Happy #WeddingWednesday everyone! I’m thrilled to finally be able to share with y’all more wedding content! Keep scrolling to see the beautiful bridal portraits Kelly from the wonderful Mint Photography took of me, along with bridal portrait day essentials and tips for having a stress-free and amazing time!

Favorite Bridal Accessories 

VENDORS | Venue: Villa Del Lago , Austin Texas| Photography: Mint Photography | Videography: MoonLit | Wedding Planner: Noelle with Heavenly Day Events (the best!) | Makeup: NisaNicole

DETAILS | Dress: Martina Liana via De Ma Fille | Shoes: Badgley Mischka |  Earrings: Crystal Chandelier Earrings via ETSY | Hair Pieces: Crystal Hair Piece, also love this floral hair comb | Bridal Getting Ready Robe  | Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in ‘Mighty’ | Bridal Belts: Beaded Metallic Sash & ‘Alena’ Beaded Ribbon Sash

Bridal Portrait Tips

1. Bring someone with you! Be it your mom, sister and/or best friend. Sometimes photographers don’t have an assistant so it’s important to bring someone along to help out. Trust me, even if they’re there just for moral support, it’s best to have someone with you. I brought along my sister and my mom and it made the whole experience that much better! 
2. Schedule enough prep time. We were driving down from Dallas to Austin and it did get stressful trying to make it on time for makeup and hair. From there we still needed to check into the Hotel Van Zandt (love), do some touchups, change into my dress and get out to Villa Del Lago. Make sure you are providing yourself with a buffer when it comes to scheduling. Also, have a list of items you need to bring to your bridal portrait photoshoot and read it off right before you go. We were in such a rush we ended up forgetting my veil! 
3. Schedule your bridal portraits during golden hour for the best lighting. Kelly, my photographer suggested this and the lighting in my pictures is beyond beautiful! 
4. Pick a meaningful location. Since Villa Del Lago is our wedding venue I also thought it would be fantastic if I picked it for my bridal portraits. The venue is gorgeous and I knew it would hold so many amazing memories, which made it the perfect choice for me. 
5. Create a ‘Bridal Portraits Inspiration’ board on Pinterest. This is especially helpful for your photographer. I made sure to show Kelly the pictures / poses I wanted.
6. Research hair and makeup and make sure you do a trial run!!! I cannot stress this enough! I had a horrible experience with my trial run and was lucky enough to get out of my contract. My wedding planner, Noelle from Heavenly Day Events, came to my rescue with a list of super talented and wonderful makeup artists and hair stylists and she really saved the day! Email me and/or leave us a comment below if you would like the pre-vetted list as I am more than happy to share! Also, big thank you to Nisa Nicole Makeup & Hair by Erica Rae who both made me look and feel beautiful on my wedding day! 
7. Beauty sleep and prep is key! Get enough sleep the week before leading up to your bridal portraits. Spa out and take time for yourself. I recommend a relaxing bath, along with a moisturizing face mask, exfoliation, and then lather up in your favorite body butter. Also, whiten your teeth up to two weeks before. 
8. Hydrate. Bring water with you! This is super important. Many people forget to bring water and end up getting dehydrated, especially if it’s hot. My wedding planner even had someone faint on her so please be careful! Plus, water will refresh you so make sure you have it on hand. 
9. Bring along items to touchup in between pictures. My essentials: Chanel Coco Rouge lipstick, Laura Mercier sheer pressed perfecting powder, hairspray, bobby pins, breath mints or gum to help refresh, bandaids (breaking the wedding shoes in) flip flops and deodorant. 
10. Last but not least, Be present! This is one of the most incredible times of your life. Stress can sneak in and things can be moving faster than normal so make sure to stop and take it all in! Loosen up and have fun in front of the camera. Smile! Remind yourself how beautiful you are and think happy thoughts!

Bridal Portrait Essentials

Xo! Emily