A few days after your marriage, your ceremony will be covered, lots of memories caught, but, depending on your personality you still need your talented professional wedding photographer in twin cities to take his camera and to capture more portraits. You are wondering why. Let me give you some good reasons.
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What’s an After-Day Session
Also called post-wedding session it’s a photo shoot, quite similar to an engagement session, taking place a few days after your ceremony and reception, featuring the newly married couple dressed in their wedding attire. It usually lasts a minimum of 4 hours up to half of the day, and it offers an amazing result.
Reasons Why brides and grooms do a post-wedding session
There are several circumstances when couples want to see their photographer one more time for more couple pictures.
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You haven’t done all the pictures you wanted on your wedding day.
Let’s say that things didn’t occur as expected. Indeed, besides all my wedding planning tips to create a flawless timeline, weddings are always full of unexpected things going on!
That’s why, you couldn’t do your wedding portrait session as expected. Nevertheless, you still want some amazing bridal portraits featuring you wearing your wedding dress and suit! In that situation, the post-wedding session is your solution.
Usually the reason for not having your wedding portrait session achieved on your big day is because the weather was terrible and you didn’t have a good plan B location. Another reason could be you were late and just decided to skip the session.
These two situations are pretty rare, but they can happen. -
You prefer not having your portraits caught on your wedding day.
On your actual wedding day, you didn’t want to see each other before the church’s aisle. After that, you preferred enjoying your guests and not skipping the entire cocktail hour.
Also you planned in advance before the wedding that you will do your “real session” later.
You prefer to take your time, to be relaxed, without pressure, to create a better memory. -
You want to go somewhere special
Wedding forces us to be restricted to the location’s options. Indeed, you can’t decently travel more than 15 miles on your wedding day to find the perfect spot. Also you should decide on a nice place close to your venue for the bride and groom images.
The problem is that you have high expectations and the local park is definitely not what you are dreaming of. Also, given you get married only once in your life (hopefully) you are ready to do what’s needed to create the most beautiful pictures ever!
In other words, you are ready to travel to an amazing place that would reflect who you are! For instance, this place can be your honeymoon destination. And having your pictures taken by a professional photographer is better than selfies in the honeymoon! -
You want to take advantage of your local location
You planned your destination wedding, took the flight to another state or another country and you want pictures reflecting the amazing landscape.
Then another photo shoot is indeed a great option for brides and grooms who want to enjoy their guests and don’t want to miss their entire reception.
What’s the difference between an engagement session, a pre-wedding and after-day photo shoots
Engagement sessions take place prior to the ceremony, it’s your first experience in front of the camera having your pictures taken without a lot of makeup. The main goal is to have you learn the basic poses, getting you reassured for the future. Engagements photo shoots are the most popular kind of photos in the USA.
The pre-wedding session is the same but including wedding outfits (and usually holding a bouquet). It lasts longer than an engagement session, and couples usually have their hair done. The goal is to produce amazing photographs they can use before their wedding (printing posters, or in an album), and also to assure the bridal portraits prior to the event.
The post-wedding session includes a more experienced couple. It’s a total stress-free moment. You can wear your wedding attire again (or other remarkable clothes). The couple has fun, and takes all the time needed for better photographs showcasing their love.
Why would you have better portraits during your post-wedding session?
Results of the day after session are usually better for a few obvious reasons.
- You are more experienced for posing. Indeed after engagement sessions that’s your third time in front the camera. You are much more confident, knowing what to do and what to avoid.
- You are much more comfortable with the photographer and have developed a deeper friendship. Indeed, having your entire wedding day covered by your professional photographer helps establish a good relationship! This session is now the second or the third that you have (including the engagement session). Also, you can’t be more at your ease, and are working like a duo model/photographer.
- You can take all the time that is needed to shoot the perfect image. You are not at rush at all, you don’t have to run. Good work is created when taking the time required instead of rushing.
- You are not dependent on the weather. In comparison to your wedding day, if the forecast predictions are bad, you can reschedule the session to another day.
- You can have more variety in your clothes and your makeup. Why skip to one? You can dare the red light-weight open leg dress that photographers like so much.
- You are stress-free. You are not anxious about your reception or about the bridal party photos.
- You are not afraid of having your dress dirty anymore. As a consequence, you are more willing to go into the wild landscapes.
What’s the trash-the-dress concept, and do you really have to trash it?
