Seven Reasons to Have a Formal Portrait Session
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. It is a day filled with love, laughter, and so much joy, and it is a day that you will cherish forever. Wedding photos are a way to capture all of the special moments of your wedding day and to relive them for years to come. Your wedding photos tell the story of your wedding day, from the moment you get ready to the moment you say "I do" and dance the night away. They will help you remember all of the little details of your day, as well as the big moments. You will be able to pass these photos down to your children and grandchildren so that they can learn about your wedding day and see the love that you share with your spouse.
Bridals vs Formals
Bridal photos are more traditional photos that are taken prior to the wedding day and only include the bride in her gown. The more modern take is “formals”. These are portraits of the bride and groom, both on their own and together. A lot of my LDS clients have been taking these photos on the temple grounds where they plan to be married, but you certainly don’t have to! These photos are different from wedding day or reception photos because they are of just the two of you with no one else in the background. Here are my top seven reasons to have a formal portrait session before your wedding day.
7 Reasons to take formals
Free up space in your wedding timeline. The wedding day can get hectic and stressful. Doing your wedding portraits separately from the wedding day timeline will ease up on your schedule and free up so much time.
Enjoy your session with no audience. I love how relaxing wedding photos feel when it is just the bride and groom with no rush and no audience. You are able to share peaceful moments between the two of you as you prepare for your big day.
Have a more genuine first look. Formals give you the opportunity to do a non-rushed, true reaction first look. You won’t need to worry about time or what others are thinking in the background. Not only does this create beautiful and emotional photos, but it will be a sweet memory for the two of you.
Schedule a hair and makeup trial run. As you get ready for your formals, you should bring out the hair and makeup artist that will be working with you on your actual wedding day. This is the perfect test run to make sure that every piece of your overall look works.
Choose a location that is special to you. Your formals can be held in a meaningful location, whether that is the wedding venue, the temple, a special park, etc. I recommend a peaceful place with few distractions and people that could clutter up your photos.
Create more home decor possibilities. Having a full session of formals in addition to the photos from your wedding day gives you even more photos to choose from when you are decorating your home together.
Decorate your reception with wedding portraits. Formal photos are perfect for decorating your wedding reception. Have your favorites printed and framed for your guests to admire at the reception.
A formal portrait session provides so many benefits to you and your future spouse with little to no downside. Reach out to your wedding photographer to schedule a session before your big day!
