Choosing a Location to Get Ready on Your Wedding Day
When it comes to planning the details of your wedding day, there are quite a few pieces of the puzzle to fit together. One of those pieces is choosing a location to get ready on your wedding day, whether it be your house, a hotel near your venue, or even the venue itself! After photographing countless weddings, and learning the differences between great wedding prep locations and the not-so-good ones, I’ve compiled a list of things you’ll want to ensure your space has for dreamy detail shots and portraits!
Natural Light
When choosing a location to get ready in on your wedding day, one of the most important qualities you’ll want the space to have is natural light! While we use our camera flashes when necessary, Arturo and I will always choose natural light over artificial light for our clients’ photos when possible. We want the images we deliver to our couples to look organic, and we also believe that natural light is also the most flattering for detail shots and portraits! You’ll want to look for a location with large windows that let in a decent amount of sunlight.
Plenty of Space
As you get ready, there will usually be a number of people in the room: the photographers, videographers, a team of both hairstylists and makeup artists, and of course, you! This doesn’t include your parents, wedding party attendants, and anyone else you may have invited to join you that morning. The more people you’ll have, the more space you’ll need. Brides and their side of the wedding party often like to hang out and chat as they sip on champagne and get their hair and makeup done. Grooms and their side of the wedding party like to sit back, relax, and even play a game of poker. Trust me, the last thing you’ll want is everyone to feel like they’re on top of each other.
Neutral Colors
When deciding on the room that you’ll be getting into your dress, suit, or tux in, you’ll want it to have neutral-colored walls (think whites or very soft beiges or grays). Colorful paint or wallpaper will cast colors onto your skin, altering the skin tones in your images. I can promise you that you won’t want hints of teal on your skin or clothing in your wedding photographs.
Avoid Clutter & Other Background Distractions
A simple, clean, and clutter-free background is key for your getting-ready portraits. A plain area of the room is where we’ll take these photos. When people look at your wedding photographs, you want their eyes to stay on the subject: YOU!
Keep in mind the tips above apply to both brides AND grooms. Yes, while women usually tend to care more about the getting ready portion of the day than men do, I promise you’ll be helping us to create timeless and elegant photos for you to enjoy for years to come!
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Shaina Lee Photography is a husband and wife photography team serving Connecticut, New York, and beyond. We specialize in timeless, elegant, and romantic weddings while celebrating all couples in love.
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