Getting the Best Bride Prep Photos
You wouldn't think it at first, but some of our favorite wedding photos/videos are taken in the morning when the bride is getting ready! It’s the beginning of the day, excitement is in the air, and we don’t want to miss a thing. This is a critical time for your wedding photographers to capture some really important photos that you’ll love to look back on later. In order to make sure that your bride prep looks great, here are a few suggestions that we can offer!
Location
We recommend choosing a space/location that is open, has plenty of natural light and is free of clutter! This will ensure the photographer or videographer has plenty of light and room to work with and will keep your photos looking nice and clean! Try to avoid hotel rooms that are cramped and don't provide much natural lighting. Indoor lighting can be difficult to work with and usually produces orange skin tones, and hotel rooms can also be limiting when trying to find a nice place to shoot details, such as the dress! Often times these rooms have TVs, phones, desks and lamps which can take away from the elegance of the dress and other details that need to be shot.
If you've already scheduled a hotel or are in a smaller/darker space this is totally okay! Here are a few tips for working in this type of space:
Make sure your hair and make up artists position you by a window (This is important in any scenario, we love natural light!)
Keep indoor lighting off, it may feel dark but the pictures and video will still come out bright!
Keep the space clean
Details
Be sure to bring all the details that you want us to photograph or catch on video on the morning of. This may include but is not limited to:
Shoes
Dress
Wood or Custom hanger for the dress (Example)
Bridesmaid dresses
Invitations
Rings (All 3)
Ring Box (Example) (Another Example!)
Any jewelry
Any card/gift you'll be exchanging with your fiancé
Your bouquet
Time
Bride prep is such an important part of the day and can sometimes be neglected and undervalued. This is the most relaxed time of the day: you're spending time with your girls, getting pampered, and getting ready to say I do! It’s a great time for your photographer or videographer to warm up and build a rapport with you, your bridesmaids, and your family! But beyond that, shooting details takes time! We ask that you give our team at least an hour (but we recommend more) to style invitations, rings, florals and shoes, and also find the best place to hang your dress!
If we are shooting video and you're planning on exchanging cards on the morning of, please allow your videographer an extra 15 minutes to capture good visuals and audio!
We hope that this is helpful for you as you continue your wedding planning! As always, feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have!
