Wedding Customs & Traditions Forum

Bridal Portrait

Just curious...how many of you had a bridal portrait done and then displayed at your wedding? Being from the Midwest, I've never seen this done, but it's fairly common where I'm getting married and some of my Southern relatives are shocked (that's putting it mildly) that I'm not sitting for one. I'm indifferent really, but could see some of my northern friends/family wondering why I have a giant photo of myself on an easel so prominently displayed....is it that common?
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Re: Bridal Portrait

  • Are you from the South, if you don't mind me asking?
  • It's common here in Texas to have either bridal portraits or engagement photos of the couple displayed at the wedding reception, or both. The only weddings I have attended have been in Texas and mine will also be in Texas. I will probably display one of my favorite photos from either my bridal or engagement sessions.

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    "They say there's no such place... as Paradise. Even if you search to the ends of the Earth, there's nothing there. No matter how far you walk, it's always the same road. It just goes on and on. But, in spite of that... Why am I so driven to find it? A voice calls to me... It says, 'Search for Paradise.' " - Kiba, Wolf's Rain

  • I honestly love my bridals and have 5 of them displayed on my living room wall. I'm in NC, and it seems to be not as common as it once was, as I don't know anyone else who did a bridal shoot any time recently. A family friend whose wedding I was in when I was 5 did one, perhaps mostly for a photo to put in the newspaper. I suppose it makes me vain, but seriously some of the pictures from mine look like they came out of a wedding magazine.

    My cousin did an engagement session instead and used the pictures for her guestbook
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  • I've never heard of this before.

    I'm from SoCal.
  • These seem to be making a comeback in Southwest Virginia, near TN and NC. I'm from Ohio and had never heard of this before, but quite a few people that I know that have married recently had Bridals. One didn't leave herself enough time and the finished products didn't arrive in time for the wedding, so be sure to give yourself time if you do! :)
  • I've heard of the tradition, but I don't know anyone who did it.

    (Other than my mother, who did it 30-odd years ago.)

    I'm in Central PA. We did formal portraits at the wedding, some of which are of me alone. I could display those.
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    I'm gonna go with 'not my circus, not my monkeys.'
  • I'm in Texas, and every wedding I've been to has had bridals on display, and I'm feeling lots of pressure to have mine done before the wedding!

    I had wanted bridals before my wedding, but timing with my dress alterations and our moving schedule is making it difficult to meet with the photographer.

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  • I'm from MA and never heard of this or seen it done. Sounds really weird to me and I don't see the point.

                                                                     

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  • I lived in Texas for almost 20 years. Bridal portraits were/are the norm. My ex's middle daughter had bridals done and displayed at her wedding/PPD.


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  • Thanks for the response, ladies! I'm leaning toward no on this one only because I'm not sure it's worth the extra trip down there or the cost (would need to get hair/makeup done, etc.) I also just don't know if it's my style really. I have no idea what I'd do with a giant picture of myself - regular 8 x 10, awesome, but the ones I've seen displayed at the house I'm getting married at are HUGE. Not that I find anything wrong with the brides that choose to do it!
  • This is a thing? I had no idea! From Illinois and have honestly never even heard of such a thing before... 
  • @ziggyzos where are you in IL?

    I am also from IL (Chicago) and I have never seen this. From what I understand, its a southern thing.

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  • @KatWAG - I'm from the northern burbs, about halfway between the city and the IL/WI state line. 
  • lkristenj said:
    It's common here in Texas to have either bridal portraits or engagement photos of the couple displayed at the wedding reception, or both. The only weddings I have attended have been in Texas and mine will also be in Texas. I will probably display one of my favorite photos from either my bridal or engagement sessions.
    I used to live in Houston and I never saw that at any of the weddings I was at.
  • I'm also from Texas; I've lived here all my life. All but one wedding I've been to has had at least one bridal portrait on display. I'm definitely doing them. I never realized that they were a regional thing...? 

    (The one wedding that didn't have them was super small, low budget, and paid for entirely by the couple; I doubt they had extra funds for something like portraits.)

    Usually there's at least one 16X20 canvas portrait on an easel in the reception area, and maybe a few smaller framed ones on the cake table, gift table, etc. Afterwards, I've seen them on display in the newlyweds' homes. I've even seen one humongous gorgeous bridal portrait in the home of a bride's parents (their only daughter). A big thing where I'm from is for brides that are graduates of Texas A&M to take some bridal portraits in front the beautiful, big, white columns of a particularly gorgeous building on campus. I'm 30 years old, and I've seen those bridal portraits around town all my life. I could never wait to be able to take those shots, and now I finally can. 

    I think they're a beautiful way to capture the bride in all her glory in a controlled setting, although they may not be in everyone's budget. You do get to use the opportunity to get a trial run for hair & makeup; to make sure your dress, shoes, and accessories all fit properly; and to spend some time with your photographer before the wedding day. 


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  • I'm from NC and I am doing bridals and will have one displayed at the reception (along with some of our engagement pictures and other pictures of us). It is a common tradition, if you will, around here.