The concept is a post-wedding session where the bride is ready to do “anything” with her dress. Some people enjoy destroying it. They jump in the mud and play with colored chalk. Some even end the session by burning it!
In Europe, “the trash the dress session” usually designates a post-wedding session.
There is absolutely no obligation to trash it
Actually, most brides keep their precious white gown after their weddings.
That said, if we go close to the sea, or a great lake, then you should take advantage of it and have pictures taken in the water! You may need to bring it to the cleaner, but it won’t be trashed.
What Is the Best Place for an After-Day Session
The dreamed places are the same spots where photographers wish to shoot the pre-wedding sessions. In other words, there is a large variety of options to select, from the little authentic village, to the beautiful wild landscape overseas. It could be close by, or far away depending on your tastes, your time and your expectations.
Of course, you are welcome to travel to Europe and enjoy all the amazing monuments and historical buildings. If you want to go to Paris, I will be more than happy to guide you.
How to find your photo spots in your own state
If you don’t have time, or don’t have the unlimited magic credit card, you can still find some great places, several minutes or hours away from your home.
- Lake Superior
It offers beaches, mountains, forest. It’s efficient and could be a honeymoon destination!
- State Park
All states parks work great. I do love the northern landscape.
- Modern and creative architecture
For instance, the new art museum or a new theater.
- A place with a nice view on a big city skyline
For instance, the top of the hill, or a roof top.
- The historic building nearby
For example, your capital, a nice old hotel, a big library, an old theater.
- The little town in the countryside that hasn’t developed since the last fifty years
For instance, an Amish village.
If you can’t travel to the land, then travel in Time!
[I invite to look at engagement sessions page to find more resources on local location.]
In a wonderful world where you have all the money and all the time you want, you could take one week flying the world and taking pictures of the most stunning places ever. That’s in wonderland, so I won’t make a list of the world’s best spots.
In a more pragmatic world, if you are not completely broken after your wedding, and if you have the time and the wish to get some stunning photographs, then you may consider driving or flying to another state.
Here is a short list of the perfect destinations for an after-day photo shoot in the USA.
- Mountains
Motions have always fascinated the human imagination and were thus favored topics in painting and photography. Imagine a bride and groom standing on the top of a mountain or on a big rock with a breathtaking view of a canyon. The picture would be taken at sunrise when there are still no people or families around. The country is covered by mountains, from Colorado to Virginia, so let’s take advantage of that.
You don’t have to drive far away. For instance, closer to home, we have the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota, which is pretty amazing. - Desert
They usually symbolize infinity and purity and are also a favored subject of inspiration for painting, photography and literature. Humans feel so fragile and
surrounded by such a vast and wild environment. What’s more the light is pretty amazing too.
You have plenty of choices! If you plan on a honeymoon at Las Vegas, we can enjoy the Nevada desert. Otherwise, Arizona, Texas, and Utah offer some options!
Nearby we have the badlands in SD that are just amazing. - Snow Desert
In a way, during winter, landscaped covered by snow can look like dessert. Take advantage of the Minnesota weather if you love cold weather.
- Beach
Dreaming of paradise island, blue ocean and white sand? You have seen these images hundreds of times, but it’s still an attractive destination for couples.
- Forest All national forests
would work great. Of course some forests are more majestic than others, such as the giant sequoia forest.
- Big City
If you are more fun about the city, then pick up some symbolic city. For instance, NYC and the Brooklyn Bridge, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Dallas.
What to do and other tips?
These activities are the same that I recommend doing during your pre-wedding photo shoot. This is just a very short list, but it could be anything that gives you fun, things that make you feel happy and put you in interaction with each-other such as.:
- Taking advantage of a boat, a small wooden one, or a bigger one
- Old or sport cars and motors.
- Air ballon
- Any other remarkable transportation vehicle
- Horse or any beautiful animal you can approach
- Jumping into the water [usually ends the photo shoot]
What to bring ?
Bring the same accessories that are recommended for engagement sessions. If you want more bridal portraits, a similar bouquet would be welcome.
Last Tips, Regarding Cosmetics
Makeup artists and hair stylists always significantly improve the quality of the images. If you desire a more casual result, and that you have a great skin, you may apply the very light foundation by yourself.
For the hair, even if you are planning to have them loose, I recommend asking a professional hair stylist to arrange them. The reason is that photography accentuates every single imperfection, and good bridal portraits are precisely images with good hair [especially when they look natural].
