3 Tips for the Best Getting Ready Photos on your Wedding Day // Wedding Photography MN

Whether you are planning on going full glam or are aiming for a more natural look, you day of wedding photos will begin with you getting ready with your close friends and family. My goal during this part of the day is to capture close-ups of your wedding dress and other sentimental items, as well as lots of candids of you and your wedding crew getting you all dolled-up! Below you will find my stand-by suggestions to ensure you get the perfect images right from the moment I arrive.

1. Choose the Room Strategically

The room in which you get ready will be the backdrop for your first photos, so be mindful of how the space will read in the pictures. Getting ready in a church basement or hotel conference room might be the most convenient option, but these spaces often have poor lighting and harsh backgrounds that can lower the quality of your photos. While I will do my best to work under any lighting condition, photos taken in rooms with artificial lighting and few to no windows will never look as magical as images taken with lots of natural light. That being said, try to choose a space that has nice natural lighting and minimal clutter. It can also be helpful to keep any bags, coats, and other getting ready materials in one corner of the room so I can keep the inevitable mess of getting ready out of frame while taking pictures. 

One of my favorite tips when choosing a getting ready room is to consider renting an Airbnb for the weekend. Airbnb rooms are usually decorated in more unique and aesthetically pleasing ways than those in hotels, and they can serve a dual purpose of housing some family and friends for the night while also providing you a beautiful space in which to get ready. Below you will find a few of my favorite rooms near Minneapolis to help you get started on your search.

2. Prepare your Details Ahead of Time!

In addition to photos of you and your loved one, I will take photos of any items that have value to you, your partner, and your collective love story. Before you big day, take a little time to collect jewelry, shoes, wedding invitations and other items that you would like photographed as part of your wedding collection. By having all of these wedding details ready in a bag when I arrive I can jump right into photographing these pieces, leaving more time for photos of you and your loved ones during the remainder of the getting ready process.

3. Have Your Getting Ready Crew Write Letters to You

A huge benefit to hiring a wedding photographer for your entire day is it allows them to capture emotional moments that otherwise would fade into memory. While I will be on the lookout for emotions that naturally arise throughout the day, it can be helpful to generate some intentionally emotional moments. One activity I have found to be helpful is to have your wedding crew write letters to you, and if you’re really feeling it, you can even have them read them while you’re getting ready. This little activity can be really special because it gives people who aren’t speaking at your reception a chance to tell you how much you and your marriage means to them, while also stirring up emotion that can be captured in beautiful photos you can cherish for years to come.

And there you have it! A few of best tips to make sure you get the absolute best photos getting ready with the people closest to you. Want to make sure you actually have the time to get all these important photos?? Check out my blog post on 5 Tips To Plan the Perfect Wedding Day Timeline.

3 Tips for the Best Getting Ready Photos on your Wedding Day // Wedding Photography MN