If you’re only planning one day of photos in your dream dress—the wedding day—you’re missing out. Bridal portraits are a dry-run for the big day; they’re a wedding-day stress reducer, a reassuring run-through, and an excuse to wear your gown more than once. That’s why many brides favor this wedding tradition.

Have you watched Sex In the City the Series? Do you remember the episode of Sarah Jessica Parker being photographed for Vogue as the Bride in her 40s? That’s a type of Bridal Portrait. It can be a portrait of you, or of you with your fiance, and it is a great way to capture portraits of the two of you without the stress of the wedding day itself. As Bridal.com points out, here is the official description of What is a Bridal Portrait:

Definition: Bridal portraits are photos taken several months before the wedding where brides don their dresses for a solo photoshoot in a location of their choice. The bride can gift print portraits to her parents and/or spouse or even display them as décor at the reception.