The first time I went to a wedding in Texas, I noticed that as soon as the ceremony was over, there was a big ‘ol gorgeous portrait of the bride outside of the reception! How did it get there so soon? Had she hired a magician? Are photo booths that high tech now? I was confused but totally impressed.

I had no idea what it was until someone asked me, “where I was doing my bridals,” during our wedding planning process.  I was quickly schooled on the tradition of bridal portraits.  That is, to take pictures, in the wedding gown, ahead of the wedding so that a portrait can be displayed at the wedding! Apparently it is very common in the South and despite being a near “professional bridesmaid” I had never heard of the tradition. So,  I’m sure some of my friends reading this are also new to this sweet Southern practice.

I’m in a “when in Rome” kind of lady and figured I’d go for it.  We went to a white barn in Quinlan, Texas for an appropriately rustic setting and this is one of the pics we got! (Photo Credit; Justin Yoder Studios.)

I have no idea if anyone at the wedding cared or even noticed the portrait. I assume they were more caught up in the chocolate covered bacon. (As they should be.) But, I’m still glad I did it because it gave me a chance to have a little “dress rehearsal/trial run” with my hair/makeup/dress, jewelry, etc and make some adjustments to make sure everything was comfortable for the big day.

What about you? Did you do bridal portraits? Have you heard of the tradition before? (Don’t tell me I was the only one in the dark on this!) The thing I loved about planning a wedding in 2016, is that nothing is “expected” or even “required” — it seems like we can all make our own traditions, which is just lovely in general. xoxo

 

 

 

 

Written by Jenny Anchondo

Jenny Anchondo is a Dallas-based news anchor and reporter who has worked at TV stations all over the country. She's also a certified personal trainer and fitness expert. Her goal is to to empower others to find their own version of happiness and success.

Visit My Website