10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURE YOUR WEDDING MORNING PREPARATIONS
The idea of having a photographer document your wedding morning preparations can feel a little daunting. It’s often an incredibly intimate time, filled with nervous excitement, backstage vibes and a touch of chaos. So, should you have your photographer document all that? My advice, YES and in no particular order, here’s why…
NO. 1
One day, those photographs will help you look back and remember the butterflies...
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that time moves faster on your wedding day. None more so than during those hours spent getting ready. That precious time, surrounded by the most important people in your life, those butterflies, those champagne filled fits of laughter, that raw excitement can often be forgotten once you’ve met the love of your life at the altar and begun to party. When looking back at your wedding day, it’s so important to remember every feeling. The butterflies that helped you float down that aisle deserve to be documented.
NO. 2
How often are you in a room with all the ladies you love? Possibly in your pyjamas?
Seriously though? When was the last time you had all of the people you love and trust the very most in a room with you? When that’s allowed again, wouldn’t it be lovely to have some photographs documenting how they helped you get ready on the morning of your wedding? I always feel incredibly honoured to walk into a bridal suite and capture a bride surrounded by the most influential women in her life, on the most important day of her life. The nurturing energy in those rooms is incredible and as a photographer there to capture real life love, the love amongst a bridal squad is quite unlike anything else!
NO. 3
It’s often the seemingly small moments that you'll end up treasuring the most...
Like with the rest of your wedding day, the unscripted fleeting moments that happen quite by accident are often the ones you’ll treasure more. Having your photographer with you from the very beginnings of your day means more of those moments can be captured and preserved.
NO. 4
Grooms get their time to shine!
I will never be able to say this enough, grooms deserve those getting ready shots too! So often sole emphasis is given to the bride on a wedding day. But it takes two people getting married for there to be a wedding at all! It’s so important that grooms feel just as special, celebrated and cared for on their wedding morning. Having their getting ready preparations captured, whether it be a simple cuff link adjustment or a full on pre‑wedding gathering at the pub, it’s so important to document what happened that side of the aisle.
It’s actually grooms who are often the most hesitant about photographs being taken and yet without fail, grooms and their groomsmen always become the ones to seek out every shot and somehow know every pose! 😂
NO. 5
If you’re eloping, getting ready together is such a beautiful way to spend your morning. Documenting those intimate moments is so important...
When eloping, it’s often just the two of you on your wedding morning. From experience, I can tell you how magical this feels. However, there’ll naturally be people missing. Documenting your elopement morning is a lovely way of sharing your day with loved ones who couldn’t be there with you and also, it helps make your elopement day last even longer :) Definitely get your monies worth from your photographer and the beautiful place you’ve decided to stay!
NO. 6
The details!
There are so many beautiful details to your wedding day that you will have spent months deciding on, especially when it comes to what you’re wearing. Giving your photographer time to document those little touches that bring your wedding together, such as your choice of bridesmaid dresses, the shoes you wore, the earrings your grandmother gave you, are all precious details to be looked back on one day.
Details don’t have to just be outfit related. They can be the little note you wrote your partner, the location you’re getting ready in, your vow books and not to be forgotten, the rings!
NO. 7
You’ll get to see what you each got up to that morning...
I love this part. It’s traditional not to see each other the morning of your wedding and many couples still choose to honour this tradition. Having your photographer capture what you each got up to that morning is a lovely way of preserving your own memories but also makes for entertaining viewing when you receive your wedding photos back. It’s so lovely to see how you were each feeling and what you were each doing at a specific moment.
This part is always fun for me too! If my husband Rich has been shooting along with me on a wedding, he’ll usually capture the groom’s side of things. So the images are a surprise for me too when it comes to edit time!
NO. 8
Wrestling your page boys & flower girls into their little outfits makes for adorable photos...
Plus, odds are it’ll be the last time you see those outfits without grass stains! If you do have little ones getting ready with you on your wedding morning, there will be chaos! There’s no way around it and that’s part of the fun. Page Boys & Flower Girls are always adorable and you’ll have likely chosen to get ready with them for a reason. They’ll be your nieces & nephews, your godchildren or maybe your own children. Photographing them that morning will never be a bad idea, no matter what state they’re in! Those photographs will be treasured by the whole family and one day, those children will look at those photographs themselves and wonder how they were ever so small.
NO. 9
Think of the portraits!
Those last few moments before a bride makes her way to the wedding ceremony and her future husband are some of my favourites. All the activity, noise and chaos of the previous hours simply disappears. You’re left with a beautiful woman, looking so ethereal, full of butterflies and confidence, enjoying the last few moments of her previous life. Calmly breathing in all that is about to happen.
Taking a few moments of calm before you walk out the door is so important. Your photographer will often be there with you, capturing the most stunning bridal portraits for you to look back on in years to come.
NO. 10
You’ll get to preserve the look your father gave you when he first saw you in your dress...
This one doesn’t take a lot of explaining. You’ll probably have dreamt about your wedding day your whole life, odds are, so will your parents.
My top tips to ensure wedding morning bliss and beautiful photographs...
‑ Ask people to get ready with you whom you know will put you at ease and make you smile. You don’t need any MOB or bridesmaid dramas on your day.
‑ Big photography tip here… Choose a place to get ready in that is spacious, uncluttered, and with lovely natural light. If you think the room looks messy, ask a few bridesmaids to help you tidy up. Get rid of ugly hotel room alarm clocks, remote controls, brightly coloured objects that risk drawing the eyes attention.
‑ Eat! Your wedding breakfast is further away than you think!
‑ Choose a pretty robe to get ready in. It will help you feel comfortable and at ease in front of the camera without you being fully dressed yet.
‑ A playlist of songs that make you and your girls feel happy and excited always goes down well!
‑ It’s not traditional, but if you really are nervous, consider staying with your parter the night before. Waking up together on your wedding morning is so special and you’ll likely have gotten a much better nights sleep by keeping your sleep pattern more natural to what you’re used to.
‑ Relax and enjoy every wonderful moment. Things will likely not go exactly to plan; I’ve never shot a wedding where things ran to schedule and that’s okay. A rumour going round the hotel that the groom has forgotten the rings? Been there! It was true and it turned out fine! Give yourself plenty of time to get ready and minimise any tasks or planning for the day itself. All will be well.