Watching the bride and her bridesmaids get ready for a wedding day is one of my favorite parts of being a photographer (other than when husband and wife first see each other, the kiss, they are officially declared married, and friends gather around to celebrate – ok, I have a lot of favorite moments). The anticipation that months and many times years has brought on waiting for this moment is palpable.

From my perspective, as people are bustling about, I’m trying to capture the emotion in the room and also snag photos of the day’s details that you’ve put so much thought into. The invitations, jewelry, shoes, dress, flowers, etc. are all beautiful components of the day that help to tell the full narrative of your wedding. So, I make sure to spend time capturing those as well.

So, how can you get those bright, clean, and detailed photos of you and your girls (and this 100% applies to the men as well) as you prepare for this day? I’ve put together a list of three strategies that will help you get the best possible photos of those moments of anticipation.

Natural light makes the prettiest photos

When you’re considering the space in which you’ll get ready for your big day, a room with large windows and light colored walls is absolutely ideal. But I understand that isn’t always doable based on other variables in the day! So, often times, I ask brides if they would be willing to slip into their dress and then move to an area that has more ample light. The more light, the better!

Details make a difference

From early on in my business, I've wanted to capture meaningful and personal photos of brides and grooms as they were getting ready. But what I often discovered when I went in to greet the bride was that they were overwhelmed when I began mentioning items I was going to grab to get photos of. Well, little did I know that what I was doing was springing unnecessary stress on them in those moments. They have so much else on their mind! So, now I do my best to let my brides and grooms know ahead of time that while they’re getting ready, I’ll be snagging photos of the day’s details – invitation suite, shoes, jewelry, the dress, flowers, cuff links, ties, fun socks, boutonnieres, etc. That way, they can be prepared ahead of time with the details that are important to them!

Give yourself more time than you think you need

More often than not, hair and makeup, and getting into the dress take much longer than anticipated. You never know what may happen - someone’s hair needs an emergency fix, the lights go out at the salon, or a dress needs a quick sew (yes, all of these have happened)! So, in order to enjoy the time with your friends and not feel rushed through those moments and the photos, budget 30-45 minutes more than what you think you’ll need to get ready. This also allows some additional time to find the best light for your photos if your space doesn't have much!

Hopefully, this is helpful as you think about your wedding day and more specifically getting ready for it! And if not, I'll try again!