A few weeks ago I posted on my Instagram the importance of your getting ready location. I know there are so many things to think about for your wedding day that sometimes where you get ready seems insignificant. Trust me – it is the start of your wedding and should be an easy start to the day!
Where you get ready on your wedding day really makes a difference – whether it’s a hotel room, your childhood home, the home you and your future Mr. or Mrs. share together, the bridal suite at your venue, or even a rented AirBnB for the weekend. There are so many questions you should ask yourself when making that decision such as; will it fit everyone it needs to comfortably? Does it have nice natural light? Are the walls dark and cluttered or light and airy? If it’s not picture perfect inside, does it have grounds to work with outside? You spend so much time on your wedding day details – hair and makeup trials, finding the perfect dress and accessories to match, your flowers that match your bridesmaids dresses perfectly (and this is all just for the Bride, let alone every other little detail planned for the entire wedding day!) that you can’t forget to give yourself a beautiful setting for it all to come together in! If your heart is still set on your home (I totally get the sentimental feeling!) just keep a few things in mind. 1 – whatever is on your walls is in your background. Take a walk through of your getting ready space before your wedding day to see if anything sticks out or can be put away until after the wedding. 2 – if the walls are dark / lacking window light your photos will be on the dramatic side. 3 – Sometimes the room you think may be the best for getting ready is not the case – when we walk into a space we immediately see where the best light is coming from and how we can use the space around us. Please be open to us using different rooms and moving some furniture to create the best images! 4 – For portraits outside we are going to go where the best lighting is. You may think the front yard photographs better than the backyard but if the front yard has direct sunlight we will head to find a nice shaded area in the back. We never want you to squint in your photos so this is to capture the best natural and flattering light possible.
This beauty got ready at her childhood home which was full of natural light, ivory walls, and lots of space to work in. Her Mother perfectly decorated the rooms she was getting ready in with hydrangeas, twinkle lights, and even cute bride/wedding related decor that added to the already dreamy location. You see these styled shoots online with all of these trinkets, greens, assorted ribbons, and lots of natural light and think that any space can be transformed into a Pinterest dream. All of those elements of course can be brought into any space (I email all my Brides some suggestions to give their details that extra personal touch), however you owe it to yourself to start in a picture perfect situation. If you are hiring a natural light photographer – you need to give them natural light!
Last but not least, don’t ignore where your groom gets ready! While I am all in favor of the more dramatic look for groom prep, please keep in mind the backgrounds and using the room and grounds with the best natural light and space. I am thinking of creating a “Britt Lee wedding guide” to send out to all of my current couples that gives all sorts of tips and tricks – from engagement session ideas, my favorite vendors to work with, wedding day timelines, wedding day portrait locations and of course wedding day prep. I hope some of you feel inspired by these details and take them with you on your wedding planning journey!
Cheers!
