3 tips to help you prepare for your photographer’s arrival on your wedding day

Since the wedding day moves quickly, and every moment is so precious. By using these three tips to prep for my arrival, it truly allows us to maximize our time together!

Tip # 1

Preparing for my arrival actually begins BEFORE your wedding day! I start every wedding day by sitting down with all the little details important to a bride. Details like wedding rings, engagement ring, other jewelry she’ll be wearing, gown, shoes, bouquet, invitation suite, and the family heirlooms (think something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue) like a bride’s grandmother’s handkerchief or ring – basically all of the little pieces that are making your day completely YOU.  

This acts as my warm-up, helps get me in my rhythm for your day. It also helps to preserve the memory of the gorgeous details that you have worked so hard to curate to create your wedding day. Take some time on Monday or Tuesday, the week before your wedding to locate the details that you would like photographed.

Place your details in a container to go to the getting ready venue the morning of your wedding.  That way, the moment I arrive, I can grab your box from one of your bridesmaids or mom in the bridal suite and take it to a corner of your getting ready space or venue, away from the craziness of hair and makeup. This helps to eliminate the time it takes to gather all these items once I arrive.

Here is a list so you know what to pack in a container or bring with you to the Bridal suite or getting ready location:

• Your dress and bridesmaids dresses
• A nice hanger for your dress (this is probably the keepsake you bought that says bride or a really nice wooden hanger that you’ll use to hang the dress on.
• All three rings This includes the groom’s ring! (don’t be shy about getting your engagement ring cleaned so it sparkles!)
• Veil and/or hairpiece
• Shoes
• Jewelry you’ll be wearing (Including earrings, necklace, bracelets, etc.)
• Keepsakes and heirloom pieces
• Perfume
• Invitation suite Including: Save the date, the invitation itself, the invitation envelope, the reply card, reply envelope, reception card, information cards, etc. Basically, anything you sent your guests, save for me to snap a few photos of!
• Bouquet: it is great to have your bouquet delivered to your bridal suite while you are getting ready (more on this in a moment!)
• Gifts/purse/clutch/other items not on this list that you may want photographed

Tip # 2

Picture your regular getting-ready routine in the morning…I don’t know about yours, but mine usually involves my makeup (including brushes), hair straightener, toast (my breakfast) and then somewhere in a random corner of my room, my tea is sitting slowly getting cold.  You might be thinking, what on earth does this have to do with a wedding day?

There are a lot of things and a lot of activities involved in getting ready for a regular day of work…now multiply those things by the number of bridesmaids you have in your party and your mom and favorite aunt, add in a few stylists and OH YEAH…it’s the day you’ve been dreaming of for the longest time….it’s your wedding day! That means it’s going to be crazy busy and super messy with a ton of things everywhere?  Getting ready spaces are often pretty small (think hotel rooms). There is limited storage space, often limited counter space, and odds are, the trash can is tiny.

One of my favorite tips? Bring along a trash bag or two and designate a few members of your party to be on tidy-up-patrol throughout the morning. Stash away food containers right away, set aside empty mimosa flutes, pack away accessories and shoes that aren’t needed, put the towels back on towel racks — you get the picture.  Think about it — a picture, my picture of your getting ready space. Do you want to see a bunch of stuff all over? Or do you want a clean and curated version for your wedding album?

When I arrive, I will usually find a spot with GREAT light that I’m going to photograph the details in, so I have to move things like garbage and personal belongings.  This takes time that I can spend photographing you. It is so much easier for everyone if you stay on top of the mess from the very start of the day, and as a bonus? The clean look will not only make the images prettier but you’ll feel less stressed without the mess.  

Tip # 4

This tip is pretty simple! You’ve probably spent weeks dreaming and brainstorming and figuring out the perfect florals to carry on your wedding day, right? Well…I sure do want to photograph them so that you can relive your wedding day with detailed shots of the beautiful bouquet that you chose.  

I love to photograph and incorporate your bouquet as I shoot your details. So, here’s the tip!  Please have your bouquet delivered to your getting ready suite BEFORE I arrive.  This ensures that we aren’t waiting to take images or take detail shots without your bouquet. And let’s be honest, you don’t want to stress about waiting for your bouquet to arrive.  

Cheers to an easy breezy wedding morning and a smooth start to the day!  And, as always, if you have any questions, please let me know! I’m always happy to help!

XOXO *Jen