Why a Bridal Session Might Be the Most Relaxing Part of Your Wedding Experience
- Makenzie Harris
- Jul 5
- 15 min read
How slowing down before your wedding day can help you feel more confident, enjoy your experience, and create timeless photographs you'll treasure for generations.
If you've been wondering whether a bridal session is worth adding to your wedding experience, the short answer is yes.
Not because you'll have more photographs.
Not because you'll get to wear your dress twice.
But because it completely changes the way many brides experience their wedding day.
Over the years, I've watched bridal sessions turn nervous brides into confident ones, rushed wedding timelines into relaxed experiences, and beautiful portraits into memories that mean even more because of the experience behind them.
"I'm awkward in front of the camera."
"I have no idea how to pose."
Those are the two things I hear before almost every bridal session.
And almost every single time, those same brides leave saying something completely different.
"I can't believe how much fun that was."
"I actually feel confident now."
"I can't wait for my wedding day!"
That's exactly why I love bridal sessions.
Yes, you'll walk away with beautiful portraits of yourself in your wedding dress, but that's only a small part of what makes these sessions so special. A bridal session gives you the opportunity to slow down, enjoy wearing your dress for more than one day, and experience every little detail of your bridal look before the excitement of your wedding arrives.
More importantly, it gives you the confidence to walk into your wedding day knowing exactly what to expect.
After photographing weddings for years, I've found that brides who choose to do a bridal session almost always feel more relaxed, more prepared, and more excited when it's finally time to say, "I do."
What Is a Bridal Session?
A bridal session is a portrait session that takes place before your wedding day, giving you the opportunity to wear your wedding dress, see your complete bridal look come together, and create timeless portraits without the time constraints of your wedding day.
I like to think of it as a dress rehearsal for your confidence.
Unlike your wedding day, there isn't a timeline to follow, guests waiting for the ceremony to begin, or a long list of events competing for your attention. Instead, you have the freedom to slow down and simply enjoy the experience.
We can explore beautiful locations, take advantage of gorgeous natural light, adjust your veil until it falls just right, and create a mix of elegant editorial portraits and genuine, joy-filled moments without ever feeling rushed.
It's one of the few parts of wedding planning that's entirely about celebrating you.
For many brides, it's also the first moment everything finally feels real.
Months of planning suddenly come together. The dress you've been dreaming about, the veil you've carefully chosen, the jewelry, the bouquet, the hair and makeup—it all becomes more than a collection of beautiful details. For the first time, you get to see yourself exactly as you'll look on your wedding day.
You're no longer imagining what it will feel like to be a bride.
For a little while...
You get to be one.
And I think that's a memory every bride deserves to experience.
"Think of a bridal session as a dress rehearsal for your confidence."
Makenzie - Labelle Moments
It's About So Much More Than Extra Photos
When people hear the words bridal session, they often assume it's simply another opportunity to take beautiful pictures before the wedding.
While you'll absolutely leave with portraits you'll treasure forever, that's only a small part of the experience.
The real value comes from everything that happens while we're creating them.
For a couple of hours, the timeline disappears. There isn't a ceremony waiting to begin or guests wondering where you are. Instead, you get the chance to slow down and simply enjoy becoming a bride. You have time to admire the details you've spent months planning, wear your dress for more than a few rushed hours, and experience your wedding look exactly as you imagined it.
Along the way, you'll discover little things you never would have known otherwise. You'll see how your dress moves when you walk, how your veil catches the wind, how your bouquet feels in your hands, and how naturally your smile appears once you stop thinking about the camera and start enjoying the moment.
By the end of the session, something begins to shift.
The photographs become almost secondary.
What stays with you is the feeling of slowing down for an afternoon and simply enjoying becoming a bride. Months of planning suddenly feel real, and instead of checking another task off your wedding checklist, you're creating memories you'll carry with you long before you ever walk down the aisle.
Most brides stop wondering whether they'll look good in photos and start looking forward to their wedding portraits. That confidence follows them into their wedding day and changes everything. Instead of feeling nervous about portraits, they're excited. Instead of worrying about how they'll pose, they know they'll be guided every step of the way. Instead of hoping they'll love their photographs, they already know they will.
Every Bridal Session Should Feel Uniquely Yours
One of the questions I'm asked most often is where I love photographing bridal sessions.
The truth is...
I don't have one favorite location.
Every bride is different, and I believe every bridal session should reflect that. One of my favorite parts of the planning process is helping each bride choose a location that feels authentic to her instead of trying to recreate someone else's photos.
