How to get amazing getting ready photos on your Wedding day
How to make getting ready a breeze, have a stress free morning and give you photos you’ll look back on and smile.
Getting ready is one of my favourite parts of the day to capture, there’s so much energy, and anticipation as everyone buzzes about, beautiful light and laughter. It can get a bit mental in the last half hour before you leave when you realise everything’s taken way longer than you thought! Read on for some great tips on having a fun and stress-free wedding morning, feeling super organised and get amazing timeless photos to look back on.
It’s all about the light
Great light is at the heart of every photograph. Natural light is by far the best for your getting ready photos. I suggest sitting near a window to get ready. Window light has a clever way of wrapping you in softness that’ll look beautiful and timeless in your photos, it’ll help your hair/makeup artist too! I’ll usually turn off the overhead light so the window light can work its magic without any orangy colour and overhead shadows.
Which room?
Have a think about the best place for getting ready. Great light is key but having enough space to move around is important too. How many of you will be getting ready together? It’s good to check there’ll be enough room for you all to move about and everyone has enough mirrors and sockets to charge their phone (plus the straighteners/hairdryer for the stylist).
Blitz the room
Having a quick de-clutter of the room before I come in to take your photos helps give your images a clean, timeless look. Any unnecessary items like bags and spare clothes that don’t tell your wedding story can be stashed in another room/under a bed out of sight, leaving the room clear so I can focus on you.
Gather your details
When I first arrive you probably won’t have your hair and makeup done yet but don’t panic! While you start getting ready I’ll capture all your wedding details, your dress, veil, jewellery, shoes, perfume and bouquet. If you can have these all together and ready for me that will be really helpful. It’s also worth getting hold of a pretty hanger for your dress, a simple traditional wooden hanger looks really classic too. If you’re able to save a whole set of your wedding stationery including menus and order of service I can take a beautiful photo of these too for you.
What to wear
When it’s time to get ready you’ll want to wear something that not only looks great in your photos that you’re happy being photographed in. Think about the tones and colours of your day and bear in mind you won’t want to mess up your hair taking it over your head to put your dress on. There are some gorgeous printed kimonos that also make fab pressies for bridesmaids too! A pretty strappy top and some pj bottoms are also a great choice if kimonos aren’t your scene!
Create a calming atmosphere
Having a calming morning will set you up for the beautiful day that is about to unfold. If you’re organised it’ll make the morning as calming and stress-free as possible so you’ll look back happily at this time. Having a music playlist chosen in advance and some drinks and nibbles on the go can really help too and don’t skip breakfast! Don’t forget that scents can also be really relaxing too, lavender, chamomile, or even chocolate have been proven to have relaxing effects so get some scented candles on the go.
Plan ahead
Have a little schedule for the morning planning backwards from when you need to leave allowing for some portraits before you leave. You’ll always need way more time than you think so be generous! Check you and your maid of honour know how the dress buttons/laces up, this can take way longer than expected. (It’s a good idea to either have a trial run at this or take the person who’ll be getting you into your dress with you to your final fitting so they can have a practice).
Having your bridesmaids and your mum get dressed well before you are, means they will be ready and willing to help you get ready and will also look great for the photos.
Come prepared
Ask one of your bridesmaids to have an emergency kit on the day including small scissors, a mini sewing kit, hairspray, safety pins, Curby grips, a snack, gum/breath mints, cotton buds, plasters, tampons, deodorant, makeup, and painkillers. (Make sure someone has a bottle of water for you too). Just knowing you have these items on hand if you need them will give you inner calm!
I hope these tips will set you up for a fun and relaxing wedding morning filled with beautiful memories. A calm relaxed you will result in gorgeous photos and fill you with happy memories of your day.
If you’d like more help with your wedding day do get in touch!
