The Secret to Beautiful Wedding Prep and Getting Ready Photos
The Dress.
The Rings.
The Shoes.
The Bouquet.
That last bit of lip stick.
The groom adjusting his tie.
Groomsmen pinning on boutineres.
Mom zipping the bride into her dress.
Laughs between the bride and bridesmaids over mamosas.
The moment when the bride feels like a bride and finally realizes that her wedding day dreams are coming true.
These are just a few of the special moments and details that introduce your wedding story. They fall under a category I like to refer to as "getting ready" or "wedding prep" photos. It's quickly become one of the most requested parts of the day to be photographed. More and more couples are choosing to have "getting ready" photos, capturing all of the prep and some of the details before the ceremony.
There are a few key tips to keep in mind to help ensure that you have beautiful, getting ready photos of your big day:
1-Have your bridesmaid keep the room decluttered
Enjoy nice clean pictures of the final moments of wedding prep. Ask the wedding party to tuck purses, bags of clothes, and extra food away and to keep the spaces decluttered. This will help tidy up the backgrounds in your getting ready images and keep the room from looking messy.
2-Have your bridesmaids be dressed in advance of the bride getting dressed
If you're a bride, for beautiful images of the ladies helping you into your dress, ask all bridesmaids and the mother of the bride to be dressed before you put yours on. Your photos will look classic and the moment will look even more special by having everyone in their formal attire instead of a causual t-shirt and shorts.
3-Have your florist deliver the flowers to where the wedding party is getting ready
By having the flowers delivered where the wedding party will be getting ready, you can help ensure that the groomsmen have their boutineres pinned and that the bridesmaids have their bouquets in plenty of time before a pre-ceremony photos, a first look session or the ceremony. This also allows your photographer to photograph your bouquet before the ceremony as well.
4-Remember to bring the important "getting ready" details with you to where you're getting dressed
"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…." Be sure to bring any important getting ready details to the space where you are getting dressed. These details are easiest to capture in the getting ready room before the hustle and bustle of the wedding day. Popular things brides like to have photographed during the getting ready/wedding prep photos include: the shoes, any jewelry you'll be wearing, a bottle of your wedding perfume, your bouquet and the boutineres, the garters, the groom's cuff links, or a grandmother's handker-chief.
5-Budget enough time for getting ready and the prep photos
Putting your wedding dress on and getting ready take longer than just slipping on a pair of jeans. Make sure that you set aside enough time for you to relax and not feel rushed when getting dressed for the big day. Brides, please keep in mind, you'll want to have your photographer come at least 45 minutes to an hour in advance of getting dressed to photograph the wedding dresss hanging before you put it on.
Are you planning a wedding and looking for a photographer for your Columbus, Ohio wedding? We'd love to work with you! Contact us here to check our availability and schedule a free consultation. You can also call 614.301.8579 or email us directly at [email protected].