Morgan Dawson Photography

Wardrobe Wednesday {pre-wedding bridal sessions}

When I got married I never thought about scheduling a bridal shoot before the big day. If I were to do it all over again, I’d definitely plan a day all for myself to try on the gown, practice my hair and makeup, and have FUN. Guest contributor Kristi Flower, of Kendalls Media, tells us everything you need to know about bridal portraits.

****************

FIVE reasons every bride should have bridal portraits taken BEFORE her wedding day:

1. Playing dress-up is FUN.  When was the last time you played dress-up?  

2. Practice makes perfect.  This is the day you will practice your hairstyle, make-up and “wearing” your gown.  It’s a great trial run for the wedding day!  

3. You can experiment.  Get crazy on the day of your bridals.  Add a hairpiece or wear red lipstick!  Do something you might not dare to do on your actual wedding day.

4. You get to spend time with your mom, mother-in-law and friends.  I always recommend you bring your entourage!

5. It’s ALL about YOU!  You deserve to have one day of being pampered and ohhh and awwww’d over!  

Below is an example of a recent bridal shoot; I did with the beautiful Taeler.  She started the shoot with a glamorous look, golden eyes and nude lips!  She also wore the jewelry she planned on wearing on her wedding day. A beautiful cuff bracelet and Crystal oval drop earrings from Nadri. Her jewelry was a shower gift from her mother.   Taeler wanted a classic look on her wedding day but also wanted to showcase her great grandmother’s vintage costume jewelry.  Instead of adding one more thing on the wedding day we decided we would incorporate the jewelry in her bridals.  We did this in her second look, its what I call “Vintage love”.   We achieved this by applying red lipstick, a black feather hairpiece (I found at forever 21) and her great grandmother’s vintage costume jewelry.  Taeler had NEVER worn red lipstick and was a little timid about it, however, after seeing her photos she was super happy that she tried something different.  The third look we changed locations and she really let her hair down.  She wanted a more urban feel.  I found a beautiful turquoise garage (car repair shop).  She really let loose and had a fabulous time dancing and flipping her hair around! In a matter of two hours we achieved three totally different looks!  Simple changes can make a dramatic difference!  

Helpful Tips for a smooth sailing bridal session:

1. Schedule your bridal session at least six to eight weeks before your wedding date.

2. When scheduling your hair and make-up allow for at least three hours.

3. Bring the following items in a bag to your bridal session:

  

* comfy shoes

* a white sheet

* baby wipes

* make-up

* hair spray

* water

* snacks

* comb or brush

* jewelry

4. If you’re planning on having a floral bouquet in your portraits, order it at least a week in advance.  Pick it up a couple of hours before your session.

5. Invite people you feel comfortable around!

6. Bring your ipod.

7. Make sure you eat, even if it’s an apple and lettuce!  A lightheaded bride= a cranky bride!

8. Make sure you have your bridal gown, slip, bustier and shoes.

9. Review fashion magazine or bridal magazines to get an idea about posing.  Your photographer will always guide you but it doesn’t hurt to have your own moves.

10. Have FUN….

 

Make-up resources

Vintage look:

Face:

MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear SPF 10 foundation…$29.50

 

Bronzer:

MAC Cosmetics Bronzing Powder (Golden)…$22.00

Cheeks:

MAC Cosmetics Blush Creme (Posey)…$18.50

Eyeshadow:

MAC Cosmetics Eye Kit…Trip 4 bronze eyes and cheeks…$32.00

Eye liner:

Sephora Collection Long lasting eye liner (deep black)…$10.00 

False eyelashes:

MAC Cosmetics 6 lash…$14.00

Mascara:

FusionBeauty:

Lashfusion XL Micro Technology Instant lash Volumizer (black)…$10.00

Lips:

Kat Von D Adora painted red lipstick…$18.00

Achieve a subtler look by changing your lipstick.

