It’s the morning of your wedding! Hopefully, all of the little details are taken care of and you’re relaxing with your best friends while your hair is being done. If certain items haven’t been checked off the to-do checklist (download here), it’s time to hand them over to someone else. Delegation is a key part of a stress-free wedding day.
I know it may be hard to hand over certain duties and all of the last minute things that need to be done, but it really is important to relax the morning of your wedding. If you have a planner (which I highly recommend), then you can rest easy knowing that most aspects of the wedding have been taken care of! The rest of the day is going to be fast paced and filled with a lot of emotions! Take advantage of this down time!
There are a few things to consider about the “getting ready” portion of the day.Do you want to share a “first look” with your dad or any other person who plays a huge role in your life?
Will you and your groom be exchanging gifts, or a letter, during this time? If so, who would you like to deliver them? Are there certain women in your life who would appreciate seeing you get into your gown? Who will do the final zip-up of the gown (mother’s love this honour)? Some brides want very few people around for this moment. Other brides love having aunts and grandmas present! It’s totally up to you!
How to choose the perfect room for Bridal Prep photographs
- Choose the nicest room in the house. When it comes to taking these photographs we can use ANY room in the house; we are not limited to the bedroom.
- Choose a room with white walls to avoid unnatural colour casts.
- Have as much natural light (big windows) as possible.
- Choose a room with as little clutter as possible (we might even need to move some furniture out of the way).
By having just a simple window in the bridal prep area, I am able to create beautiful portraits with soft light. I call this the “Window Effect” and it is really the number one ingredient in creating magical, ethereal photos! The second ingredient are white walls, because they reflect the light to create an etherial feel. Coloured walls on the other hand cast colours onto the dress and the skin.
A few other things to consider…. as you get ready to put your dress on, refrain from putting any jewellery on. I love shooting all of those final steps once you’re in your gown!
Speaking of the gown, if your gown is on a plastic hanger, try to make a note to bring along a wooden – preferably white – or brass hanger for some extra vintage charm, for picture sake.