It's all in the prep!
Often clients umm and ahh about whether to bother with "getting ready" photos. I'll fully admit that way before I was married I thought it was a bit weird, unnecessary, embarrassing and uncomfortable! Having said that, when it was our turn, we went for the whole shebang and got pictures which told the tale of the WHOLE day in the reportage style that we loved so much. I have to say that as a wedding photographer myself, it's definitely one of my favourite parts of the day, being a part of the excitement and anticipation for the day to come!
So what makes for great getting ready shots?
Well firstly it always helps that you are completely comfortable with your photographer. Brides (and grooms!) are nearly always full of nerves in the morning and you need a calm, friendly face to put you at ease. This is where a pre-wedding shoot can often help us get to know each other beforehand, but that's a story for another day!
It doesn't matter if you're getting ready at home or in a luxurious suite of the poshest hotel in town, but as long as it's not in the dingiest darkest corner full of clutter you're on to a winner, trust me! I know it's often hard to keep your room tidy at the best of times (guilty as charged!), and especially not on the frantic morning of your wedding with so much going on, but it really will make all the difference in your photos. Theres only so much Photoshop can fix! Rooms with as much natural light as possible are a photographers dream and make a huge difference.
Guess what though, this bit isn't just for the ladies! The groom can join in too, whether it's the final finishing touches of getting ready, a quick speech rehearsal (or rewrite!), or a swift pint in the pub to calm the nerves beforehand! The beauty of having both Dan and myself as your photographers for the day is that neither of you has to sacrifice the getting ready images. We will be there for both of you to capture those last minute details and moments. We also time sync our cameras so you can see exactly what each other was doing at a particular moment in time. How cool is that?!
Anyway without further ado, here are some of my favourite morning shots!
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