Three Quick Tips For Better ‘Getting Ready’ Photos
I’ll be honest with you! Getting ready photos are one of my favorite photos to take on a wedding day. I really love to hang in the back and capture real moments. There’s something so special about the bridal suite and the atmosphere a few hours before the ceremony. This is the kind of setting where candid photography is king and usually where you’ll be seeing your photographer for the first time on your wedding day. Here are a few tips for you to prepare to get the best getting ready shots!
Light it up!
When deciding on a wedding venue — you should definitely consider the light inside the bridal suite. Large windows with light curtains will allow a lot of beautiful and soft light to enter the room. If your venue has limited light inside the bridal suite, I have plenty of lights to bring in with me but natural is usually better. Also consider doing the final touches outside, the dress zip up and putting the veil on, for example.
Tidy up the room
15 minutes before your photographer arrives, you should ask your bridesmaids to tidy the room up. Believe me, there will be clutter after a few hours of you all getting ready. It will both save you time and save your photos to take a few minutes to clean up. Nobody wants an empty water bottle or a granola bar wrapper in the middle of the photos, right?
Get prepared
I always set up a meeting with my clients 2-3 weeks before the wedding day. During the meeting we go over the timeline and I ask about detail photos. If you want flat lay images of your jewelry, stationary, and wedding shoes — you should definitely have that ready to go in a rigid envelope or a shoebox for your photographer to grab at the start of the day. Additionally, let your photographer know if there is something unique and personal you are including that they can’t know to capture without being told. Here are a few examples, an embroidered wedding date inside the dress, grandpas ring attached to the bouquet, mom’s wedding dress altered to be the bride’s reception dress.
What kind of gear is needed?
Most wedding photographers work with at least two cameras on a wedding day. This is to ensure that you have a back-up camera in case anything happens. I only use Canon cameras and have since I started shooting in 2010. At this point, they’re like an extension of my arm, haha! Lenses are actually more important than the camera, it is super important that you choose a lens that handles low light well. Typically lenses with a maximum f-stop of 2.8 or lower will do the trick. For lighting, the most simple set up is using one flash, which is actually a super trending look in 2024, so just keep it simple!
Relax and have fun
Remember to let go of all the wedding planning and allow yourself to enjoy the day. You hired all these professional vendors because they are amazing at what they do. Let them work and enjoy your day!