5 Tips for the Perfect Getting Ready Photos

5 TIPS FOR THE BEST WEDDING DAY PREP PICS

I wanted to give you a wedding photographers perspective on the spot where you get ready. So here are my top 5 tips to get the best photos possible when you are getting ready on your wedding day.

1) Get Ready Some Where Meaningful

I love when my brides get ready in the home they grew up in or a cabin or a restaurant their family owns. Places that are meaningful to the bride and groom make the best opportunities for portraits. I love being able to photograph the small details of the childhood home. Photographing the bride getting ready in the room she grew up in...capturing those special moments of mom and daughter together where the mom raised her. I think it makes the photos even more meaningful.

I love this image of Mo in her childhood bedroom taking a moment to reflect before putting on her wedding dress.

PJ & Cassie had their whole wedding (getting ready, ceremony and reception) at PJ’s family’s restaurant. This spot is extra special because they had maternity pictures taken here and it is PJ’s dad’s workshop. The restaurant and land has been in the family for several generations.

I also adore this image of Mo and her sisters, mom and two bridesmaids toasting on the front porch of her family home. This photo could be taken in a hotel room but being at the home she grew up in, makes it even more special.

2. Light Matters

If you ask any photographer, they will tell you light matters. If you can help it, you don’t want to get ready in a dark room with fluorescent lights. Yes your photographer can use flash but it won’t have the same romantic feel. Make sure your room has at least one window with natural light coming in the room.

Give me all the window light! Make sure there is at least one good window with light. I love spending 10-15mins just shooting some beautiful bridal portraits before the wedding.

Lighting is everything! Erica got ready in the best church bridal room I have ever seen!! Those big windows! wow oh wow! I dream of shooting there again!

3. No Multi-Colored Rooms & Pickup Your Stuff

If at all possible don’t get ready in a brightly multi-colored rooms like the church nursery or a colorful school classroom. The colors distract from the moments we are trying to capture. One of my biggest pet peeves on a wedding day is when I go into the brides room to shoot getting ready images and it’s full of everybody’s belongings all over the place. Obviously you need a place to put your things but keep it to one side and organized. That way when we start to take images of the bride putting on her dress, we don’t have to move everybody’s stuff or try to shoot around a bunch of bags.

4. Mirror Mirror on the Wall

The room you get ready in doesn’t have to be a big huge room. You could get ready in a small 5x5 room and as long as it is not cluttered and has some kind of decent lighting and mirrors and you will get great pictures. I love when a venue has mirrors. It gives me the opportunity to be creative with the reflections.

This was a tiny room…a little bigger than a closet but we were able to get some great images because of the mirrors and the light around the mirror.

The mirror and back light make the image. Double check that your spot has a mirror and if it doesn’t , bring one. I love getting reflection shots of my brides.

5. Make Sure You Have the People You Love In the Room

Make sure you have your favorite people in your room when you are getting ready. I know not everyone’s relationship is good with their parents but I love mom and daughter images together. After becoming a mom (the perspective of a parent), I know how much I would treasure those images forever! I also love when sisters help the bride get ready. Your family will always be there and you will want to look back at those photos later. Your bridesmaid “Karen” might not be your friend in a year or two…so make it special with your family & your very best friend because it is such a special day!

I think the mother of the bride helping her daughter put her a veil on or getting dressed is a must on your big day!

I love this sweet image of the bride, Kira with her sister, Paige. I hope they look back someday when they are older & appreciate what a great day this was.

I love this image of Jaimie and her sisters helping her get her dress on. She looks like a ballerina bride.

Don’t forget about the dads! Dads and sons need photos together too!