Bridal Shootout

Two weeks ago I was able to attend a bridal shootout with a group of other photographers. It was a wonderful opportunity to put faces with names and do a little shooting! Here are my favorites!

Event Organizer: Fresh Look Photography, Judith Chauvette

Gorgeous Bride: Amanda Schmitt of Amanda Truth Photography

MUA: Makeup By MUA, Keren Robinson

Floral Bouquet: Catherine's Distinctive Floral Designs, Catherine Gustafson

Gorgeous bouquet! I loved all of the different flowers and textures!

I also took advantage of the opportunity to play with manual focus. It's not something I usually need to use, but I was really pleased with the result of shooting through these little flowers.

Gorgeous!

Emily & Vinnie Trash the Dress Session ~ Lynnhaven Fishing Pier

I met Emily & Vinnie bright and early for their trash the dress session. The photo session was a gift from Emily's parents for their first anniversary! 

I was stoked when Emily called me and told me she wanted to do a beach trash the dress session with her beautiful lace dress. I had been wanting to do one for a while! (Another item crossed off my 101 in 1001 list!)

The session was everything we wanted it to be and more. And we loved how deserted the beach was that early in the day. Not to mention how comfortable the temperature was! Enjoy my favorites from the shoot!

The Lynnhaven Fishing Pier was the perfect spot for the session! I loved all the options that the pier gave us!

Tips for a Fabulous Bridal Session ~ Wedding Weekly

Are you thinking about having a bridal session? Are you worried about getting your dress dirty before the big day? Confused about what to bring? Here are a few tips to make sure your bridal session leads to beautiful images.

-The most important thing in any bridal session is keeping the dress perfectly clean. Having a gown cleaned is expensive, but it won't be necessary if you take the right precautions. First, choose the right location. We chose the location for Jill's bridals because the pathway was paved and our 2nd choice had a dirty gravel pathway. We also brought a sheet for her to stand on in the grass and a towel for her to sit on. We even spread the sheet over the car seat. Basically, don't let the dress touch anything that could possibly be dirty.

-Bring a friend. Most likely your mom or maid of honor would jump at the chance to come to your bridal session, and having someone to carry your train and bouquet ensures that your dress doesn't drag on the ground while you're walking. This person also comes in handy with holding reflectors and carrying other things like your veil and shoes.

-Have a bouquet. Whether you order one from your florist or make your own, if you have a bouquet to hold, you'll always have something to do with your hands, so you will have a wider range of poses.

-Choose either your hair trial or makeup trial day for your bridal session. Since you're doing the trial anyway, you can put it to good use.

-Consider doing something different with your hair. I love simple loose curls for a bridal session. Many brides are concerned with their hair lasting all day, so they stray away from an all-down look. So it's a great choice for a bridal.

-If you plan to wear a veil on your wedding day, use it for at least some of your pictures. And it's best to save those pictures for last, so you don't have the difficult task of taking the veil out without messing up your hair.

-Wait until close to the wedding. As eager as you are to schedule your bridal session, hold off until your dress fittings are done, especially if your dress needs to be hemmed. You'll also want to have all of the accessories you'll wear on your wedding day, unless you want your bridal session to have a different look. You'll need to leave enough time for the photos to be processed and printed, but more than 5-6 weeks is just going to make it harder to keep your dress a secret.

Are you ready to book your bridal session?