For some brides, that's the wedding venue they've been dreaming about since the day they booked it. Others picture themselves wandering through a botanical garden surrounded by flowers, while some fall in love with the timeless elegance of a historic estate or the clean, editorial feel of a modern studio.
There isn't one "perfect" location.
The perfect location is the one that feels like you.
Pinterest is a wonderful place to gather inspiration, but your bridal session shouldn't feel like you're trying to step into someone else's story. Instead, it should celebrate your personality, your style, and everything that makes your wedding uniquely yours.
Rather than recreating someone else's photos, my goal is to create portraits that reflect the way you naturally laugh, move, and carry yourself. Those are the images that still feel just as meaningful years later because they never tried to be anyone else.
The most meaningful photographs aren't the ones that look exactly like Pinterest.
They're the ones that still feel like you twenty years from now.
"The goal isn't to recreate someone else's Pinterest board. It's to create portraits that feel like you."
Makenzie - Labelle Moments
A Bridal Session Gives You Time Back on Your Wedding Day
One of the biggest themes you'll notice throughout my wedding planning advice is creating enough space to actually experience your wedding day instead of simply making it through the timeline.
A bridal session is one of the easiest ways to do exactly that.
By the time your wedding arrives, we've already discovered what feels natural. You know how I photograph, I know what makes you laugh, and together we've figured out the poses, movements, and little moments that feel the most like you. Instead of spending the first twenty minutes of your wedding portraits getting comfortable in front of the camera, we can immediately start creating meaningful photographs together.
The biggest gift that creates isn't just more portraits.
It's more time.
For some couples, that means actually enjoying cocktail hour with their family and friends instead of rushing through another round of photos. For others, it's taking a few quiet minutes after the ceremony to step away from the crowd, take a deep breath, and simply soak in the fact that they're finally married.
I've had couples tell me those few uninterrupted minutes together became some of their favorite memories from the entire wedding day. There wasn't a timeline to think about or another event waiting to begin. It was simply a chance to look at each other, laugh, and say, "Holy crap... we're married."
That's time you'll never regret having.
One of my goals as your photographer isn't simply creating beautiful photographs. It's helping create a wedding day you'll genuinely enjoy living, so years from now your gallery doesn't just remind you what your wedding looked like.
It reminds you exactly how it felt.
Coming Soon: The Wedding Timeline Guide
Learn how to build a wedding-day timeline that gives you more time with your spouse, your family, and the moments you'll remember forever.
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Practice Your Wedding-Day Look Before the Big Day
If I could give every bride one piece of advice, it would be this:
Use your bridal session as your hair and makeup trial whenever possible.
Seeing your dress, veil, bouquet, jewelry, shoes, and hair all come together gives you the opportunity to see your complete bridal look before your wedding day instead of wondering how everything will come together that morning.
Most brides end up falling completely in love with their look exactly as it is. But every now and then, someone realizes they'd like to soften their curls, choose a different lipstick shade, add a little more volume to their hairstyle, or swap out a pair of earrings. They're usually small changes, but seeing your entire look together gives you the confidence of knowing you've made the right choices before your wedding day arrives.
For many brides, this is also the first time everything finally feels real.
Your dress is no longer hanging in a garment bag.
Your shoes aren't sitting in their box.
Your veil isn't folded away waiting for the big day.
For the first time, every piece comes together, and you're finally able to see yourself as a bride.
That's a memory worth experiencing before the whirlwind of your wedding day begins. Instead of rushing through those emotions while getting ready, you get the chance to slow down, take it all in, and simply enjoy this season of your life.
By the time your wedding day arrives, you won't be wondering if everything works together.
You'll already know.
Makenzie's Tip
If you can, schedule your bridal session on the same day as your hair and makeup trial. It's the easiest way to see your entire bridal look come together while there's still time to make any small changes before your wedding day.
Even Your Bouquet Can Benefit From a Trial Run
Your bouquet is one of the most photographed details you'll carry on your wedding day, yet it's something many brides don't think much about until the morning of their wedding.
If your florist offers a trial bouquet, I highly recommend taking advantage of it. Seeing your florals alongside your dress, veil, jewelry, and accessories gives you the opportunity to experience your complete vision before the wedding day arrives.
Sometimes you'll look at it and think, "This is exactly what I imagined."
Other times, you might find yourself saying, "I pictured it just a little differently."
And that's exactly why a trial can be so valuable.
Maybe you'd love a little more greenery, softer blooms, or a shape that feels a bit more organic. Those are thoughtful adjustments you have time to make now instead of wondering about them on your wedding day.
I've even had brides create their own bouquet just for their bridal session because they wanted to have fun with it or add a personal touch. Then, on their wedding day, they carried the bouquet their florist designed. There isn't a right or wrong approach.
