When planning your big day, there is a lot to consider. As a full-time intimate wedding photographer (and recent bride!), I know how stressful the planning process can be. My goal is to provide you with tips to help make this process as simple and seamless as possible for your wedding day! I put together 5 getting ready tips every bride should know, to help you prepare for your wedding day.
As you get ready the morning of your wedding, I guarantee your mind will be fluttered with thoughts – are the flower arrangements in the correct spots? Do all of the groomsmen have their suits? Does my spouse have their outfit steamed? I know how overwhelming the morning of your wedding day can feel, but I’m here to help.
Here are 5 getting ready tips to help you prepare before your wedding day, help you avoid potential pain points, and help keep the morning of your wedding relaxed as possible.
Let’s dive in!
1. NATURAL LIGHT
Here’s the deal, the more windows that are in your getting ready space, the better! This will help your photographer capture the most beautiful images for you, without artificial light. (If you’re in the early stages of wedding planning – I strongly recommend taking this into consideration when choosing your venue!)
2. AVOIDING CLUTTER
Nobody wants a bottle of Aquafina or snacks in the background of their photos. I suggest designating a basket or corner of your getting ready suite to hide the clutter (including garbage!). TIP: Have a bridesmaid or your maid-of-honor in charge of keeping the space tidy!
3. WEDDING DRESS & BRIDESMAID DRESSES
Have all the dresses steamed and ready to go before your photographer arrives for your day. I find that it helps steaming all dresses the night before or immediately once you arrive to the venue! Then, don’t forget to remove tags and cut off unnecessary straps. Lastly, I highly suggest avoiding plastic hangers to display your dresses. You can find affordable wooden hangers at Target, IKEA, or even a thrift shop!
4. FLORALS & BOUQUETS
As you communicate with your vendors closer to your big day, I suggest connecting with your florists to request that bridal and bridesmaid bouquets are delivered to the venue by the time your photographer and/or videographer arrive. Florals can be expensive, so you want to make sure you get beautiful photos of them and this detail can easily be overlooked if they aren’t delivered in time!
5. FLAT FLAYS/DETAILS
As a photographer, the first thing I do when I get to a venue is give the bride a huge hug, and then I get to work! Detail photos, also known as flat lays, are a collection of smaller details from your day that you want photographed! For example: all rings (including the groom’s!), your dress, veil, shoes, bouquet, invitation suite, jewelry, perfume, etc. I suggest placing all details in a designated box before the day of your wedding. That way, when your photographer arrives they can just grab the box and get working. The sooner your photographer has those done, the sooner they can start photographing YOU!
As I was preparing for my wedding day, I was so thankful to have a little list of what I needed to do as the bride, to ensure I had a stress-free day. Your photographer will likely tell you these same tips, but if not, be sure to save this to reference later!
If you’re looking for more Wedding Tips, make sure to check out past blogs and keep up with me on Instagram (@morganelizabethphotos). What tip did you find most helpful? Let me know below!
Xx,
Morgan
