5 Reasons to Take Bridals Before or After Your Wedding or Elopement Day

Katie Mae Williams
Apr 22
2 min read

Featuring a Western Inspired Bridal Session with her Horse

Bride in cowboy hat on black horse, holding bouquet up, wears white dress and fur coat. Mountains and clear sky in the background.

So many couples are choosing to do their bridals before or after the wedding day. Sometimes, the wedding itself just isn’t enough time to capture the parts of you that don’t fit inside a ceremony. Here are 10 reasons why couples like this one choose to make space for a session like this:

1. More Time, Less Stress

On the wedding day, every minute counts. Bridal sessions offer a relaxed space where you're not worrying about rushing to cocktail hour or whether Grandma found her seat. You get to slow down and enjoy.

Bride in a white dress and cowboy hat holds flowers next to a dark horse. Sun sets behind a fence and bare trees, creating a warm glow.

2. Dreamy Locations

Want mountaintop views at prime golden hour? These kinds of spots might be too far or too complicated to reach on the wedding day. Doing bridals separately gives you the freedom to get creative with your setting without worrying about timeline constraints.

3. Hair + Makeup Trial Run

Many brides schedule their session before the wedding as a full glam test run. You get to see how your hair and makeup hold up in real light and on camera, and your glam team gets to see how everything photographs. Win-win!

Woman in white coat and hat stands next to a black horse at sunset, touching its face. Warm light creates a serene mood.

4. A Chance to Wear Your Dress Twice

Who doesn’t want to wear their wedding dress more than once? Whether you do bridals before or after, it’s a chance to slip into your gown again and make more memories in it.

5. Better Weather Flexibility

Sometimes Mother Nature doesn’t get the memo. Scheduling bridals separately means we can chase the good light and avoid rainy days, giving you the best possible conditions for your portraits.