Reasons to Take Anniversary Bridal Portraits
In the course of my ten years of wedding photography (that makes me feel old, eh?!), I’ve had the privilege of photographing many anniversary bridal portraits. The reasons to take anniversary bridal portraits vary with each couple; sometimes it’s because the wedding day portraits were rushed, sometimes it’s a sentimental joy at reflecting on the years and memories since wearing The Dress for the first time, sometimes its because some detail of the original photos was less than ideal (hair style preferences change, for example!), and sometimes its a combination of all the factors.
For Brooke and Levi, though, what started as a sentimental “wow, let’s celebrate nine years with a creative, scenic shoot!” date idea turned into a “let’s celebrate with our sons these nine years!”
I cannot even begin to describe how amazingly awesome this crew is and the level of sacrifice this shoot required: look closely and you’ll notice that IT IS RAINING HARD in every single one of the photos. What you don’t see is how ridiculously cold it was, too, and how many umbrellas were used to protect hair and outfits (and camera gear!) in between shots.
(For the record: I did offer to reschedule the shoot, but when Brooke decided to embrace the rain I was not even a little bit disappointed.)
What you can’t see is the mountains that were intended to be the dramatic backdrop of these photos but are instead obscured by low-hanging clouds and deep fog.
Nine years is a long time, but Brooke swishes that glorious dress just as effortlessly as she would have on her wedding day!
I also love how personal styles can change — Brooke wore her bomber jacket not only as a little protection from the cold but also because it’s a rockin’ accessory to contrast with the daintiness of her dress!
SEEEEE?! RAINY DAY PHOTOS ARE BEAUTIFUL!
But brrr. So much brrr.
The kiddos were absolutely troopers, too! We started the shoot in “every day clothes” so they have a “normal” Christmas card photo and then everyone changed in the car, held hand warmers in their pockets, and embraced the rain.
These two (above and below) are my favourites and showcase not only the “then” of “who we were” but the “now” of “all that our family has become”.
No matter what your reasons to take anniversary bridal portraits, I’m a huge fan.
