Why You Need to Book a Bridal Session

A bride’s perspective

It’s no secret that I think every single bride should have a bridal session. I could shout it from the rooftops how essential I think it is! Both for straight up fun purposes (let’s just twirl around in your dress because, okay?). But more importantly to BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE!! 

So yes I could shout it at you, but how about we ask a bride herself what she thinks? 🙂 

McKenzie got married last September and when she first booked HMP, she did not want a bridal session. It just wasn’t really on her radar!

Then about 3 months into our time together, she shoots me an email that just made my day: Holly I want to do bridals with you!! YES!!! 

Wanting to take a peek into her thought process, I asked her on her thoughts on why she changed her mind and how her bridal session improved her wedding day! Let’s dive in!! 

(P.S. first do you want to see how stunning Mckenzie looks in her bridals? Of course you do! Click here to see!)

HMP: What were a few of your deciding factors when thinking about booking a bridal session? Since you booked your session separately, what made you change your mind about having one? 

McKenzie: I went back and forth so many times about having bridal portraits taken. I kept thinking “why do I need photos in my dress by myself” and  “where would I even put them in our house”. 

I love my dress so much that I’d sleep in/wear it everyday if I could. Sooo, bridal portraits were a good excuse for me to get to wear that bad boy for a couple hours extra apart from the wedding day. Another reason was that I couldn’t let my makeup/hair trial go to waste. There’s not very many times in life that I get to rock professionally done makeup and hair. 

But, it was ultimately Steven that changed my mind about having bridal portraits taken. He knew that if I just had a few photos taken by myself on the day of the wedding that I wouldn’t have been able to relax as well as if I had photos taken separately. 

As soon as he made this point, I was sold on having a session. Plus, he was super excited about me getting these pictures taken which made the decision of saying yes that much easier. 

Going back to the day of your bridal session, what was going through your mind? Were you feeling nervous/excited/confident/etc? 

I was SOOO nervous yet excited! There were many thoughts running through my head all day. My hair and makeup was getting done pretty early in the day so sitting still most of the day was not ideal for my nerves. I hadn’t tried my dress on in a month leading up to my bridals. Needless to say I was a bit worried it wouldn’t fit as well as I remembered. 

I was nervous that my hand made faux bouquet would look like just that. I made it the night before because I had forgot that I needed something to hold for the photos. It actually doesn’t look too bad in my photos which was such a relief. 

The Texas heat was on my mind, as well, due to the fact that it was supposed to be the hottest day of the year (thankful for the A/C at the Woodbine Mansion). I was nervous I wouldn’t get any good photos 

What was your favorite thing or favorite part about having your session? 

Honestly, HOLLY  was my most favorite part about the session. She was so great throughout the entire session.

Having solo pictures taken is awkward but she made me feel so at ease and beautiful that I could have done a full day session. She was so sweet and motivating the whole time. I walked away feeling extra confident because of her and the photos she captured are PERFECT.

My second favorite part was the venue [Woodbine Mansion], of course. From the pink ceilings to the original chandeliers to the adorable couches to the most beautiful magnolia trees. It was just all utter perfection. I’m so happy I found it on pinterest because it was the most gorgeous backdrop for every photo.  If anyone needs a venue for bridal portraits, this is definitely the spot!

What was an unexpected result that came from having a bridal session?

The confidence boost that I felt when I saw my pictures for the first time. From the moment I found my dress, I kept telling myself that I needed to get serious about working out so I would feel 100% confident on the day of the wedding. Wellll, fast forward to the bridal session which was a month before the wedding and I still hadn’t been serious about my workout routine. The whole day leading up to the session, I was so worried that I wasn’t going to look how I’ve always envisioned myself looking on my wedding day. 

When I saw the photos, all of these thoughts left my mind and I was no longer worried about how I’d look in my dress. I wanted to show Steven all of the photos immediately because I felt so beautiful and wanted to see his reaction. I LOVE every single picture and I’ve looked at them once sometimes twice a day since I received them. 

Anything last thing you’d like to add? 🙂 

If you are even contemplating having a bridal session, go ahead and book one. Even if you aren’t contemplating, you should book one. You’ll get beautiful pictures AND you get to hang out with Holly. You definitely won’t regret it.

I recommend not scheduling more than a month away from your wedding either because I was about to pop from not being able to show Steven. Oh, and don’t forget about the bouquet 🙂

There you have it friends!

Straight from a beautiful bride! A huge thank you to McKenzie for taking the time and sharing her thoughts with us! I’d like to now take this opportunity to brag about how gorgeous all my #HMbrides are!! Click here to see all the bridal sessions and get ~inspired~ for your own!

Have you thought about having a bridal session or are you already doing one? Tell me your thought process in the comments below!