You’ve chosen your venue carefully and logged in hours looking at Pinterest for ideas on how to decorate it to reflect your style. You’ve found the perfect dress, had it tailored to perfection and spent countless hours finding just the right jewelry, shoes and hairstyle to show it off. Something you might not have given as much thought to is where you will get ready. Your getting ready location is most likely where your photographer (and maybe even the videographer) will begin their day, capturing the story of your wedding day. The place you choose to get ready is going to make a huge difference in how that time will look in your video and photos. There are a few things that I think you should consider as you choose your getting ready location.

1. Size. Your getting ready room needs to be big enough for the people you want in there with you AND the photographer/videographer team. Making sure you have enough space to get into your dress with your mom and bridesmaids to move around will make things much more comfortable for everyone.
2. What’s nearby. Most of the time, after the bride and groom get dressed, the photographer will take some of all of you out for some pictures. If you are doing a first look, think about what is outside that will be ideal for those pictures. If you aren’t doing a first look, you’ll probably still be doing bride/bridesmaids and groom/groomsmen shots at this location. Don’t pick the church basement if you want beautiful getting ready shots. And, don’t rule out an amazing space that is a few minutes away. It’s better to find a great location that works well than to settle. Remember, this is your wedding day!
3. Decor.  Consider the room and what it will look like in your wedding album. If you are having a wedding with soft colors and delicate details, you probably don’t want to be in a room with brightly colored walls or furniture. Spaces with white or light colored walls and soft, elegant details would be much more visually pleasing and not distract from the bride and her gown.
4. LIGHT! Hands down, this is the most important thing to consider when choosing a room. Look for space with natural light . . . WINDOWS! Most of the time when I enter a getting ready room, I walk around and turn off any ambient light. That’s because overhead lighting, fluorescent or incandescent is not flattering. Natural window light is going to photograph beautifully and make you look amazing!

If you have questions about your getting ready space, ask your photographer! They will help you identify the best space.

To read more Wedding Wednesday tips, you can click on the “For Brides” section below.

If you are looking for a wedding photographer for your 2017-18 wedding, I would love to talk with you! Head to our home page and fill out the contact form at the bottom of the page. I’ll be in touch quickly!