It has been decided that if we were to get married all over again, a bridal session would be on the top of our list. They would most definitely be captured by Erich Mcvey, and if dreams came true we would hop on a plane and travel Auckland, New Zealand to have our picture snapped on a rugged black sand beach. It would be identical to the beach from our next inspirational bridal shoot for the newest issue of Magnolia Rouge. Sounds dreamy .... right?

Perhaps you won't be able to travel to Auckland, but we are sure there is a perfectly lovely beach close to home for your beach bridal session. To help you prepare - we have a few tips that we hope come in handy. After you are done perusing all the prettiness captured by Erich and have read our tips, you simply must see more wedding inspiration in the latest issue of Magnolia Rouge here. As always, you can see so many more photos from this shoot in the full gallery here.

Beach Bridal Session Tip #1 - Prepare for your wedding dress to get dirty
More than likely if you have a beach bridal session, your dress might get a little dirty. Luckily there are plenty of ways to clean up your gorgeous frock. Speak to your dry cleaner before going out on your bridal session, let them know you are planning on going to the beach and your dress will have a light dusting of sand and a bit of salt water on it. Be sure that your dry cleaner has enough time to clean your dress before your wedding. If you schedule accordingly, you'll have less worry.

If you will be wearing a vintage dress to your beach bridal session, be extra careful as fabric weakens over time and older fabrics were not made to withstand chemical cleaning processes.

Beach Bridal Session Tip #2 - Have a bridal bouquet made
Have your florist create a bouquet especially for your bridal session. Since it does not have to coordinate with an event, you can have something completely different than your day-of wedding bouquet. We are simply swooning over the dazzling white and green wedding bouquet above designed by New Zealand wedding florist leaf & honey.

Beach Bridal Session Tip #3 - Bring your sister, maid of honor or bestie
Bringing your maid of honor, sister, or bestie to your bridal session- someone who will help you be comfortable in front of the lens and will not only give you an extra set of hands, but you can also include her in some of your photos. A great opportunity to have some fun photos of the two of you together, all dolled up!

Beach Bridal Session Tip #4 - Have your hair and makeup professionally done
Having your bridal session captured on the beach will look extraordinary, but the elements can be tricky. Why not give your hair and make up stylist a chance to perfect your look before the big day, anyway? The air will be a bit more humid, and not to mention the sun's reflection on the ocean. Let your chosen professional handle these elements to ensure you look your very best. Beauty on Demand did an utterly fabulous job on the wedding makeup at this beach bridal session. Pure perfection! We love an all natural look for a beachy bridal session just like this one.

In the case that you will be doing your own makeup and hair for your beach bridal session here a few tips:
1. Be sure to wear waterproof mascara. After all, you will be around a large body of water.
2. Powdered foundation tends to holds up better when faced with heat or perspiration. We love bare minerals powder, and personally use it.
3. If it is a windy beach day, cream-based blush tends to withstand the wind better than powdered blush. Although, if it's a hot beach day, powdered blush tends to do a bit better.
4. More than likely it will be windy, and your hair will get caught in sticky gloss. So, go with a matte lip.
5. Bring a touch up kit. Blotting papers, powder, along with your extra eye shadow and lip color. You will for sure need to touch up your makeup when faced with all the elements the beach has to throw at you.

Beach Bridal Session Tip #5 - Bring wedding accessories
Be sure to bring your wedding veil, headpiece or anything that you feel will add to your photo session. Consider even purchasing a special veil or headpiece for your bridal session. Another great idea is to use a family heirloom - perhaps your Grandma's wedding veil. You could then present her with a photograph of you in her veil. She will Love it.

Take note that on longer veils - like the one above - might be a bit more difficult to clean prior to your wedding. Keep that in mind if you plan to wear it at your wedding as well. To see more dazzling veil photos check them out in the full gallery here.

From Kate of Magnolia Rouge:
When Erich Mcvey got in touch to say he was heading to New Zealand to shoot a wedding, I couldn't let the opportunity of working with him pass me by. I wanted to show him some quintessential New Zealand landscapes in the hope that they would be different to anywhere he had captured before, so we headed out to Bethells Beach - a rugged black sand beach on Auckland's West Coast.

Flowers: Leaf & Honey
Dress designer: Rue de Seine
hair & makeup: Beauty on Demand
stylist/creator: Kate of Magnolia Rouge