Chels Hendrickson

I absolutely LOVE my bridal pictures. I think I look through them every day. Jalene did such a fabulous job, and she was really fun to work with. I am so glad I did bridals because it was like a test run before the wedding day. I could make sure that I absolutely loved how my hair, makeup, and flowers were. And thank goodness because I wasn't a huge fan of my bridal flowers. They were pretty, but they weren't exactly what I was envisioning. I'll post my wedding pictures soon so you can see the difference. My sister in law did my make up. She is a make up guru. It was fun to have her do it, and I wish I could have her do my make up every day! The best part about bridals is that it's not a crazy busy day, and you get nice photos in your wedding attire. I'm so glad I did bridals with Riley because I was so sick on my wedding day and everything was just really crazy and under a time crunch. Now that I look back on my bridal session, these are some of the best tips I received, and wished I would have known.

1. Bring make up for touch ups

2. Don't walk around in your shoes (you'll ruin them before the big day!)

3. Take pictures by the place where you are getting married (It saves a lot of time on your wedding day, and it's normally not busy in the late afternoon.)

4. Order your bridal bouquet and use it in your pictures. If you don't like it-you can change it before your wedding day!

5. Send your photographer pictures that you like, but remember your pictures aren't going to turn out exactly how the picture is. Just know that they are for a reference.

6. Help your groom! I wish I would have made Riley laugh more-he doesn't like to get his pictures taken so he was a little uncomfortable.

7. Go to different locations. You'll be glad that you have a wide array of pictures to choose from.

8. Have fun!

9. Don't be a penny pincher on a photographer. If anything this is my most important tip. Your pictures are with you for forever. And if you decide to just go with someone with a "nice" camera, you're not going to get great quality pictures. Make sure you research, look at portfolios, and ask questions. I had been following Jalene for almost 4 years. I loved every single wedding she did and I knew I had to use her for my photographer. I made sure that when I laid my budget out, that I would be able to afford her. Best decision I ever made.

10. Get fake eyelashes. Okay I know this is a silly one, but seriously-if you are EVER going to get fake eyelashes...do it for your bridal/wedding pictures. Not only do they make you feel 100% prettier, but they make your eyes pop more. And make sure you do research on your eyelash lady. Ask around and follow their social media sites. You never want to go to someone who just claims that they know how to do eyelashes. Not only can they ruin your real eyelashes, but your fake eyelashes won't last as long and they can look awful too.