Sara Shier, from Sara Shier Photography shares her tips for bridal photos with your horse.
Originally posted on the Sara Shier Photography Blog.
Odds are you're probably like me and have about 50 different Pinterest boards of wedding inspiration for your big day and more then half of them involve your horse in some way, every single venue you take a tour of you ask "Can I trailer my horse in" and I'm sure you asked your dad if he'd be mad leading your noble steed while you rode in to meet the love of your life.
HIGH-FIVE GIRL I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU....AND I'M SURE YOU WERE YELLED AT ABOUT HOW THIS IS NOT HAPPENING.
Luckily bridal photos with your horse is not only completely normal but EXTREMELY amazing! You never need an excuse to wear that dress again, am I right?!
So here are 5 tips when it comes to bridal photos with your horse:
Take them after the wedding. I know I know, you can get it cleaned and your horse is LITERALLY bombproof he won't be afraid of it. I've photographed enough horse and rider sessions to know ANYTHING can happen and I'd argue that your dress is one of the most important pieces of your wedding day. It is not worth risking your dream dress for photos you very well can take after your big day! Patience is a virtue!
Don’t bother cleaning the dress until after the wedding AND your bridal shoot. The dress is probably dirty from your venue and that super awesome dance party....and it's about to get even dirtier. Save the extra time and money by waiting because more times then not "not all stains can be removed" (yes, this happens to my brides frequently, which makes point 1 above even more valid).
Let your horse take a good look at the dress before putting it on. That is if you have a very full dress. We all know the weirdest things can set horses off, make sure to set aside some time to FULLY desensitize your horse before starting your shoot. No reason to be stressed later!
Bring props. Not so much "props," but any wedding day details that we can incorporate into your session always goes a long way! Minus your shoes, WEAR YOUR BOOTS BABY!
Thank your partner. Thank the person who gave you the opportunity to be married, have that stunning dress, and have pictures with the horse who ultimately will take you away from them every morning, evening, and weekend for the rest of your marriage.
Sara Shier Photography is your one stop shop for capturing your story and creating memories with your best friend, whether they have two legs or four! We are based out of Los Angeles and Huntington Beach California, but travel all across Southern California! Available for worldwide travel.
