2. Getting Ready
The getting ready portion of the day is such a fun and memorable part of a wedding because that’s where all the real nervousness and excitement is so evident.
Choose a room that has lots of natural light based on the time of the day that you’ll get ready at. A well-lit room with large windows will help not only me but your makeup artist too.
Photographing the details is ideal for getting used to the idea of us being around. We therefore start all our preparation sessions by photographing details such as the boutonnières, the bouquets and the dress.Pack a box with all the little details you’d like to be photographed at both of your locations. Details could include invitations, menus, save the dates, family heirlooms, jewellery, perfume, shoes, flowers, handwritten notes, your wedding vows, etc.
We ask that you please mail us a copy or send a photo taken in natural daylight of your invite at least two weeks before your wedding.
Don’t forget to plan the little things, such as the dress you will wear during these hours, hangers for your clothes, music and keep the prosecco nearby!
For the bride: If you don’t want to spend the extra money on something new to wear, choose a wrap dress or something simple like a white shirt, avoiding dresses that require you to pull it over your head. If you want bridal portraits together with your family, we suggest you ask the make-up artist to finish one hour before departure for church/ceremony. This gives you time to freshen up, grab a bite to eat, and organise any final details before getting dressed.
For the groom: Wear your undershirt if you have one and your suit’s trousers. We will photograph you putting on the rest.
It would be ideal if you could keep all the clutter in a different room, closet or even the bathtub. We want to prioritise beautiful backdrops and these are distracting details that you don’t want in your photographs. One more thing to consider is having glass bottles and glasses instead of plastic water bottles.
To avoid unnecessary stress for yourself, we recommend whoever is helping you get dressed should be dressed and ready at least 30 minutes before the bride’s make up is complete and 15 minutes before the groom gets ready. We can’t tell you how many times bridal portraits have been shortened and rushed because friends and family either arrived late or weren’t dressed by the time the bride needed them.
We generally try to leave for church 30 minutes before you do so we can set up and photograph details and guests arriving.
Brides, it would help me a lot to see a picture of your dress and hairstyle beforehand. This allows me to start thinking about creative ‘poses’ for you to do. If you’re comfortable with sending a picture of these to me, please whatsapp me or email me a photo. I promise to keep it a secret!
