all!  These are the things that I can’t really control when walking into a wedding day, but things that you can help me with!

1. Find a window. I joke all the time that I could make a dumpster look good if the lighting is right, and the same goes for any getting ready room.  A window (or few) is what’s going to make that beautiful portrait lit just right.  This one is key, so if the hotel room you’re getting ready in doesn’t have a window – maybe try and request a room that does!
2. Clear the clutter.  So often we walk into a getting ready room and there’s beautiful light coming in from said-necessary window, but underneath of it is a ton of stuff thrown nearby: bags, dresses, and shoes galore.  The easy fix: just ask your bridesmaids/make-up artists/mamas to keep their bags placed on the other side of the room so that we don’t have to worry about moving it later on.
3. Don’t be alarmed if I start moving furniture. In tight spaces, sometimes we have to  rearrange things a bit to get the perfect shot.  I promise to always move it back to the way it began!
4. Clear the room.  Whenever I photograph just the bride, I usually request that we clear the room.  I recognize that this isn’t always possible, but it does help to capture a more natural portrait without distractions.
5. Don’t fret if we run out of time.  It only takes about five minutes for me to photograph these portraits which I build into our timeline- but if things don’t work out for us to shoot bridal portraits in the bridal suite, I always make sure to grab them later on!

And if you’re not convinced already, let these beautiful brides speak for themselves: