5 Reasons Your Photographer Should Document the Getting Ready Part of Your Wedding Day

The importance of the getting ready part of a wedding day is often overlooked and I completely understand why that is, but I’d like to set the record straight… “most” wedding photographers will not only recommend including getting ready in your photography timeline, but actually really LOVE this part of the day…and here’s why!

Detail Shots Matter

Having time to get detail shots done right away is the absolute best way to start things off on the right foot. Full disclosure, I’m always a little nervous at the beginning of a wedding day…and so is every other photographer! We know our clients have invested big in our services and highly value the photography part of the day, as you should! Having time for detail shots allows the photographer to warm up, prepare for the day and get the creative juices flowing for the rest of the day! That said, the benefits of detail shots are far greater.

Since you put a lot of thought into every aspect of your wedding day, down the road you will want to remember all of the little things you poured your heart and soul into planning and perfecting. Things like the dress, veil or hairpiece, shoes, bouquet, rings, jewelry, invitations, groom’s watch, cufflinks, even the cologne and perfume! In a lot of ways, how the details are photographed sets the stage for the look of the whole wedding so I love having enough time to stylize everything in a way that matches your day.

To make this go seamlessly, I suggest gathering all of the details you want photographed ahead of time and keep them in one area. This allows the photographer to start right away and have plenty of time left for the rest of your getting ready portraits.

First Looks Aren’t Just for the Couple

I absolutely LOVE when the bride sets up first looks with people other than her almost-husband. Such as dad, the bridesmaids, grandma…whoever you’re really close to and won’t need to help you get dressed is a good candidate! These first looks are only possible if you include enough coverage at the beginning of the day. And they are so worth it! I love capturing the real emotions of a dad seeing his little girl as a bride for the first time or the bridesmaids finally seeing their bestie in her beautiful gown. They really are priceless moments!

Staying on Track is Easier

While your photographer can’t exactly jump in and help finish an up-do (my hair lives in a messy bun…I am the furthest thing from a hair stylist!) they can definitely keep an eye on the clock and help compensate in other parts of the day to make sure everything stays on track with the schedule. You may be surprised how much photographers are able to help guide things along throughout the day, especially for those of you without a wedding planner.

Side note, the getting ready part of the day takes longer than most bride’s think it will, so I suggest planning more time than what you think you’ll need! Nobody has ever been upset about being ahead of schedule on a wedding day! One more tip - start with the makeup if you can because it’s best to have that done before your photographer arrives (trust me, brides are not choosing to share a bunch of pictures of themselves without makeup on).

All You Need is a Window

I’ve had bride’s tell me that they’ll skip the getting ready photos because the room they’ll be in isn’t very big or it’s dark, etc. I’m happy to tell you, all you really need is one window to get great light! I mean, the more windows the better, but it’s possible with just one!

Another little secret is that most perfectly lit preparation shots you see are actually somewhat staged. I can’t speak for every photographer, but I will say that I usually clean an area of the room and place the bride where the light is most flattering. Then everyone comes in to help her finish getting ready. Everything that happens from there is real, but most people don’t automatically stand in beautiful light without some direction, and you aren’t expected to; that’s the photographers job!

Those Florals Were Expensive

Your bouquet probably costed a lot of money and took the florist a lot of time to perfect for your big day. First of all, they will be super thankful for photos they can use too! But you’ll also love having plenty of shots of the bouquet! While of course you can get pictures of it later in the day too, it’s nice to be able to use elements of the flowers in the detail shots and have it ready to go for any first looks you plan to have. Plus, with the rush of a wedding day, solo bouquet shots can sometimes be missed later in the day.

There you have it! Five great reasons to schedule your wedding photographer to start while you’re getting ready for the big day. Here’s a bonus reason! This one is simply because things get real when the photographer arrives. It’s funny how many times I’ve had brides tell me that they didn’t feel like it was actually the wedding day until they saw me walk in the door. Having that feeling early on makes everything that much more exciting, giddy, emotional and totally worth documenting!