Make Your Bridal Portraits Picture Perfect

It's the day you've been dreaming about for years. You're about to take the plunge, and walk down the aisle to the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. You're smiling bigger than you'd ever thought possible, but wait! Where is that darn photographer?

As you're in the process of making memories to last a lifetime, the last thing you want to worry about is where the person who's supposed to be documenting it all is lurking. Bridal portraits are something you want to plan ahead of time in a variety of ways, because it'll be the last thing you're thinking about on the day of, and the thing you look forward to most afterwards (besides the honeymoon!).

There are a couple of things to take into consideration. How much are you willing to spend for your bridal portraits? Bridal packages come in all shapes and sizes. If you're looking to spend several thousand dollars, you'll get your money's worth. These firms will send three to four photographers who will catch every shot from every angle. You may end up with more than you bargained for! Some of these companies will throw in a videographer for just a little extra, which kills two birds with one stone. However, for somewhere near a thousand dollars, you can get a good amount of photos, especially if you discuss in advance with your photographer which moments are most important to you. Of course, you can always just hire a friend- but only if you trust them completely. Nothing worse that relying on a pal to document the big day, only to find out later that they forgot to load the film.

Once you've decided how much you'll spend on your bridal portraits, you need to think about how you would like things done. Are you comfortable with them taking pictures during the ceremony? Would you prefer family shots to take place before or after the wedding? Some prefer to do the shots with bridesmaids and groomsmen, as well as close family, before the wedding so that everyone looks fresh and beautiful. However, for the superstitious in the crowd, bridal portraits should take place after the ceremony, so the groom can't see the bride beforehand!

Your big day is one you'll remember forever. However, just in case you'd like to show your kids pictures of you looking fabulous in a wedding dress, it's important to plan your bridal portraits ahead of time. If you can do that, your bridal portraits will be conveying your sweet memories for years and years to come.