Many brides put tons and tons of thought into picking their venue. Many of them are picking based on what their photos will look like. However, most brides tend to forget about the getting ready location. It tends to get overlooked, but it has a HUGE impact on your photos.
The getting ready space is something brides should put thought into, especially if they want a specific look to their pictures. Lighting, location, and even colors on the wall and light placement can make a BIG difference.
Here are some tips and things to consider when choosing your getting ready space to achieve a relaxing environment and those beautiful light, clean images you’re wishing for.
Big, Spacious Room(s)
The average bridesmaid count is 6-7. That doesn’t seem too big. However, add yourself, moms, grandmas, aunts, junior bridal party members, your glam team, your photo and video team… The room starts to fill up very quickly! My first tip is to find a space that has plenty of room. There will be a ton of things going on the morning of your wedding. The bigger the bridal party and family, the more commotion will be going on in the room. A big enough room will allow everyone to hang out comfortably, the makeup and hair artist to set up and for the photographer to photograph your details without being in the way. If you feel like everyone has room to do what they need/want to do, it will help create a more peaceful environment for you and everyone involved.
Lots of Big WINDOWS
*with a microphone on top of a mountain* WINDOW LIGHT IS KEY AND IMPORTANT! Window light! Your photographer will hug and kiss you if they walk into your getting-ready room and there are tons of windows and natural light. Not only them but your make-up artist as well! Natural light is the most flattering light for every person. Natural light from a window gives this gorgeous, romantic softness to photos that you’ll absolutely adore. Makeup artists also appreciate this because they are trying to make sure your makeup looks good in all types of light, especially outdoor light, where you will be for most of your photos and day.
Light and Neutral Colored Walls
Light reflects. #science. Be mindful of what color the walls in your space are. Are they baby-blue? Are you in a Holiday Inn with green walls? Those super bold or odd-colored walls will bounce off the colors onto your skin. What seemed like a harmless pink room has now made your skin look an odd pink color. Choosing a space that has neutral-colored walls (white being the best!) will make all the difference. This effect can be worsened if there’s less natural light. So it’s best to pick a spacious room or hotel that has lots of window light and a neutral wall color. The Ambassador Hotel is an amazing example of this!
Minimal Decor and Clutter
Not only will minimal decor and clutter help ease your nerves and anxiety on the day, but it will also make your photos look so much cleaner and non-distracting. So I recommend having a getting-ready space that has clean walls, isn’t crammed with furniture, and has little clutter and mess. It also helps to have a designated bridesmaid or two be in charge of occasionally tidying up the room. This will help keep the room feel stress-free, create a clean space for the photographer, and help make things easy to find when it’s not hidden behind bottles of champagne and lunch wrappers.
Close to the Ceremony/First Look
One minute it’s 7 am and then the next thing you know, it’s 1 pm and time to go to your first look. Wedding days are unpredictable. I always buffer in extra time to do things in case something runs behind. Sometimes, hair and make-up will run behind, or a bridesmaid can’t get her bag. It’s a great idea to make sure your venue is close to where you’re getting ready. I recommend no more than 20-25 minutes away. This way, if things do run behind, you’re a quick drive away!
As always, a professional photographer will be able to work with whatever space they are given that day. However, if you want fresh, clean, light images, these are my recommendations to help you achieve the style of photos you are looking for on your wedding day and keep a clean, relaxing space.
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