lillibrooke manor wedding 9

Bridal prep! Top tips for perfect wedding morning photos

Hints and tips for your bridal prep photos

The ‘getting ready’ pictures are often some of the most treasured because they give your other half an insight into the part of the day they usually aren’t privy to. Here are my top tips for perfect bridal and groom prep photos!

The bride sharing her final moments as a single woman with her closest friends, clinking champagne flutes and lacing up dresses. The groom with his well-dressed pals, straightening ties and fastening cufflinks.

Everyone loves these pictures. But I’ll let you into a secret. While these moments are very real, the surroundings have been thoughtfully prepared to create the most beautiful of images. Let me tell you how…

Light & Location

When it comes to getting ready, natural light is your best friend! Ideally you’ll want to be somewhere with plenty of space and big windows! Your hair and make-up artist will usually set up in front of the biggest window in the room – which makes for dreamy, flattering skin tones in your photos.

Whether you’re a traditionalist, superstitious or just really want to get ready with your friends, it’s likely that your partner will be getting ready in a different location. Whilst I cover a lot of ground, I simply cannot be in two places at once. A second photographer is a worthwhile investment if you’d also like your partner’s wedding morning captured. Find out more about second photographers.

Keep it tidy

Wherever you choose to get ready, be sure to delegate the task of tidying up before I arrive. Clutter completely spoils the aesthetic of wedding morning images, so make sure it’s all hidden out of sight. I’m talking jackets, flip flops, those bright orange Sainsburys bags full of snacks – anything you’ll regret seeing in your photos later! Trust me, you’ll really appreciate it when your gallery comes back.

It’s all in the details…

I adore capturing the details as part of your love story. Your details may include:

  • Your dress, shoes and veil
  • Accessories like hairpieces, jewellery, lingerie and cufflinks
  • Your rings in a ring box (if you have them – they may be with your partner)
  • Perfume, cologne, lipstick
  • Bouquets, buttonholes and corsages 
  • Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue 
  • Sentimental items and gifts
  • A wedding invite

On your wedding morning, the first thing I’ll do upon arriving with you is pour my heart into capturing beautiful images of your details. So that I can go about this without disturbing you, remove all tags and labels the night before and pop all of the details together one place.

Time flies when you’re having fun

Your wedding morning will be full of excitement, and it’ll go by in a flash! The best way to eradicate any unnecessary stress is to create a solid timings plan.

Work backwards from your arrival time at the ceremony – what time will you need to set off? Aim to be fully ready 45 minutes before you’re due to leave. Trust me when I say that you’ll thank yourself on the day! A whole variety of scenarios can delay you. Dresses take time to get into, earrings get misplaced, nervous tears mean you need a make-up touch up – the list is endless!

But with your 45-minute grace period, these are minor hiccups instead of major dramas. It also means that we’ll have plenty of time to capture some fabulous, relaxed portraits of you and your bridal party before we leave.

Be sure to share your timings with your hair and make-up artists. They’ll work out a schedule and tell you when they need to arrive – be warned, it’ll probably be earlier than you think!

So those are my top tips for bridal and groom prep photos! I hope you find them useful.

Love Chloë

As a Hampshire wedding photographer, I specialise in capturing beautiful, timeless imagery that you’ll cherish forever. Visit the gallery to see more of my work.

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