Prepping for Getting Ready Photos

Every bride wants to remember the exciting moments leading up to her walk down the aisle, the moments spent with her bridesmaids, getting her hair done, and putting her dress on. Some of the most beautiful getting ready shots happen spontaneously but there is an element of planning that goes into them too.

Here are a few tips to help you prepare and make it as easy as possible for your wedding photographer to capture the best possible shots of you getting ready:

1. Keep it tidy.
A cluttered background can change a photo completely. To prevent this from happening, try and keep the room as tidy as possible. This means keeping any surfaces as clean as possible, putting extra clothes in the closet or another room and hiding suitcases under beds. It also helps if there aren’t too many people in the room while you’re getting ready besides bridesmaids and immediate family so that your photographer has enough space to work.

2. Choose the right room.
You’ll be spending a good few hours getting ready in one particular room and it will also form the backdrop of all your getting ready photos so choose wisely. If possible, choose a room that has a little extra space so that everyone has room to breathe and relax. A room with lots of natural light also makes for much better photos so open up the windows and curtains. If the room you will be getting ready in isn’t ideal, speak to your photographer about other spaces that can be used for photos leading up to the ceremony.
Below is a wedding in an older church, where the actual getting ready was done in a room full of distractions and odd colors. However we found another room close by with a perfect corner where we moved a couple of minor things to have the optimal location for perfect getting ready portraits!

3. Have your details ready.
Keeping all of your details together in one place will make things easier for your photographer on the day and will help you feel more relaxed too. Your details include all of the smaller things such as your perfume, shoes, garter and the special hanger you’ll be hanging your dress on. It’s also a good idea to take your dress out of the bag and hang it up a few hours before you start getting ready so that your dress can breathe and any wrinkles can be steamed out.

4. Help your groom out.
Even though the groom’s getting ready process isn’t nearly as detailed as the bride’s, there are a few things that he can focus on while getting ready. Before the photographer arrives, ensure that the groomsmen are fully dressed and that the groom is dressed in his pants and shirt. His shirt shouldn’t be buttoned so that the photographer can capture him buttoning his shirt, straightening his tie and putting on his cufflinks. After that, your photographer will shoot some portraits of the groom and his party. It’s best for your husband-to-be to not keep anything in his pockets as this can affect the photos.

 
The key to getting the best getting ready shots is just to relax, have fun, and focus on the wonderful day ahead.