24 Jul Wedding Pictures – Where To Get Ready For The Big Day

The following article comes from guest writer… Tom Daspit of Studio D Photography. Tom wanted to share his thoughts and suggestions to my readers of what should be considered when choosing their location to get ready in for wedding day. Enjoy Tom’s article!

Nix the Xerox!

When it comes to your wedding pictures, little details can make a big difference in how things turn out. One example is the room you get dressed and ready in.

Many photographers, myself included, like to get images of the couple, especially the bride, preparing for the big day. There are several reasons for this:

First, it serves as a bit of a warm up. I use this time to get into flow of taking pictures. It helps that this is a low-pressure situation. While you can get away with a missed shot of the bride applying her lipstick, it is inexcusable to miss the ceremony kiss.

Also, the bride, groom, and bridal party get more accustomed to the photographer’s presence (people can get a little understandably nervous when a big camera is around). This helps in capturing those genuine candid moments as the photographer becomes part of the background.

Second, we love the details. Images of the dress, shoes, accessories, and flowers help tell the story of the wedding. I love to get creative with these shots. It gives me a chance to flex my artistic muscles. Getting pictures of these things before the bride gets into them makes that possible.

The Suite Spot!

Third, the emotional moments! Often, the time you are getting ready is filled with life. The nervous laughs, the girl talk, the first time the bride’s mother or father see their little girl in her wedding dress. Before the ceremony, before you walk down the isle, before he sees you for the fist time, there are countless small moments that tell the story.

So, given the importance of the preparation images, the environment in which you get ready matters to the final picture. Just as you put thought into planning how the ceremony and reception venue will look, so should you plan where you do your hair and make-up.

Unfortunately I learned this lesson the hard way. Several years ago, I photographed a beautiful bride, getting married in a beautiful church, with a beautiful concert hall for the reception, in a cinder block walled basement. The only light came from bare overhead florescent bulbs, casting a lovely pale green hue. The only furniture was a standard folding table. The location had the charm and appeal of a dungeon, or well, a basement. Seriously, there are secret government military instillations with more aesthetic charm! Little did I know, just above us was a room filled with beautiful Victorian furniture, bathed in magnificent, warm, north window light, and detailed pocket doors perfect for framing the dress.

I kicked myself up one side and down the other for weeks after that! The couple was happy with their images, but the ones that never were would haunt me. I decided that I never wanted that to happen again. So now, I make sure to talk with my clients about where they are getting ready and scout out the best location possible. So, whether you are getting ready at home, in a salon, a hotel, or in the church, take a little time to visualize how well that location will look for those first images of your wedding.