Getting Ready Wedding Photos: Tips and Ideas

Every single moment of your wedding day is special and should be captured to remember forever. From the time you start to get ready to when you close down the dance floor, you don’t want to forget anything about this day. 

If photos are a priority for you, it’s possible to plan your wedding day with photography in mind. There are decisions you can make upfront in location, timing, etc. that will help to ensure the successful photography and vision you have for your day! One of my favorite parts of the wedding day is getting ready! This is something your guests won’t be a part of and you’ll likely be apart from your partner, making it a special and unique time of the day. It’s also the start of your wedding day story and from a photography standpoint, there are so many special moments to capture. 

I love getting to capture everything that leads up to your actual ceremony, and there are so many precious moments that happen while you are getting ready. Here are some of my top tips and ideas to make sure you get the best getting ready wedding photos (and have the best time in the process!)! 

General Tips

Pick a place with a lot of natural light 

Natural light is going to be your (and my) best friend when it comes to getting amazing photos. If you can, find a spot that has lots of windows where that natural light can shine through while you are getting ready. 

Even just having one window is better than nothing. We can make a whole lot of magic with just a little bit of light! Your hair and makeup artists will also appreciate having good lighting to do their best work.

Make sure you like the location of where you are going to get ready

You are going to be spending a lot of time getting ready with your wedding party so it’s important that you are comfortable wherever you are getting ready. Try to avoid super small rooms if you know you have a bigger wedding party or that a bunch of people are going to be coming in and out while you get ready. 

You can also try to find a place that matches the vibe of your wedding. A lot of venues have suites on site that you and your wedding parties can use to get ready, which is amazing, but be sure to tour them to make sure you actually like how they look!

Sometimes, these rooms are totally closed off with only fluorescent lights and in a tight space. While we can always make it work, you’ll definitely appreciate having extra leg room and better lighting. One of my favorite tips is to look into renting an AirBnB or something local that has an aesthetic you like and that matches the aesthetic of your wedding! Oftentimes, pricing is competitive with hotel suites but much more aesthetic and bigger. This will make your morning much less stressful and give you an amazing space for the perfect getting ready wedding photos!   

Keep it tidy 

I know this one can be a little difficult because who has time to pick things up when you’re trying to get ready for your wedding but keeping the room where you are getting ready clean is super important. 

Not only is it going to make your life easier as you try to get out the door to walk down the aisle, but it will also make sure your getting ready wedding photos don’t look like an absolute mess. I’m known for moving furniture and moving bags into closets and corners. I mean, who wants the perfect picture in the perfect wedding dress with a table full of makeup and random clothes thrown about behind them?

But this is where having lots of space helps! You can keep the mess to one area, and photograph you getting into the dress or suit in another!

Getting Ready Wedding Photo Ideas

Have fun with your wedding party 

Your wedding day is one of the best days of your life, and you should be able to enjoy it as much as possible with the people you love. You probably picked the people in your wedding party because they are your closest friends and family, and you love being with them. When it comes to your wedding day, you should still be able to have fun with them. 

Plan to start getting ready a little earlier than you need to and give yourself time to hang out with your wedding party, eat breakfast, enjoy a few mimosas, and be present. The goal is to enjoy it, not rush through it! You can do things like play games together, watch an episode of your favorite TV show, or just sit down and talk with each other. 

There is so much going on during your wedding day and so many things you probably have to do before the night is over, so give yourself a little bit of time early in the day to just relax. These are the moments you are going to remember when there were no eyes on you, and you just get to relax and be with the people you love on the most special day of your life.  

Get matching outfits to get ready in

Whether it’s bathrobes, sweatsuits, pajamas, or anything else, getting matching outfits is a fun way to get some pictures with you and your wedding party that will look really cute. Regardless of what you choose (or if you choose to get matching outfits at all), just remember to get something you are comfortable in. The last thing you want is a bunch of pictures with you looking uncomfortable or antsy because you’re not comfortable in what you are wearing. 

You can also surprise your wedding party with this and do a gift reveal on the day of your wedding so we can also capture their reaction to the outfits before they put them on. When it comes to what you actually want to get to wear with your bridal party, it doesn’t have to be anything super over the top or expensive. 

You can do something really simple and just get matching sweatshirts and sweatpants in your wedding colors that are completely plain. If you want to add a little extra, you can always get something about your wedding or things like your wedding party’s initials put on the outfits too. 

Getting matching outfits can help to make all of your pictures from your wedding a little more cohesive and it’s just a fun photo op and a functional souvenir from the day. Especially if you get something in your wedding colors, all of your pictures from your wedding will flow and feel like they have the same aesthetic. 

Order food and have a meal together 

First of all, eating food in general while you are getting ready for your wedding is super important. It is really easy to get caught up in everything that is going on and then realize that it has been hours since you have eaten or had anything to drink. 

Order some breakfast or lunch to your getting ready space to enjoy while you finish up hair and makeup.

Doing a meal together gives you and your wedding party the chance to sit down together, relax, and have a little fun together before all the craziness of the day sets in. Use this time to reminisce, tell stories, and talk about your favorite memories. While this may seem a little odd, these moments are so precious and make for amazing getting ready wedding photos. In these moments, there is no posing or looking just right for the camera. You are able to see your closest friends in their truest form and really capture just how excited they are to share this day with you! 

Do a first look with your wedding party

Regardless of whether or not you do a first look with your partner, it can be really fun to do a first look with your wedding party. Obviously, this is not going to be a total surprise because you are most likely going to be doing a lot of the prep before you get in your outfit with your wedding party. But what you can do is go into another room before putting on your outfit to do a full reveal. 

Your wedding party/family’s reaction to seeing you in your full wedding outfit is always amazing, and that moment is one that you will cherish. This is also something that is super easy to incorporate into your day and won’t take a lot of extra time or planning on your end. You can also add your parents in on this (if they are not already getting ready with you). 

If you do want to add this to your day, be sure to also plan out when you want to do this. For instance, do you want everyone else to already be dressed so that when you come out, everyone is in their outfits, and you can all take some photos together? 

Regardless of what you choose to do for your getting ready wedding photos, they are going to be a super important part of your wedding day story. Your wedding is all about the little moments, and these are some of my favorites to capture. 

Now that you know what you are going to do while you are getting ready to walk down the aisle, do you have the perfect person to catch all of it? If not, click here to get in touch and see how we can make that happen!