Getting ready.
I don’t want to point out the obvious, but the time you spend with your family and friends before saying your I dos is pretty important. The whole day will go super quickly, so be sure to make the most of this bit. I normally recommend you have me arrive one or two hours before the ceremony starts. If you’re getting ready at the venue, my arrival an hour or so before the ceremony is a good chance for me to spend some time snapping the details at the venue, leaving more time for other photos later.
From a photographer’s point of view, the ideal shooting space would be spacious, light and tidy (although with lots of people getting ready in a small space it often isn’t and that’s fine!)
In an ideal world, the make-up artist would work on your face in a spot with light coming from the window. This works well, especially in a dark hotel room.
When booking your hotel room for this part of the day, consider whether it has lots of natural light and whether it’s decked out fixtures and fittings that you’re happy to have in your photos. I have also shot in rooms provided by the venue – windowless boxes with no natural light and downward-pointing halogens lights – these are a nightmare, so if budget allows, choose somewhere else or even move your set-up to another part of the venue.
Let’s talk about the dress. Some people are shyer than others and I’ll only appear when you want me to. I’m a girl too though, and if I do say so myself, blessed with a modicum of common sense. I won’t take of any wobbly bits, Spanx, boob tape or anything else I wouldn’t want photographed myself.
If the two of you are getting ready in the same house or hotel, I could possibly factor in some time to visit both of you. If you’re miles away from one another, I can arrange for a second shooter to be despatched to one place while I go to the other. Sometimes those tie-tying, cufflink-fastening, lipstick-applying team preparation photos can be absolute gold.
We’ll discuss travel as part of the plan of the day. If you’re planning a city/town wedding (especially if it’s in London), I’ll probably arrive by public transport and can share transport with members of the wedding party to the actual wedding venue. Some of my favourite shots have been in the car (bus/campervan/walking crocodile) on the way to the ceremony. If the venue needs driving to, I’ll need to leave before you (especially as I’ll often be driving a route I’ve never driven before) and I’ll need the scoop on parking. We’ll work all of this into the timings of the day so we don’t run out of time for anything.
Hints & Tips.
Ask your bridesmaids to get ready a little ahead of you so they can help you into your dress. Those things take several pairs of hands in my experience.
Get ready with your nearest and dearest. I’m just gonna come out and say it: ban ANYONE likely to cause you any kind of stress. Now this is hard to do if it’s a relative but trust me: find something else for them to do that takes them to the ceremony early or something. Do not let them steal your sunshine.
Try to be in your dress at least 15 minutes before I need to leave, which allows a bit of time for some portraits beforehand.
For DIY weddings, it can be pretty cool to shoot friends and family setting up the day.
Think about where you want to get ready, If it’s at home, I love to be able to include elements of your personal space. If it’s a hotel, ask for the lightest room and make sure the curtains are open (I know I’m repeating myself, but SERIOUSLY. Light matters).
Breathe, eat (really, do have something to eat), have a little glass of fizz and remember that the day you’ve planned for months is here – don’t stress over things you can’t change. Stuff MAY go a bit wrong, and you will NOT care.
