For many weddings, the photographer will do a portrait session with the married couple after the ceremony. Often at a picturesque location, like a cool building or a park, and often involving the rest of the wedding party.
Some people might be on the fence about doing a portrait session. “Do we need more pictures if the ceremony and reception are already being photographed?”
Everyone is different, but we at Tower Studios think the portrait session is a super cool and useful part of any wedding day. Here are some reasons why!
Makes Sure Everyone Gets Their Picture Taken – The portrait sessions are the best way to get everyone in the family or wedding party together in the same shots. With photos of the ceremony, people are a bit more spread out, and the focus is primarily on the couple and officiant. Group photos are harder to get at the reception, as by that time of the night, everyone will be roaming around and doing their own thing, and will be harder for the photographer to wrangle. But with a portrait session, you know everyone will be present. You’d hate to have your wedding pass by and then realize no one got Uncle Fred on camera!
Great Way to Spend Time – Most weddings are on a weekend, with the ceremony ending in the early afternoon and the reception beginning in the evening. That leaves everyone with a good four or five hours, and they’ll want something to do. Portrait sessions usually occur in this space of time, and are a great way to keep the wedding party active and engaged in what would otherwise be a lull in the day. (And normally, the portrait sessions would take only an hour or two at most, so everyone would still have time to also relax or get freshened up before the reception.)
Great Footage for Your Wedding Video – If you’ve hired a professional videographer as well (wink wink), they’ll be filming the portrait session. This footage is really valuable for the wedding video. It adds mood, and pairs nicely with voiceover from your wedding vows. Footage from the portrait session also makes for really good final shots. If your videographer gets a lot of varied footage, the video editor will have more to choose from, and your video will be better for it.
You Can Express Your Personality – The portrait session is a great opportunity for you to express yourselves as a couple. They can be as formal or as wacky as you want. Some people have themed portrait sessions, especially if they’re already having a themed wedding. A lot of couples take pictures in the bar or restaurant where they first met, or someplace else that’s special to them and plays a role in their love story.
There are a lot of advantages to doing a portrait session, and these are just a few. A picture is worth a thousand words, so take a lot of pictures!
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