5 tips for the best possible getting ready photos

It’s pretty indisputable that emotions will be running high on wedding day. Between your First Look (if you so choose to do one), to walking down the aisle, your vows, your first dance as husband and wife; each of these moments holds a once in a lifetime energy that everyone will want documented for years to come. The stage is set. You’ve spent hours researching for the most beautiful locations for your ceremony, reception and portraits to not only ensure that everything looks just as you’ve always dreamed it would, but also taking care to choose places that will photograph beautifully! With all of that time and effort spent in planning your big day, often times one important part can be forgotten – getting ready – the morning (or afternoon) preparations.

The morning of your wedding is such a special time. A time when you’re preparing for one of the most important days of your life! You are surrounded by the people who love you most in the world and want nothing more than for you to have the most incredible wedding day ever. There will be lots of laughter and sometimes tears, as you reminisce with your closest friends about the times you’ve had together over the years. Your heart will skip a beat as you step into your wedding dress that you so carefully picked out to wear on this one and only day. It only makes sense that, after so meticulously planning your wedding, the morning should be just as lovingly documented as all of the other parts of your day. So, how can you go about making sure that your getting ready photos are just as stunning and moving, despite the chaotic hecticness that can come with morning preparations?? Well, we’ve got a few easy tips for you on exactly how to make that happen. :)

1. Clear the room. Nothing can compromise a perfect photo like a room full of clutter! No matter how beautiful you look and feel on your wedding morning, that pile of clothes in the corner and dirty dishes on the tables will always make your getting ready photos look less stunning than they should. Since you’re the bride and you totally shouldn’t have to spend your morning worrying about whether or not your bridesmaids are throwing out their trash or leaving a trail around the room, try designating this task to your Maid of Honor or perhaps a bridesmaid who you already know likes to keep things neat and tidy by nature :) Wedding morning can get a bit chaotic at times, so a great way to ensure a neat space is by having a designated area for you and your ladies to leave all of your things – undergarments, tote bags, last night’s pajamas, make-up bags, etc. Have your assigned bridesmaid take a few moments to make sure there are no plastic water bottles or overnight bags overflowing with unmentionables laying around before the photographer shows up. Think about having your morning snacks set out in a nice presentation as opposed to muffins sitting out on the counter in their plastic store bought container. Also, if you’re getting ready at home, don’t be afraid to declutter the decor as well! The simpler the space, the better the photos.

2. Proper Lighting. Ask any photographer and they will tell you that natural light is the absolute best! A naturally well lit room makes all the difference. If you have the option, opt for the room with the largest windows. If you don’t have access to a room with plenty of windows then be sure that whatever room you choose has plenty of lighting throughout it. An even better option for a windowless morning – have your finishing touches completed in a nice outdoor space instead! (But don’t forget about the clutter! Maybe avoid using your sister’s backyard if your niece and nephew’s toys are covering the lawn. That old swing set is great but not necessarily as a backdrop to your beautiful wedding dress).

3. A large enough space. Nothing is worse than cramming 8 people into a room meant for 2. Not only is it nearly impossible for your photographer to get a clear shot of you through all of the bodies in the room, but crammed spaces also breed chaos (and sweatiness, lol). If the home where you were planning on getting ready isn’t quite spacious enough to comfortably fit you and all of your leading ladies, with room to spare, then consider renting an AirBnB or a bridal suite in a local hotel for the morning instead. It will be well worth the extra expense when you don’t have people accidentally stepping all over your dress and bumping into your make-up artist while she touches up your lips for the camera.

4. Be ready for the details. Have all of your bridal details easily accessible and ready to go, including your flowers, two copies of your invitations (in order to photograph both sides in one shot), jewelry, perfume, shoes, rings and any other significant wedding details that are near and dear to your heart. By having everything ready it saves you and your photographer the hassle of trying to find all of these items during the hustle and bustle of the morning. Make a list a few days before of all of the special items that you would want forever photographs of; this way nothing slips your mind on wedding morning. This goes for the guys, too! They may not have as many details, but things like cuff links, a special cologne, their shoes, pocket square, and bow tie can make for a beautiful keepsake photo. Also, consider choosing a nice hanger to make your wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses look even more special. You and your ladies spent a lot of money on those amazing dresses; those pricey and important articles of clothing should be hanging on beautiful hangers, not just a plain wire or plastic one. (Too much on your mind to deal with this step?? That’s why you have bridesmaids! Put one of your more responsible ladies in charge of this task!)

5. It’s your wedding morning, dress the part! Consider what you and your ladies are wearing while you’re getting ready and how that will look in photos. Matching silk robes are always a nice touch, or opt for color coordinating button down shirts. The last thing you want is gorgeous photos of you with your bridesmaids in the background wearing their boyfriend’s oversized college sweatpants and a t-shirt with holes in it. Hey, we all love those super comfy outfits but there’s a time and a place for those old pajamas that you’ve had since high school and, unfortunately, they aren’t the best choice for photo attire.

