Wedding planning is stressful. From picking the menu, coordinating the flowers, designing the invites, and of course, finding that perfect dress, there are so many things to think about. And to top it off, ensuring your favorite vendors and locations are available on the same date can be a daunting task to say the least! We have seen so many brides pick the perfect venues, splurge on exquisite decor, coordinate the most chic attire, and plan the most extroardinary itineraries only to have overlooked one of the very first scenes of the day…the location where the wedding party will get ready.
What Exactly is Bridal Prep?
One of our favorite times of the day is capturing photojournalist images during bridal and groom preperation. This is where the couples are typically seperated while they get ready for the wedding. This includes spending time with their side of the wedding party, getting hair and makeup done, and getting dressed to the nines for the day. Not only do we want to ensure we capture the details of the day (dress, rings, flowers, jewelry, garter, shoes, suit, cufflinks, etc.) but we want to capture the emotions of everyone present. This is an exciting day, not only for the couple, but for all involved. We want to make sure we are able to capture mom’s face when her daughter spins around in the makeup chair and their eyes meet. We want to forever remember dad’s reaction when he walks into the room seeing his daughter in her dress for the first time. And of course, we want to be there when the best man helps straighten the groom’s tie. All of these memories are captured during preparation.
Why Does Location Matter?
One of the most easily overlooked aspects of the day can be the location of bridal prep. Most brides and grooms default the location of the bridal prep to whatever is convenient for most of the members of the wedding party. This may be a family member’s residence, a hotel room, the ceremony venue, or even deciding to skip out on having a bridal preperation time altogether! While any of these can work, we ask our clients to strongly consider having their preperation time captured by our cameras in a location that will assist in providing exceptional opportunities for imagery. Deciding on locations that are well lit (ideally with big diffused windows) and clutter free can make or break this portion of the day’s imagery. We often find ourselves in hotel rooms for preperation pictures…particularly on destination weddings or when the bride and groom do not live in the area of the ceremony. Hotel rooms can be extraordinary locations for images as long as some thought is put into it. Opting for the Bridal Suite at the hotel will often afford more room for everyone getting ready as well as providing great decor. Ensuring the room is free from clutter is essential to photography. There is nothing worse than walking into a hotel room and finding the room cluttered with evidence of a late night celebration the evening before (beer bottles laying around, pizza boxes stacked in the corner, and even dirty clothes laying on the floor). We have seen it all! We suggest asking the hotel if housekeeping can come early and cleen the room before bridal prep takes place if the room is being used the night before.
The Dress Shot
Typically, one of the first images we get when we arrive on site for bridal prep is the dress shot. Capturing images of the most important apparel you may wear in your life is a responsibility we do not take lightly. We will scope out the areas near where bridal preperation is taking place to find the best opportunity to showcase the wedding dress. This often involves hanging the dress from a window, entryway, mantle, vine, or other unique location. When selecting a place for bridal prep, take a moment to think about the surrounding areas and possible places that may incorporate a dress hanging. Decide if you wish to purchase a custom hanger to replace the plain plastic hanger that often accompanies the dress from the retailer. If you do not have a hanger, let us know. We do keep a “Bride” hanger on hand for just these occurances!
Remembering the Details
After we have captured the dress, we will then move on to the special details that accompany the day. Wedding rings, shoes, bouquet, garter, something blue, jewelry, perfume, really anything that will take you back to your wedding day when you look back over your images in the future. Like we do with the dress, we often look for areas nearby that will accentuate your details.
Don’t Forget About the Guys
While much of the previously mentioned content appears geared towards the bride’s side of the party, the groom’s side needs to take the same considerations in hand when determining a preperation location. Where will the suit be hung? Is there a good spot to place the shoes, cufflinks, socks, belt, cologne, and watch?
