How to Get the Best Getting Ready Images at Your Wedding

Getting ready images are a perfect way to start the narrative of your wedding day. So many really great moments are happening and good lighting can help capture them in a more elegant way. It is my goal as a wedding photographer to give my couples all the tools they need to get the best possible photos.  Please consider these tips for how to get the best getting ready images.

The most ideal lighting situation would be a room with large windows that have enough natural light that we would not need to use overhead lights.  Another ideal factor would be that the room would have interesting decorations and mirrors, which both add a lot of character to your photos.  Hotel rooms can sometimes be great and can at other times be very difficult.  Watch out for rooms that have awkward signs, poorly placed air conditioning units, and questionable carpet choices.

If getting ready images are important to you, please consider looking into cool bed and breakfast spaces or search AirBNB for a house that you could rent for the day. These spaces typically offer a lot of great visual interest that set your wedding apart from others.

Another important aspect of your wedding image collection will be happening during the getting ready portion of your day, and that is your detail shots.  I will be photographing your dress, shoes, veil, and any other details that you have prepared for me while I am taking your getting ready images.  The location for these images is very important.  As the wedding photographer, I sometimes ask my brides to go with me to a location that I have scouted to do some of the more intimate moments, such as putting on the dress, putting on the jewelry, or makeup touchups.

The next photos you will see are from the exact same wedding where the bride was getting ready at a hotel.  We took her dress, shoes, and veil and went to capture the detail shots, but we were just not loving what we had for options of where to hang the dress.  The lead photographer and I asked if she wouldn't mind taking her dress to the venue with her and putting it on once she got there, rather than getting in her dress at the hotel room.  The location and lighting transformed the photos from good to great.

I hope that these examples and tips help you during the planning process of your wedding! I know there is so much to think about and plan, but if the images from your wedding are one of your top priorities than these tips are extremely valuable! You've invested so much time and money into your wedding and it is my goal to showcase that as best as possible.  If you have any questions or would like some advice please send me a message in the contact form!

Brie Thomason Photography is an Idaho based photographer traveling worldwide to capture weddings.  Brie focuses on the candid moments as she captures raw emotions and details that make up the full story of the day.