Follow these 5 important tips and we can assure you that your getting ready photos will be just as stunning, emotional and memorable as all of the other big moments of your wedding day. What do you think about our suggestions? Do you have anything else to add? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Perfect wedding morning? Check! What’s next??

danielle + rick // Delaware Park Rose Garden

Danielle and Rick are just too adorable for words. And to top it off, as if they weren’t already cute enough, Rick proposed to Danielle by putting her ring in a fortune cookie!! AMAZING!! Who wouldn’t love to chow down on some seriously decent Chinese food and finish off their meal by finding a diamond ring inside of a cookie?! We can’t wait to be a part of their wedding day this September!

These two lovely humans shared some sweet stories with us along with beautiful reasons why they simply cannot wait to spend the rest of their lives together. Read along as you check out their engagement shoot at Delaware Park and the Albright Knox! :)

Danielle: “We met in the summer of 2012. We were working at a restaurant, a job we would both probably like to forget, however, we met a lot of great people there including each other! Rick had already worked there for awhile as a busser and I was just starting as server and had a couple friends who already worked there. On one of my first shifts, I was in the kitchen and remember seeing Rick standing there and thought he was cute. He seemed like my ‘type’ and I think I asked someone about him and it ending up getting back to him. We got to know each other a little through chatting at work and one day he asked for my number which I was impressed by because I knew he was pretty shy.“

Danielle: “We didn’t actually start dating each other for quite awhile after this, maybe a year and a half. We hung out as friends more and I was also a little unsure of dating because of our slight age difference. Rick likes to make me feel bad for it now for delaying the start of our relationship :)“

Rick: “One of the main reasons I want to spend the rest of my life with Danielle is because of how genuinely happy she makes me feel all the time. If I’m having a rough day she is always there to put me in a better mood. She makes me feel loved at all times. Just receiving a text from her when we are apart is always pleasing and will brighten my day. I also want to spend my life with Danielle because we just understand each other so well. We both find the same things funny, we both know what chores to do, and we both just thoroughly enjoy each other’s company. We do so many things together; I wouldn’t have it any other way. I feel so lucky every day to have found such an amazing woman who is also so gorgeous. I can’t even imagine ever being without her.“

Danielle: “I would say we both probably value family the most. It’s really important to both of us to visit with our families and have dinners and such with our parents on a regular basis. We’ve talked about moving away someday to a warmer climate, but it always comes back to not wanting to be too far away from our families. Both of our sisters live out of town so it’s always a big deal when they come to visit for a week or weekend and we try to squeeze in as much togetherness as possible! Besides that, just trying to build a good future and life for ourselves by planning ahead and envisioning where we would like to be down the road. We value our relationship and feel lucky to have found another person we get along with so well and can share everything with.“

Danielle: “Our perfect night out would probably involve a concert of one of our favorite bands at Town Ballroom (our favorite venue). We would grab some dinner downtown before the show at any restaurant we enjoy before heading over to the concert early enough to get our favorite spot on the first tier railing. If there wasn’t a concert, we would probably just go out for dinner and have some delicious food. Ideal would be in the summer when we can sit outside somewhere and then possibly stop for some drinks on the way back home!“

Danielle: “Rick is one the most caring and genuine people you will ever meet. He always makes me feel like the most amazing person in the world and I always feel loved and cared for when I’m with him. He’s also really handy and able to build and repair things which I think is really impressive. He made an amazing clothing rack for me as an anniversary present and he also built our coffee table and it’s gorgeous. He’s also really handsome and has a killer beard, so there’s that.“

Danielle: “Our perfect night in would most likely revolve around ordering/picking up some food we’ve been craving. Probably our favorite pizza or Chinese food would be pretty standard– although it could also involve us cooking something together. We like trying new recipes and working together on cooking them. Either way, the night would revolve around the food we were craving! Then we would probably just hang out at our apartment and watch a movie or series we are currently watching. If we are really into it we may get carried away watching a few episodes, but if not we would both probably fall asleep earlier than desired.“

Danielle: “We are very similar people. We love a lot of the same things so we can easily reference things and know what each other means. Ever meet that person who just doesn’t get your Seinfeld references? That’s not us :) We both enjoy being low-key and relaxing at home when we have down-time. Although we like going out and visiting with friends, we both are more than happy staying in. We don’t like having too many plans going on around the same time. We just get along well due to our similarities. We always support one another with everything we do and take things on together. We push each other to be better versions of ourselves and approach new adventures as a team (even though that sounds really corny). Living together is a breeze because we are both neat and organized and have the same expectations.”