  • jalyndani said:
    I'm also from Texas; I've lived here all my life. All but one wedding I've been to has had at least one bridal portrait on display. I'm definitely doing them. I never realized that they were a regional thing...? 

    (The one wedding that didn't have them was super small, low budget, and paid for entirely by the couple; I doubt they had extra funds for something like portraits.)

    Usually there's at least one 16X20 canvas portrait on an easel in the reception area, and maybe a few smaller framed ones on the cake table, gift table, etc. Afterwards, I've seen them on display in the newlyweds' homes. I've even seen one humongous gorgeous bridal portrait in the home of a bride's parents (their only daughter). A big thing where I'm from is for brides that are graduates of Texas A&M to take some bridal portraits in front the beautiful, big, white columns of a particularly gorgeous building on campus. I'm 30 years old, and I've seen those bridal portraits around town all my life. I could never wait to be able to take those shots, and now I finally can. 

    I think they're a beautiful way to capture the bride in all her glory in a controlled setting, although they may not be in everyone's budget. You do get to use the opportunity to get a trial run for hair & makeup; to make sure your dress, shoes, and accessories all fit properly; and to spend some time with your photographer before the wedding day. 
     


    Aggie bride here (currently live/work in the Houston area) and you can bet 100% that I'm having bridal portraits done on the Texas A&M campus. How could I not? Those photos are gorgeous. It actually helped me choose my photographer as he doesn't charge milage to College Station even though he's in the Houston metro.

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    "They say there's no such place... as Paradise. Even if you search to the ends of the Earth, there's nothing there. No matter how far you walk, it's always the same road. It just goes on and on. But, in spite of that... Why am I so driven to find it? A voice calls to me... It says, 'Search for Paradise.' " - Kiba, Wolf's Rain

  • I had them done and I'm so happy I did.  We didn't do a first look and used the time pre-ceremony and post-ceremony for pictures with everyone so I didn't take any pictures of just me that day.  I looked awesome and I'm glad I have some pics to show off.

    In addition, while I looked great in my bridals, I discovered that I needed the MUA to adjust the colors so I didn't look dead in person.  So, as PPs mentioned, it was a good trial for the makeup and hair as well as with the photographer (if you don't do engagement shots).

    My SIL did bridals and was so glad she did.  The pics were awful and they quickly found a new photog for the wedding. 
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  • Okie here. Bridals are very common in my circle. I don't think I've ever been to a wedding where one isn't displayed.
  • Albertan here. I don't think my family would ever let me live it down if I hired someone to take pictures of me and then displayed huge prints of my face at the wedding. It's definitely NOT common around here!
  • @lkristenj I am also an Aggie bride!! I'm thinking we may have the same photographer.
  • Whoop for Aggie brides!

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    "They say there's no such place... as Paradise. Even if you search to the ends of the Earth, there's nothing there. No matter how far you walk, it's always the same road. It just goes on and on. But, in spite of that... Why am I so driven to find it? A voice calls to me... It says, 'Search for Paradise.' " - Kiba, Wolf's Rain

  • Howdy fellow Aggie Brides! @whitjoy @lkristenj  
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  • I'm in Missouri, and I've never heard of this.
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  • SP29SP29 member
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    I'm from AB (and ON), never heard of these!

    Seem a bit odd to me- because I had individual photos of myself taken pre-ceremony that will be my future display photos. Seems odd to have a giant picture of the bride at the ceremony when you can just look at her. But, to each their own, there's nothing wrong with it.

    I have seen couples display their engagement photo(s) at the wedding. 
  • SP29 said:
    I'm from AB (and ON), never heard of these!

    Seem a bit odd to me- because I had individual photos of myself taken pre-ceremony that will be my future display photos. Seems odd to have a giant picture of the bride at the ceremony when you can just look at her. But, to each their own, there's nothing wrong with it.

    I have seen couples display their engagement photo(s) at the wedding. 
    I've mostly seen them displayed at the reception, not the ceremony.  (Which doubles the question about why having them since you can just look at the bride - but I did it anyway....)
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  • I was born and raised in AR and I've seen this done here and in LA. I had bridal portraits done because it was part of our package. I displayed one picture at the reception, but it was an 8x10. I'm not a fan of the big canvas prints of just the bride. I'd rather have a big print of me and H together. 
  • Pittsburgh, PA here!

    I've vaguely heard of the tradition, but I don't know anyone at all who has done this / never been to a wedding where these were displayed.  In fact, I'd be confused & weirded out by seeing pictures of the bride... dressed as a bride... after just coming from the ceremony, and still dressed as a bride right in front of me...  

    But if it's a tradition and you're about it, then go ahead?
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  • I have heard of this but did not do this. It's not my style. I had friends that had bridel portraits done to put in the local paper.
  • edited April 2014
    Southwestern PA, here as well.

    What the what now?

    So you get dressed up in full hair, make up, dress, shoes, and accessories before the wedding and have solo pictures taken of just you?

    I have never heard of this before nor ever seen anything like this displayed at a wedding.  Seems very AWish to me, but if you gals are used to it, I don't judge. 

    Also, there goes your "Something New" if you wear that piece during this bridal portrait session.

    "Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."


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