Receiving your wedding photographs is an exciting time and an opportunity to look back on one of the most special days of your life. The first few images that you see in your gallery are usually bridal preparation photos. The same goes for when you show your wedding album to family and friends, so you want to make sure that these images are simply stunning and set the tone for the rest that follow. Over the years I have learned what can be done by both the bridal party and the photographer to achieve those beautiful ‘bride getting ready photos’ that you everybody longs for. Here are my tips…
Chat With Your Photographer First
Being a natural wedding photographer I believe that bridal prep photos should be just that. Natural. In order to achieve this the bride must be relaxed and comfortable in the photographers presence so it is essential to spend a few minutes chatting to get reacquainted. Discuss what you want from your ‘getting ready wedding photos’ but also don’t be afraid to engage in some general chit chat to become more familiar with your photographer. After all they will be following you around for the majority of the day!
Keep Track of Time
One thing which I have seen too many times is a lovely morning of wedding prep turning into a whirlwind of chaos when somebody realises that there isn’t a great deal of time left. As well as being stressful at the time, this kind of anxiety can show in your photographs and it is the last thing you want to remember as you are looking back on your special day. As a bride you don’t want to be clock watching on the morning of your wedding so it is always a good idea to pull together a rough timing plan before the day and give one of your bridesmaids the responsibility of ‘time keeper’ to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Choose Your Bridal Prep Room Wisely (and Keep it Tidy)
Although it may feel natural to get ready in the same room that you get ready every day, take a minute to ask yourself if this is the best place for you and your bridal prep morning. Is there enough space for you all? Are there enough mirrors? Is there enough natural light? And also does the room make a nice backdrop for your photographs? Once you have picked the most suitable room, make sure it is clean and tidy before the morning of the wedding and ask your bridesmaids to try to keep mess to a minimal throughout the morning to avoid cringing at the clutter on your bridal preparation photos.
Get Ready in Natural Light
In the previous point I touched on natural light but I cannot stress how important this is from a photography point of view. A room filled with natural light will automatically make your bridal prep photographs brighter, fresher and full of energy. It is also particularly important that as the bride you sit directly in front of Natural light when having your hair and makeup done if possible. This will make your skin look radiant and your eyes nice and reflective.
Invest in Matching Bridal Party Robes
A huge trend at the moment is matching bridal party robes. As well as making your bridal party feel really special, matching robes will make your getting ready wedding photos look extra special and really well coordinated. This is particularly handy if you want to get a collection of the images presented in a frame or mini album for your hens as a thank you or as a birthday gift later down the line.
Display your Dress and Shoes
Your wedding dress and shoes are really special and may well have taken a long time to save up for and choose so they definitely deserve a little photo shoot of their own. Find a picture-perfect place in your home or bridal prep room ahead of the wedding morning and let your photographer know where to find them so that they can sneak away to take the shots at a convenient time when you need a few minutes to yourself. Having these shots in your wedding album really help to tell the story of the morning and build excitement for the photos of you in your wedding dress.
Enjoy your Morning!
Last but not least, remember to enjoy yourself. Your wedding morning is all about you. Revel in the pampering and the excitement of the special day you have ahead of you. If you are relaxed and happy this will shine through and you will achieve effortlessly gorgeous bridal prep photos which you will treasure forever.
