Wedding Photography Tips – Making the most of bridal prep
Bridal prep is always one of my favourite parts of a wedding day. I love hanging out with the bride and her bridesmaids; everyone’s getting ready for the big day and there’s so much excitement in the air! Some brides look forward to bridal prep more than others. But it really does not have to be awkward at all. That’s why I put together this little guide to share my top Wedding Photography Tips – Making the most of bridal prep.
My style is very much documentary but there are definitely a few things worth knowing about that can help you get the best out of your bridal prep time. Think of it as a guide to help you making the most of bridal prep.
North Wales Wedding Photographer – choosing the best natural light
I usually spend the last couple of hours of bridal prep with you guys. The best light for having your hair and makeup done is opposite a window with lush natural light streaming in. It’s just so much more flattering on your skin than artificial (ring) light and will make for better pics. If your make-up artist doesn’t sit you opposite window I’d suggest you get another one…… Seriously though – if they don’t, you should totally suggest they do as it’ll also give you a much better idea of what your make-up will actually look like in daylight.
So here’s my Top Tip No. 1: take a seat right in front of the window for the best natural light and great looking pics.
Choose the best room for bridal prep
It’s not always possible but try to choose the biggest, nicest & best lit room you can for everyone to get ready in. It’ll give everyone enough space to feel more comfortable. And the nicer the room, the better your photos will turn out. Bonus points for outdoor bridal prep!!
Aaaaaand……relax!
I think we can safely assume that on the morning of your wedding day all of your amazing wedding plans have actually been put into place. So relax! Apparently, it’s good luck if something goes wrong on your wedding day so if that happens – just roll with it. Nothing says bridezilla more than a stressed out, highly strung & tense-looking bride on her wedding morning though. The camera loves a relaxed, extremely excited, slightly nervous but overall really happy bride.
I’d say the more fun & laughter you can work into bridal prep on the morning of your wedding, the better! Get your favourite playlist on! Share some champers (or whatever your favourite tipple is) with your favourite girl squad. And bathe in the excitement of the day. Maybe go a little easy on anything stronger than bubbly though. You definitely don’t wanna be stumbling down that aisle ;) Top Tip No. 3: relax and be happy x
Leave yourself enough time!
The morning of your wedding will be super exciting. You probably won’t sleep much the night before. And more often than not, especially if you have a large bridal party, it’s quite an early start to your perfect day. A lot of brides are super calm to start off with then get more and more nervous as time goes by. Most underestimate just how long it can take to put a wedding dress on. Especially if there are 6 or more of you getting dressed at the same time and your dress has super intricate details like millions of tiiiiiny buttons that need doing up. Top tip: have a crochet hook or something similar handy to help with the buttons.
If you’re a super organised person just add 5 – 10 minutes to your timeline at the end of getting dressed and we’ll get some shots of you fully dressed in as well. Let’s call it the calm before the storm :) Top Tip No. 4: leave yourself enough time to get dressed.
Details
Shoes, flowers, veils – if there’s enough time I’ll spend a couple of minutes shooting details. These are the things you probably spent a fair bit of money on. After a while, it’s kinda easy to forget exactly what they looked like. If you wanna make sure I spend more time on you and less time chasing details you could ask your MOH to keep everything you’d like me to take pictures of in the same spot. Personally, I’d much rather see the dress on you than on a hanger but I’ll happily give it a go. If you really want me to, ha!. Top Tip No. 5: prep deets!
So there we have it. My Top 5. If you’re a little unsure and don’t know what to expect during bridal prep have a little peek at Max & Sam’s Anglo-American Llyn Gwynant Wedding in Snowdonia or Ian & Magdan’s Welsh Elopement.
I’m a North Wales Wedding & Elopement Photographer. My style is natural, relaxed and 100% moment-driven. Most couples that book me are super laid-back and don’t sweat the small stuff. They want their day to be a true reflection of themselves and are super relaxed. A lot of them love rustic, unconventional, DIY, quirky and also super scenic venues, especially in Snowdonia, Anglesey and North Wales, the Lake District & Yorkshire. If you’re up for a *bit extra* and want pictures that tell a story – get in touch, I’d love to document your day!