The goal isn't creating the "perfect" bouquet.
It's making sure every detail feels intentional and reflects the vision you've been dreaming about all along.
By the time your wedding day arrives, you'll have the confidence of knowing everything works beautifully together, allowing you to focus on what really matters: soaking in every moment of one of the best days of your life.
Makenzie's Tip
If you're wearing a cathedral veil, bring it. Some of the most elegant portraits happen when we simply let the wind do its thing.
"I'm Awkward in Front of the Camera."
If I had a dollar for every time I heard this before a bridal session, I'd probably have enough to fund a few extra destination trips.
Almost every bride tells me some version of:
"I'm awkward in front of the camera."
Or...
"I have no idea how to pose."
The funny thing is, I almost never hear those same words after the session is over.
Instead, I hear things like:
"That was so much easier than I expected."
"I actually had fun."
"I can't believe that's me!"
Here's the truth: almost no one naturally knows how to pose, and that's completely okay because it's not your job.
My job is to help you feel comfortable enough that posing becomes second nature. We'll laugh, walk, twirl, chat, and probably take a few intentionally goofy photos along the way. Those little moments help you stop overthinking and start enjoying yourself instead of worrying about where to put your hands or whether you're smiling the "right" way.
As the session continues, you'll naturally start feeling more confident. We'll discover which poses flatter your dress, which angles you love most, and what feels the most like you. Maybe it's the way your dress moves when you're walking. Maybe it's the way your veil catches the wind. Maybe it's simply the smile that shows up when you're no longer thinking about the camera. Those are all things we discover together, and they're what make your gallery feel authentic instead of posed.
By the time your wedding day arrives, you'll already know exactly what to expect, allowing you to focus on being present with your spouse instead of worrying about what to do in front of the camera.
Instead of spending the first fifteen or twenty minutes of your wedding portraits trying to relax in front of the camera, you'll already feel comfortable. You know how I work, I know what makes you laugh, and we can immediately begin creating beautiful images together. That means less time warming up and more time enjoying your wedding day.
More than anything, I want every bride to leave her bridal session feeling confident. Not because she learned how to pose perfectly, but because she realized she never had to. The most meaningful photographs have never been about perfect posing. They've always been about genuine emotion.
Makenzie's Tip
Don't worry about trying to pose perfectly. Some of my favorite photographs happen in the moments between the poses, when you're laughing, fixing your dress, or simply enjoying becoming a bride.
Why I Recommend Bridal Sessions Before the Wedding
While bridal portraits can absolutely be photographed after your wedding day, I almost always recommend scheduling them beforehand whenever possible.
The biggest reason is confidence.
A bridal session allows you to experience your full wedding look before your wedding arrives. You'll know how your dress feels, how your hair and makeup photograph, and what poses make you feel your best. Instead of walking into your wedding day wondering how everything will come together, you'll already have that reassurance.
It also creates more flexibility in your wedding timeline. Since we've already photographed many of your individual bridal portraits, we can spend less time focusing on solo images and more time capturing the moments that only happen once, like portraits with your spouse, celebrating with family, and simply soaking in the excitement of finally being married.
Imagine finishing your ceremony and realizing you don't have to spend the next thirty minutes catching up on individual bridal portraits because you've already created many of them. Instead, you get to enjoy cocktail hour together, celebrate with your family, or steal away for five quiet minutes with your new spouse to simply look at each other and say, "We're actually married."
Those are moments no photographer can recreate later, and they're absolutely worth protecting.
That's time you'll never regret having.
One of the biggest themes you'll notice throughout my wedding planning advice is creating space to actually experience your wedding day instead of constantly moving from one event to the next. If a bridal session gives you even fifteen extra minutes to slow down, breathe, and simply enjoy being together, I genuinely believe it's one of the best investments you can make.
My goal has never been to simply create beautiful photographs.
It's to help create a wedding day you'll genuinely enjoy living, so years from now your gallery doesn't just remind you what your wedding looked like.
It reminds you exactly how it felt.
Ready to Plan Your Bridal Session?
A bridal session is about so much more than creating beautiful portraits.
It's about building confidence before your wedding day. It's about slowing down long enough to enjoy becoming a bride. It's about giving yourself the opportunity to experience your wedding a little more fully by taking one piece of the timeline and turning it into something intentional instead of rushed.
Years from now, I don't want you to simply remember what your dress looked like.
I want you to remember how you felt wearing it.
I want you to remember the excitement of seeing your complete bridal look for the first time.
I want you to remember the laughter, the conversations, and the feeling of realizing your wedding day was finally around the corner.