Lips:

Sephora Collection Lip attitude (star)…$12.00

Sephora Collection Ultra Shine Lip gloss Shiny Natural look…$14.00

Jewelry and hair accessory

vintage black feather hairpiece 

Black feather headband was purchased at forever 21…$4.80

Earrings:

Nadri Constellation Oval earrings at Nordstrom…$58.00

 

Bracelet:

Designer is Nadri and can be purchased at Nordstrom

A similar bracelet is Nadri Fine Points Chrystal bangel…$158.00

Vintage earrings:

Taeler’s great grandmother’s

Great place to find vintage costume jewelry is Etsy - search vintage costume jewelry

 

Vintage diamond necklace:

Taeler’s great grandmother’s 

Taeler’s Wedding Gown:

Gateway Bridal in Salt Lake City, Utah

Taeler’s Hair and Make-Up Artist

Lezlee Jones…The Salon in Bountiful, Utah

Wardrobe Wednesday {wedding details}

On your big day, how can you take your wardrobe to the next level? Wedding photographer extraordinaire Stephanie Reeder, of Stephanie Reeder Photography, has killer style and some great suggestions. And be sure to check out her links at the end - I'm already addicted to one of them... Thanks, Stephanie!

She writes...

It's your special day and you want to capture it all!! As a wedding photographer I am always looking for the smallest details and personalization. So ladies and well gents when it comes to planning your special day always remember the smallest detail is and will be captured. I love when a bride personalizes not only herself, but her groom, and bridesmaid as well.  I am not about to tell a bride what to wear on her special day, but I thought it would be fun to discuss some great trends and alternatives for those who love to dream of all things beautiful!

Hair piece or veil? 

A veil is a beautiful and traditional way to go and how stunning is a bride with a fingertip veil walking down the isle. Some fun ways to be different and bring flare to your dress is glamorizing your style by adding a fun broach,  bird cage veil, and/or soft feather to your hair.

Jewelry

Every girl dreams of her special day all dressed in white. Now it's time to accessorize with jewels and gorgeous gems. I love when a bride has a special story behind her jewelry. Whether it was on a romantic trip to Mexico where she found the bluest of turquoise bracelet, or personalized it further with her great grandmothers diamond earrings. Either way by adding a story to your jewelry it tells an additional story or memory in your wedding day photos. Also something fun to remember is adding color to your dress through jewelry gives an extra detail some brides tend to overlook.

Shoes

Remember comfort is important when picking out your shoes. Make sure to be aware of the ground you'll be walking on as well. Golf courses and heels don't always favor one another, neither do stilettos and cobble stone. After choosing your comfort think of personalizing your footwear with glam, fun colors, or the cutest of floral.

Bridal Bouquet

Choose your favorite flowers and style them together by adding a special touch with your mother's broach, favorite trinket, or that special butterfly that reminds you of someone special. Your flowers are what complete your look and why not keep the story telling going with the array of beautiful flowers which will be held in your hands and lead by your heart.

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids make sure to always keep the bride at heart and ask her what she wishes for you to wear on her special day. With that being said, it's always a fun idea to have a theme with accessories and shoes for your bridesmaids. I have even seen where brides get creative and make special flower wristlets for their bridal parties or have them walk the isles with different arrangements such as lanterns, crystal balls, and even lollipops to fit their candied theme.

Groom

Now ladies, I know we dream of how our dresses, shoes, and jewelry come together, but don't forget the men in your life who will fabulously be meeting and leading you down the isle. Color coordination is key and already probably a known, but don't forget those small details we were talking of earlier. Cufflinks, handkerchiefs, socks, and ties are always a special and fun way to accessorize. Trends now, are even suggesting the simplest of suites if your style permits. 

Oh how the details could go on. I could seriously re-plan my wedding over and over again with details, but in the end, its those details I remember in my photographs. Your photographer is there to help capture your planning, your fairytale dreams, and love of your special day. Keep every detail personal to you and your fiance. Find a theme or even a story to tell through out your day. If you ever need some great inspiration, head on over to some of my favorite blogs. Happy Planning!

Style Me Pretty

One Lovely Day

One White Dress

Ruffled

 

At last...Kris and Mickey {wedding sneak peek}

A wedding with an amazing couple and a reception along the shore of Keuka Lake - perfect!

Kris and Mickey - thank you again for choosing me to photograph your wedding day. You, your family and friends made me feel more like a guest than just the photographer. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek photos.

Cheers and Congrats!