6 Ways to Customize Your Wedding Day Photography
Hello SJE readers! My name is Brittany Bays Stropes and I’m a fine art photographer living in Glendale, Ohio just a few miles north of downtown Cincinnati. I have a background in visual communications and have been following my passion for photography since 2010.
I absolutely love being a wedding photographer and consider it such an honor to capture one of the most important days in a client’s life. If there is one thing I have learned in the last 10 years of shooting weddings, it is that every bride and groom is completely unique. That means each couple I work with will need something slightly different from me. That is what makes customizing your wedding day photography such a great idea!
So what do I mean by customizing your wedding day photography? Put simply - adding services or coverage to make sure your wedding photography package is exactly what you and your fiance want! There are actually all sorts of options - some you might be familiar with and others you haven’t thought of.
Here are 6 of the most common ways I see my couple customize their wedding day photography:
1. Boudoir Session
Boudoir sessions are typically done before your wedding day and make a great gift to your fiance on the big day. Classy, sophisticated and so much fun - my brides who do boudoir sessions come out feeling empowered and more comfortable in their own skin.
2. Bridal Session Bridal sessions are definitely not new, they just fell out of fashion in the last few years. But I love that they are making a come back! Essentially, this is a photoshoot of the bride in her dress before the wedding day. A common tradition in the south, images from the bridal shoot are often displayed at the reception. A lot of times, my brides will do a bridal shoot the same day they do their hair and makeup trial. It is a great way to try out your look and make sure you don’t want to tweak it before your wedding day.
3. Engagement Session Many photographers (me included!) include engagement sessions in their packages. But if they don’t, I highly recommend it as an add on. It is such a great opportunity to get to know your photographer and get comfortable in front of the camera.
4. Rehearsal Dinner Photographs Do you really need to have your photographer at your rehearsal dinner? It depends! If you are having a low key rehearsal dinner with a small group in the back room of a restaurant, probably not. But if you have really gone all out, it might be worth it! For example, are you at a really cool location? Will you have speeches? There is no right or wrong answer, but if you know there will be some special moments you want documented, it is a great idea!
5. Bridal Shower Just like a rehearsal dinner, this might not make sense for everyone. But I have found this particularly useful during the pandemic. For example, my own wedding in July had to be small because of restrictions at the venue. However, we were able to invite some people to the shower that couldn't attend the wedding. I knew I wanted to get pictures with them, so it made sense to have a photographer around. Likewise, if your bridesmaids have really gone all out with planning - you may want to remember it with professional photos!
6. Albums This is probably the most common way my couples customize their wedding day package. Albums are such an amazing way to remember every detail of your wedding day because they tell the story from start to finish. You may not have the time, energy, or desire to print and hang a ton of photos, but having an album handy means you can glance at the special moments whenever you want.
BONUS - Anniversary/New House Photoshoot
Every once in a while I have a couple who can’t make an engagement session work. So adding something like an anniversary session or a new house photoshoot is a great idea.
Now, you might be wondering, do you need all these customizations? Of course not! Some couples I work with prefer to just focus on photographs of the wedding day itself. But for many couples, these customizations ensure they have every special moment they want captured.
Remember, if you have questions or want to explore additional ways to customize your wedding day photography, just ask your photographer! Some of these services may be available, just not listed on their website or package information. We understand that seeing everything listed can get overwhelming. At the end of the day, we want your package to work for you!
If you are getting married soon, I’d love to chat! Let’s find exactly the right photography package for you!
Hello! I’m Brittany Bays Stropes! I am a fine art photographer living in Glendale, Ohio just a few miles north of downtown Cincinnati with my wonderful husband, Brad, and our dog, Louie. My career in the arts started in a more traditional setting, studying painting and drawing at the University of Cincinnati and I went on to graduate from Northern Kentucky University with a degree in Visual Communication. I do love all the mediums I’ve studied, but my true passion is photography. I have now worked as a photographer since 2010 and I am so blessed to be doing what I love.