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7 Tips for Nailing Wedding Getting Ready Photos

Sinead and her bridesmaids getting ready while drinking champagne in matching pyjamas

Do you love those pinterest-worthy bridal party getting ready photos? Those dapper photos of all the lads looking smart in their suits? Here’s a secret: none of those shots happen by accident. While the moments themselves might be unposed, the area around them were certainly staged. I’ve put together a few tips to help you smash those getting ready pictures.

Think about natural light

Think about the area that you’ll be getting ready in. Try and find an area at the venue or hotel where there’s plenty of natural light pouring in and enough room for you all to get ready without being on top of each other. Pay attention to the colour of the walls, the carpet and the decor – these will all be in your photos!

Bride sitting by a window holding her bouquet in the natural light

 

Put together a banging playlist

It’s time to get in the party mood. Put yourselves together a playlist of all your favourite tunes and get pumped. Plus it’ll be something you can listen to again and again to remind you of you and your gals.

Prep outfits the night before

Hang up and steam your outfits the night before so that’s one less thing to worry about the next morning. The more you can avoid stressing and rushing about on the morning of your wedding, the better.

A wedding dress hanging from a tall mirror in a clear bridal prep room

 

Have a designated tidier

Before the getting ready photos start, assign someone to help with cleanup. That way you can get rid of any water bottles, put away any food, and anything that adds any clutter into the shot.

Get in your dress early

Rushing around to get down the aisle is the last thing you want on your big day, so us photographers will always recommend getting into your dress at least 20 minutes before it’s time to go. That way you’ll have plenty of time for the classic ‘bride getting ready’ photos of the dress going on, without panicking about getting all 40 of those tiny buttons done up. This also gives us time for some big reveal photos as we show you off to your friends and family.

 

Bride having the buttons done up on her floral lace wedding dress

Matching dressing gowns

There’s always one standout feature that you can always spot in those insta-viral bridal prep shots – the matching dressing gowns. These are something that is absolutely not essential, but if you’re in a position to splash out a bit on your gals, they’ll give your getting ready bridal photos a full “bride-tribe” feel.

 

 

Devil’s in the details

As I arrive on the morning of your wedding, it’s best to have the smaller details ready for me to shoot. That includes the rings, shoes, jewellery and also your wedding stationary for me to photograph while you’re all getting ready. That way you can all get used to me snapping away without my camera pointed straight at you.

A flatlay of minimal black and white wedding details featuring shoes, stationery, jewellery and flowers

And there you have it, my top tips for getting the best getting ready photos you can get on your wedding morning. If you’re looking for more wedding photo tips, check out my confetti shot tips and my winter wedding tips. You can take a look at more of my work and my wedding photography packages here, and if you like what you see, you can also get in touch. You can also find me over on Instagram.

  1. […] September day, I dropped in to see Lisa, who was upstairs in the Tudor Manor House, while she was getting ready. For her alternative bride look, Lisa wore a stunning understated dress from Bride2Be Reading. She […]

  2. […] I could nip between both rooms as everyone was getting all done up, super handy. While everyone was getting ready, their families were helping get set up outside ready for their outdoor garden ceremony. Their old […]

  3. […] take some of the stress out of planning. If you found these tips handy, check out my top tips for getting ready photos, and for nailing your confetti […]

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