Bride getting ready photos

The bride getting ready photos are more important than the pictures of the groom and best men’s preparations!

It’s a fact YOU (the bride) are more important!

Joking aside… I like to dedicate more time to photographing the bride. Of course, we discuss your wedding photography in the planning stages. If you like, I will give the same amount of time to both of you. However, in my experience, the groom is happy with a little less attention. Besides, getting the bride ready does naturally take longer.

All the women I know, and all my clients, tell me they prefer having their photo taken after their hair and makeup are done. I appreciate it may be nice to have some behind the scenes photos, but I don’t see the point in taking photos of you sitting in a chair, with no makeup on, as someone paints your nails. Will you really be hanging that sort of photo on a wall back home?

I see so many photographers putting photos of brides in the very early stages of their preparations on their galleries. I don’t like having my photo taken when I am not ready, so I don’t want to take yours until you are ready. How would you like me to portray you? I like to create beautiful, stylish emotional portraits of you looking great.

I like to take photos where people look at them and say to themselves “Wow – we look great”. This is why I choose to not take many photos of you during hair and makeup. Also, if you hire a hair and makeup artist do you really want to have lots of photos with a person you don’t know? They are not part of your wedding and could be wearing clothes that are not appropriate for your wedding photos.

The person or people doing your hair and makeup have a very important job to do. I prefer to let them do their job. After all, great hair and makeup are really important on your wedding day.

While you are in the earlier stages of getting ready I like to concentrate on documenting the location and atmosphere and creating really nice photos of your details and accessories. Once I have those photos I will likely be photographing the groom and best men as they get ready.

1. Get a room that is spacious. Chances are there will be quite a few people in the room. It helps if we all have space to be able to move and work. We don’t want to be struggling to move about and working in cramped conditions.
2. If you are getting ready in a hot country then get a room with air conditioning. You will stay calmer and arrive at the wedding looking perfectly fresh and beautiful.
3. Try and choose a room that is bright and airy. Natural light is important for the photos and also for you to be able to see for hair, makeup, and everything else.
4. Keep your room tidy. It will help you stay relaxed and will look so much better in the photos.
5. You should put your dress on last. You don’t want to have pictures in your expensive wedding dress and the person closing the dress is still in their robe.

I said before, during the planning stages, we will have made a plan for the photography. Most brides prefer me to start photographing once they are in the wedding dress, covered and decent – no nudity. This means there are no uncomfortable moments prior when people are in their underwear. Of course, if you have no issues with it and would like photos prior you would have let me know during the discussions about your wedding photography.

Once you are in the dress and wearing all your accessories you may want to take some photos with the people present, you may also want to have a toast and glass of prosecco or champagne.

The fun and excitement as you and your bridesmaids open the bottle and all have a drink (in matching elegant glasses), creates some natural interaction and is a wonderful moment to photograph.

Moreover, it’s probably time for a little drink too!

I need to photograph both the bride’s preparations and also the groom’s. Neither of you will be aware of what the other is doing during their preparations. By having photographs of the preparations you will be able to relive the time you are apart, the laughs, the tears and all the other beautiful moments. The bride getting ready photos should be stunning photos that document a very important moment… you are putting on your wedding dress and this means we are about to go to the wedding ceremony!

Below are a few pictures from the bride getting ready photos. To get a better idea of my wedding coverage you can view images from full weddings on this page about amazing venues in Italy.