I want you to remember how excited you felt putting on your dress.
How your veil danced in the wind.
The conversations you had on the drive home.
The moment it finally sank in that you were about to marry your best friend.
Because those are the memories that turn beautiful photographs into lifelong heirlooms.
Most of all, I want your wedding day to feel exactly the way you've always imagined it—not rushed, not stressful, but filled with meaningful moments you'll remember for the rest of your life.
If you're dreaming of a wedding experience that feels relaxed, intentional, and genuinely joyful, I'd love to help you create it.
Because years from now, I don't just want you to love your photographs.
I want them to transport you back to exactly how it felt becoming husband and wife.
Continue Reading
If you found this guide helpful, here are a few more resources you may enjoy as you continue planning your wedding.
Luxury Wedding Planning Timeline
Learn how to build a wedding timeline that gives you room to actually enjoy your day instead of rushing from one event to the next. (coming soon)
Discover thoughtful ways to create a wedding that feels elegant today and just as beautiful decades from now.
Wedding Weekends: Why One Day Sometimes Isn't Enough
See how extending your celebration creates more meaningful memories with the people you love most.
(coming soon)
Your First Family Heirloom: Why Wedding Albums Matter More Than Ever
Coming Soon
Explore a real weddings for inspiration, ideas, and timeless details.
See how couples have celebrated their love in unforgettable places around the world.
Browse real bridal sessions and discover what your own experience could look like.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I schedule my bridal session?
I usually recommend scheduling your bridal session about one to three months before your wedding. By then, your dress should be altered, your wedding details are starting to come together, and you'll have enough time to use your hair and makeup trial while still leaving room for any adjustments you'd like to make before the big day.
Should I use my bridal session as my hair and makeup trial?
Yes, and I highly recommend it. Seeing your complete bridal look together before your wedding gives you the opportunity to make any final adjustments while there's still time. Most brides end up loving everything exactly as it is, but if you decide you'd like softer curls, a different lipstick shade, or a small tweak to your hairstyle, you'll have the chance to make those changes before your wedding day.
Should I bring my real bouquet?
If possible, yes. Some florists offer trial bouquets, and I highly recommend taking advantage of that if it's an option. Seeing your bouquet alongside your dress, veil, and accessories helps you see your full vision come together. If a trial bouquet isn't available, don't worry. I've had brides bring a similar bouquet or even create one themselves, and the photos still turn out beautifully.
Where should we have the session?
The best location is the one that feels the most like you.
That could be your wedding venue, a botanical garden, an elegant estate, a downtown studio, or another location that's meaningful to your story. During your planning process, we'll talk through your vision and choose a location that complements both your style and your wedding.
What should I bring to my bridal session?
Bring everything that completes your wedding-day look, including:
Your wedding dress
Veil
Shoes
Jewelry
Bouquet
Think of it as a full wedding-day dress rehearsal.
How long does a bridal session last?
Most bridal sessions last between 1½ and 2 hours. That gives us plenty of time to explore your location, create a variety of portraits, adjust your veil and dress as needed, and capture both editorial-inspired portraits and genuine candid moments without ever feeling rushed.
What if I'm awkward in front of the camera?
You're in good company because almost every bride tells me the exact same thing.
The wonderful part is that you don't have to know how to pose before your session. I'll guide you through everything, helping you feel comfortable and confident so your photographs look natural instead of forced. By the end of the session, most brides tell me they actually enjoyed being in front of the camera and can't wait for their wedding portraits.
Will my fiancé see the photos before the wedding?
That's completely up to you! Many brides choose to keep their bridal portraits a surprise until after the wedding, while others display a favorite image at the reception, use one in a guest book, or gift a print or album before the ceremony. There isn't a right or wrong choice—it's all about what feels the most meaningful to the two of you.
Can I include my mom or maid of honor?
Absolutely. Some of my favorite moments happen when a mom helps her daughter into her dress or gets to see her completely ready before the wedding. If having someone special there would make the experience even more meaningful, I'm always happy to include them.
What happens if it rains?
We'll keep an eye on the forecast together. Depending on the weather, we can either embrace the mood that rain creates or simply reschedule for another day. The goal is for your bridal session to be relaxed, enjoyable, and reflective of the experience you deserve.
Can I have a bridal session after my wedding?
Of course. While I usually recommend scheduling your bridal session before your wedding because of the confidence and timeline benefits it provides, there's absolutely nothing wrong with scheduling one afterward. Whether you simply want another excuse to wear your dress or you'd like portraits at a location you couldn't visit on your wedding day, I'd be honored to help you create those memories.
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