One area of the wedding world that I didn't know before entering into it was the idea of bridal portraits. I thought this meant taking pictures of just the bride on her wedding day - and of course it does! However, a tradition that I have seen (especially because we live in the South) is when the bride gets her hair and makeup done, gets in her dress, has a bouquet made, and takes portraits prior to the wedding. Then on the wedding day, she will often have a large print made of an iconic bridal portrait and place it at the reception entrance.
While I firmly believe that each bride should choose what works for them and not feel pressured to do what everyone else chooses, I have fallen in love with bridal portraits and believe that more brides should have them done! There are a few great reasons I'll mention if you're on the fence - or even if you've never thought about taking them before. I hope this helps as you decide if this is the right choice for you...