Your wedding photographer will often begin the day with getting ready photos and detail photos. If you work with me, this is standard in every 8+ hour wedding collection. I love the getting ready potion of the day because everyone is so excited and I get to capture those special moments between close friends and immediate family.
Just like other parts of your wedding, some planning beforehand will go a long way to ensure you enjoy this portion of the day. In this post, I want to discuss a few small, but important details that can impact the quality of your getting ready photographs.
- The amount of light in a room can make or break your getting-ready photographs. Floor to ceiling windows are ideal, but if the location does not have that, it helps to have at least two windows. If you do plan on getting ready at a hotel, ask for a room with windows that face east. This is the direction that the sun rises, which means more light will come through in the morning.
2. Keep Selected Locations as Clean as Possible
On your wedding day, help your photographer out by trying your best to be mindful of the setting of your photos. A good photographer and videographer can make any space look beautiful, but please remove as many obstacles as possible. Below is a suggestion on how to do that.
- Have your wedding party put all their stuff in a condensed corner of the room. This way there isn’t food wrappers, abandoned clothes, etc. in the background of your beautiful photos. Also pre-clear the “getting into your dress” area. Your photographer should coach you on exactly what to do, but have an area cleared by the largest window in the room for you to get ready in front of. Those big windows/doors will be your best source of light for your getting ready portraits.
3. Prep Your Details
For many photographers (myself included), the day often begins with detail photographs. If you can, have your invitations, jewelry, shoes, and any other wedding day details you want photographed set aside all together for your photographer to grab as soon as they arrive. This makes it easy for him or her to start right away.
Here’s a list of the common bridal details. (Not all are necessary – just the ones important to you!)
- Dress (I recommend bringing a non-plastic hanger for your dress shot. This can be a customized hanger or a simple wooden hanger)
- Veil/hair pieces
- Rings (wedding bands & engagement ring)
- Shoes
- Bouquets & boutonnieres
- Jewelry
- Perfume
- Invitation suite
- Family heirlooms
The ultimate goal is to have an efficient and fun time getting ready for your special day. Implement these tips to insure a seamless transition to your walk down the aisle.
