GETTING READY ROOM

Choosing the perfect getting ready room is easiest that you can think! Brides make hundreds of decisions to plan the perfect big day and we want to help them make some of those decisions easier. Here some suggestions every bride can make before the wedding to help ensure the day is everything the bride envisions, and maybe even more!

“Details create the big picture” – Sanford I. Weill

After shooting more than 100 weddings, we LOVE to share advice or tips that we’ve learned through those weddings with our couples! Today on the blog, we’re sharing advice on the room where you’ll be getting ready on the morning of your wedding. As your photographers, our goal is always to create timeless images that you’ll cherish for a lifetime! Hopefully these tips will help you as you plan for your wedding day!

Your perfect Getting Ready Room

NATURAL LIGHT

If you feel an affinity towards our style, it probably has something to do with te use of natural light! Our best piece of advice for brides when it comes to the morning is… secure a space with big windows! We know that in Italy this can be a little tricky if you choose an old castle or a small Agriturismo, but by having just a simple window in the bridal prep area, we are able to create beautiful portraits with soft light (the more windows, the better!)

FIND A “CLEAN SPACE”

Natural light is always our first priority. The second step is finding a neutral area to use as our backdrop. Usually that means a blank wall or simple & classic background. Throughout your wedding day, we want you & your groom to be the focal point of your images. This means that its our goal to eliminate any unnecessary distraction. Often times, we move artwork on the hotel walls to ensure that YOU stand out on the photos!

STEP OUTSIDE

If you have a tight schedule in the morning or are required to be at the ceremony location early, you might not have access to a great room but that doesn’t have to stop us from getting timeless photos! Is there a porch outside? How about a patch of shade near the trees? Stepping outside for those final “getting ready” photos is a great option to avoid a small dark room.

What you need to have in your Getting Ready Room

The details are the frosting on your wedding story cake. 🙂 The whole day begins with the DETAILS! This is one of our favorite parts of the wedding day! Just because it allows us to prepare and get our creative side warmed up for the rest of your day. We start every wedding with details shoot in the bridal suite so, here are the details to bring to the getting room:

CUSTOM HANGER

You dream of your wedding dress your whole life. We want to make sure we get an image of your perfect dress on your perfect day. Unfortunately, most wedding dresses come dangling on wire or plastic hangers, which can be very distracting to the final photograph and don’t support the dress well while hanging from a door or window. Investing in a custom hanger can up the visual interest of your wedding dress photograph. Consider a hanger with your new last name written in wire, a hanger that sparkles, or a hanger that compliments the color story of your wedding day.  Even a wooden hanger from your closet can be a good solution that supports the weight of the dress without distracting your eyes away from it. If you forget a pretty hanger don’t worry! We always have one with us 😀

WEDDING RINGS AND JEWELRY

We ask us to collect every piece in your getting room before we arrive so that we can begin quickly. We love to photograph the engagement ring and both wedding bands together. Also, if you’re wearing a necklace, bracelet, or earrings, or have an antique jewelry box, family heirloom, or anything else you’ll be wearing that’s important to you, make sure it’s all pre-organized together in one box or bag that you can hand us when we walk in. It’ll give us more time to stage and shoot it, so we’ll spend less time tracking it all down, and give you more photos of your beauties.

INVITATION SET

Your invitation set represents a great first impression for your guests. You’ll spend hours choosing the design elements for everything from the packaging to the return address labels. And you deserve to have memories of your hard work! If you can remember, also include a wedding program, any other paper products and color textures that you’re incorporating somewhere else that matches your theme, like extra lace from your bouquet. Details look best when they’re told as a color story.

FLOWERS

Most florists will deliver the bouquets and boutonnieres to the wedding venue instead of the hotel. If you’re able to have them delivered to the hotel, that’ll give us the chance to incorporate your flowers into the other detail shots. No worries, if it’s hot, we’ll be sure to keep it in water as much as possible before the ceremony.

PERFUME

This is the PERFECT something new! If you bring a new bottle of perfume to wear on your wedding day, your brain will remember that new scent and relate it to the happiest day of your life! Every time that you wear it, that smell should bring you both right back to your wedding day!

Hopefully these tips & tricks are helpful to you in the planning process of your wedding! Remember, the getting ready room doesn’t need to be extravagant but putting in a little extra effort to find a bright  & timeless space will make ALL the difference when you get your photos back!!!