I love the wedding morning preparations. The atmosphere is a unique mix of nerves and excitement and there is so much anticipation in the air. As a photographer, it’s a great chance for me to get to know some of the people involved in the day and to capture the atmosphere.
That wedding morning should be part of the whole wedding day experience. When you’re planning your day don’t forget to think about your morning. Where you’ll be getting ready, what sort of vibe you’d like (chilled, lively etc), what you’d like to listen to (put a playlist together) and especially who you would like to spend it with.
Here are some of my top tips to get the most out of your morning (and to get the very best photographs).
- Ensure you’re getting ready somewhere with lots of lovely natural light. If there’s a big window then in front of that would be the perfect spot for your make-up artist to set up.
- Think about how big the space is. How many people will be with you in the morning? Don’t forget to count your suppliers too – hair and make-up, photographer, videographer etc – we all take up room! You don’t want to feel cramped and like everyone is on top of each other.
- If your venue doesn’t have a lovely space for you to get ready in, or you’re not sure that your home will fit everyone in, then why not think about hiring an AirBnB for the night before and morning of?
- Brides, think about where you’ll be putting your dress on. You don’t want to be trying to get dressed in a dark, cluttered room. Ideally it would be a room with lots of clear space, and some beautiful big windows to let in lots of light. This room would, in an ideal world, be a great spot to get your dress on, have some bridal portraits taken and then have first looks with your bridesmaids and parents.
- Clutter! Ask your bridesmaids to tidy up as they go! You’d be surprised at how quickly piles of clothes, makeup and plastic shopping bags (especially bright orange ones!) can appear and make a room look crowded and untidy.
- This is my favourite tip – choose a new perfume for your day. Something that will take you back to your wedding day when you wear it again.
- Timing is everything. Plan to have your dress on at least an hour before the ceremony. This might seem like a long time but trust me on this one! That last hour or so is always a huge rush, even if the morning has felt very relaxed and chilled out. Giving yourself an hour spare means you have plenty of time to get into your dress, do those pesky buttons up, have an emotional first look with mum and dad and then still have time for a glass of fizz before you head to get married.
If you’re reading this and you’ve recently got married, do you have any advice you can share with other couples? Let me know in the comments!
