Getting Ready Wedding Photos Tips and Tricks
Getting ready wedding photos is one of my favorite topics. The thing that is often forgotten about the ‘getting ready’ part of the day is how chaotic it can be. How cramming 8 bridesmaids, the make-up/hair artist and the photographers into a single room filled with make-up, curling irons, duffel bags, garbage and water bottles can start to feel over crowded and look very cluttered. THIS GOES FOR THE GROOM TOO! The goal of timeless getting ready images is space & light. Here’s some tips!
Getting ready location:
Don’t procrastinate. Consider both you and your partners’ getting ready space early on instead of leaving it until the last minute. It’s easy to put the guys in some dark dingy basement or a messy man-cave. But they deserve a beautiful, spacious spot too!
Look for spaces with a lot of natural light & space. VRBO/Airbnb tend to have more beautiful spaces rather than a hotel. Make sure there is lots of natural window light in the room where you’ll both be getting ready. Open up all the blinds and curtains, as photographers usually shoot with the lights off. This makes a WORLD of difference in your images- I promise!
If using a hotel, ask them if you can get hair/makeup ready in a conference room instead & use your hotel room for photos. OR ask friends if their hotel room can be cleaned & used as a clutter-free zone.
If using your venue, have a corner (opposite of the window) in the suite where all personal belongings can go.
If using your home, don’t worry. Just make sure the home is tidy, organized & open all the window curtains. Have a designated room free of clutter to use for photos.
Prepare the getting ready room for both of you:
As much as you can, please keep both your getting ready room area free of trash, bags, snacks, etc. Especially near the windows, as that’s the area that us photographers take our clients to take pictures. A great idea is to have one dedicated area or corner for food/snacks/drinks/bags/purses etc AWAY from the windows and from where everyone will be getting ready. Trust me, no one wants wrappers, water bottles and half eaten food in the background of the photos.
Think about what you will wear before you put on the dress:
There will be quite a few photographs before you put on your wedding dress, so maybe you want to put a little bit of thought into what to wear beforehand. A morning gown or a cute PJ set will be beautiful in the getting ready photos.
Getting ready details:
You may be wondering about the details that will get photographed like your dress, shoes, wedding invitations, etc. I’ve complied a list of things you can have ready for your photographer. You can view that list here.
Ties & bowties. If no one knows how to tie these…please get clip ons! It will save us all tons of time. Not to mention if no one knows how to tie them correctly, they will look wonky in the photos.
Iron out your wedding attire and accessories:
If anything is super wrinkly, iron/steam it the day before. Things like your dress, bridal PJs, robes, the suit, ties/bowties, pocket squares, etc. Things like that will show up in the getting ready photos and not easy to edit out.
Pop some bubbly!
Have champagne or shots, let’s have some fun! This creates a fun time where you can get loose and celebrate. It’s always a great photo op!
Was this helpful in planning for your wedding?
With these few tips I promise you’ll have beautiful getting ready wedding photos. I really hope it helps you easily plan for your getting ready moments. Contact me if you still have questions on this or to book me as your wedding photographer! I’m based out on Long Island, NY but can travel anywhere!
Here are some more tips and tricks for weddings that you may find useful!
[…] you, it adds to the full story of your beautiful day. Another great article you should look at is How to Have Beautiful Getting Ready Photos. So you may be asking, what kind of wedding details should you have ready for your photographer? […]
[…] During this time we capture any robe/PJ photos, getting dressed, hanging out, etc. Nervous about the morning prep part? I created an article helping you get the most out of your getting ready photos here. […]