When it comes to wedding planning, there are always details that a bride won’t even know she’s supposed to be thinking about. I remember my Maid of Honor (what would I have done without her??) calling me every other day saying “Have you taken care of this, this and this?” My response would always be, “I didn’t even know that existed!!” People expect you to think about things like what time of day the light looks most flattering for an outdoor wedding. Or where she should get ready in the morning, if you want it to photograph well. But have no fear – that’s why you have a pair of professional wedding photographers here to help guide you.
Your wedding preparation location will affect your wedding photography
Our approach to wedding photography is to be there all day, so we can capture everything from the early morning preparations to the late night dances. And we’ve started to notice that couples put a lot of thought into decorating the ceremony location and the reception venue, but they don’t put much planning into where they will be getting ready. This makes sense, because they’ll have hundreds of guests at the ceremony and reception, but they will be alone while they’re getting ready, right?
Wrong! Because, if you hire a good photographer who offers all-day coverage, you’ll have a lens peeking at you while you put on your mascara, and your fiancé will have photographs of his nervous tie tying. And you’ll want to have these memories – they’re the only window you’ll get into what your soon-to-be spouse did before you saw them at the ceremony. It’s a very important part of the day that would be lost without photographers there to capture it.
So, it’s good to be aware of the fact that, while you are alone with a few members of your wedding party and family, there will still be pictures of this time, which you will look at forever, your wedding guests will likely see, and you’ll show your children and grandchildren for years into the future.
So, how do you make the preparation area pretty?
You don’t need to spend a thousand dollars decorating the room where you put your makeup on. It just helps to put a little bit of thought into it. There are many options available to you for where you will get ready – a salon, a hotel room, a friend’s home, or even your own home. It doesn’t need to be exotic or expensive. Sometimes the wedding venue will even have a beautiful side room where you could prepare before the ceremony.
But when you’re choosing a location, keep these things in mind:
-Make sure there’s enough room. You’ll need to have you and whatever family members and wedding party you’ve invited to be there with you (which should be a lot, by the way – more on that in a second).
-Big windows are very good. The more light in the room, the happier your photographers will be.
-Clutter is not your friend. If you choose to get ready at your home or a friend’s home, spending 10 minutes to clean up a bit will do wonders for your photographs.
-Women, help your fiancés! Women usually have prettier prep locations, because they’re enjoying the whole experience. They’re out at a salon getting their hair and makeup done, and generally being glamorous and pampered. (By the way, if you need a great hair and makeup artist, we know one!) In general, women are out enjoying themselves in beautiful locations, with all their beautiful bridesmaids and female relatives in a big glamorous cluster around them.
Men do it differently – they sleep in, they sit around with their best man watching football, and then they go into their bedroom and get dressed. It’s a much less glamorous ordeal. Which is great and manly, and just how it should be. But women, if you can encourage them to get ready in a pretty room with big windows, the pictures will thank you.
Enjoy the experience!
Get a bottle of champagne and some orange juice and mix up some mimosas! Bring an iPod dock and a dance mix. Have fun!
One of the most beautiful experiences of a wedding is being surrounded by friends and family and we think that getting ready should be included in that. Ladies, you get dressed and ready by yourselves every day of your life. You do your hair and makeup and slap on some clothes and run out the door. A wedding dress should never be “slapped on.” Surround yourself with your ladies in waiting and let them help you into your dress. Have your mother there to put on your jewelry (one of those customary things that is sadly dying out). Save those moments of bonding and pampering because no one is going to help you get dressed again until you’re in a nursing home. One of my favorite memories of my wedding was getting dressed and ready. My grandmother and mother put my dress on me and while my grandmother was sewing me in, my mother was putting on my earrings. My cousin and bridesmaid brought me pearls from Vietnam so she put on the bracelet that had traveled so many miles. Untraditionally, my father was also there sipping on champagne with all the bridesmaids and I will never, ever forget the look in his eyes while he watched me get ready. These are moments that we want every bride to have. (If you want to see what this whole thing looked like, please take a moment to watch our beautiful wedding video by Red Orchid Productions – interview with them coming soon!)
In short, we know that you have a lot to think about, but the most important thing to remember is to take advantage of every opportunity to make memories. That’s what a wedding is all about.
- Heather
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