One of the most popular wedding trends is the ‘getting ready photos’. These moments that happen before the wedding are filled with much anticipation and emotion and are the foundations for the rest of the day- it’s only natural to want them to be captured and remembered forever. These are my tips to ensure that your ‘getting ready’ photos turn out beautiful- just like the rest of your wedding.
Choosing Your Location
The location of your getting ready photos can make a huge difference in how they turn out. If your wedding is at a local venue, then you will likely be getting ready in the comfort of you own home.
Something to consider when choosing the room to get ready in is the amount of natural light.
A room with a large window such as the dining or living room will serve as the best option, and ensuring that you’re positioned as close to the light source as possible. If your house is dark, then you can consider placing your makeup chair outdoors under a patio or balcony.
If the room is quite dark and a protected outdoors area isn’t an option, I also like to use a remote triggered flash with a large soft box or bouncing it off a ceiling to create an effect of natural light.
It’s also a good idea to remove any clutter from the background of the room.
This is something I will often do to ensure there is nothing distracting in the photos, but it does take time away from shooting- so if as much tidying can be done beforehand this allows me to spend more time photographing you.
Your Getting Ready Timeline
To ensure there is ample time for capturing all the key moments of getting ready, it’s usually best if the bridal party’s hair and makeup are finished before my arrival and that the bride is left to the end. If the hair and makeup artist are arriving at booked times, then it’s usually better to leave the makeup to the end (this is the usually the order anyway), but also that the process of makeup tends to be more photogenic.
I would also structure the bride’s getting ready photos before the groom’s, because men don’t take much time to get ready (lucky bastards). It’s usually just small things like buttoning up a shirt, brushing hair or putting on a tie which can usually all be staged anyway.
For the bride photos, I would suggest about an hour and a half. This allows for photos of the makeup, getting dressed, detailed photos (flat lay, flowers, dress, shoes), posed bridal photos and photos with relatives and bridesmaids. For the groom’s photos, I would suggest about 30 to 45 minutes. This allows for getting ready tasks as mentioned above, plus some photos with relatives and groomsmen.
Brides- 90 minutes
Grooms- 40 minutes
What To Wear?
To style up your getting ready photos, you and the wedding party could consider wearing matching satin slips or pyjamas. It’s also good to let everyone know that a photographer will be arriving for the getting ready photos so that your friends and family can be ready for the camera.
Have Your Details Ready
Detail photos are usually the highlight of the getting-ready phase. These are photos of all of the accessories to complete your outfit and may include:
- Flowers
- Jewellery
- Cuff Links
- Socks
- Perfume
- Invitations
- Shoes
- Watches
- Makeup
Photos at Home
Taking photos in the comfort of your own home before heading off to the ceremony venue is a great way to capture those candid, heart-felt moments with those closest to you. Capturing some photos with your wedding party once you’re all ready can include posed photos in a garden or tidy room on the home or a champagne toast. You can also do some photos with your close family members and pets before heading off to the venue. If you have booked premium transport like a limousine or vintage car, this is a great opportunity to capture shots getting in the car.
