Gabrielle at Arsenal Park in Baton Rouge

Bridal sessions are BY FAR one of my most favorite sessions to shoot. It’s all about the bride, there is no timeline pressure that a wedding day provides, and lets be honest, no one is worrying about making the groom happy! Its kinda like the difference between have a girls night, or a double date! Double dates are awesome!! But, lets be real, girls nights are always a heck of a lot more fun! We can talk candidly, let each other know when to plump your boobs, and laughing is part of it!

One of my biggest regrets of my wedding planning process is not doing a bridal session. Why you may ask? Well, because we had a super short engagement (6 months-hellooo!) and I was all about keeping my life stress free. (still do) I didn’t have one because I thought, “It’s just too stressful.” But if I would have had the resources and help I have today, I would have TOTALLY done it! So here are my TOP three tips for a stress free bridal session!

1. Choose a Location with a Porch or Indoor Option

Yall, if you live in Louisiana, you KNOW how extremely unpredictable the weather is. I love my friends at WAFB, but lets be real, they aren’t God, and they really can’t guarantee a rain free day. I have scheduled sessions where it was 0% chance of rain, and I swear to you, not a cloud in the sky and WAHBAM! A drizzle all of a sudden sprouts from the sky! What. the. actual. heck. SO! To take the weather stress out of the equation, just choose a great location with a pretty porch or indoor option! Thankfully, we live in south Louisiana where plantation homes are on every corner. A few of my favorite places to shoot are White Oak Plantation in Baton Rouge, it has a beautiful porch with massive white columns, and also the inside is amazing! Another favorite is Rosedown Plantation in St. Francisville! This place is a gorgeous. Not only does it have a gorgeous porch, but it has the CUTEST green house that creates the most fabulous light!! 

A few of my other favorite locations are Arsenal Park in BR, LSU Botanic Gardens, and Windrush Gardens.

2. Schedule Hair and Makeup Early in the Day!

I always schedule my bridal sessions about 2 hours before sunset. This gives us that glowy gorgeous light that makes your skin look flawless! So that means we won’t even start until mid to late evening! A lot of brides try to schedule the hair and makeup to end right before their session begins. But y’all, the last thing you want is to be annoyed at your hair and makeup girls because they’re running late. Do yourself a favor and just schedule your hair and makeup to be done in the morning. Grab your bestie, make some mimosas, relax, and just make a day of it! The amount of hairspray and the type of professional makeup products these girls use, I promise you— your hair and face aren’t going anywhere! 

3. Bring your Most Supportive and Encouraging Person

Notice I said “person” and not “entourage”? I always say, the more the merrier… I’m truly an extrovert who loves people! But when you take bridals, sometimes the more people the more stressful it can become. About 90% of my brides bring their mom as their helper, but it some situations, their mom is not available. I’ve had some brides who brought their mother-in-law, their sister, their best friend, their step-mom, and I even had a bride who brought her work-bestie! Always do what’s best for you! Who makes you feel the most comfortable, who you can rely on, and has been your support system through the entire process! And if you’re a #brittanybrucebride and worried about not inviting someone because of hurting their feelings you can totally blame it on me!:) “My photographer only lets one person come to her bridal sessions”. Boom. Problem solved. 🙂

So my friends who like to keep life simple and stress free… this one’s for you! Even if you aren’t a bride (yet), or maybe a bride veteran, share this post with the lady in your life with a ring on her finger! She may need this!!

And if you don’t already, see what we’re up to on the daily on Instagram and Facebook! 

Peace and blessings,

Brittany