The hours before your wedding are some of the most precious of the day.  Kamran and I just love to be a part of all the emotion, nerves and excitement that fill the air as the girls get ready.

I recently wrote a post with ideas about gifts for your spouse-to-be on your wedding day, but Kam and I realized that we have a few more suggestions for making sure that you get fabulous getting ready photos.

One – Location, Location, Location

For us, one of the most important factors in creating gorgeous getting ready photos is the environment.  We love using natural light in our photos, and having a room with a big window, or many big windows, allows us to bring out your natural beauty.  If you are getting ready in your home or in a hotel room, we will try to select a space with ample light for you to put your dress on and to shoot  your portraits.   The portraits of Rita, above, were shot in her living room on an overcast day.   The best best light is indirect, so if you have access to a large window that faces north, we will be doing cartwheels in happiness.  But even a west-facing window is better than no window at all.

If you are getting ready at your church or venue, ask to use a room with windows.  Sometimes designated “bridal rooms” are not much more than large closets with terrible florescent lights.  Asking to use a different room is often not a problem and can be more comfortable for you and your girls.

Two – Heavy Lifting

The next thing to consider is attempting to create an uncluttered background.  This can be difficult, especially if all of your bridesmaids are getting ready in the same hotel room, but it makes a huge difference.  The less furniture, wall hangings, and general chaos clutter up your photos, the more you and your wedding day can shine through.  Kamran, in particular, works really hard to create uncluttered backgrounds for your photographs.  In the photo above, Kamran moved most of the furniture out of Sarah’s parents’ living room so that we could really take advantage of the way the color of the walls showed off the bridesmaids dresses.  Fortunately, Sarah’s parents were extremely patient and actually helped us move furniture and remove nails from the walls!

Even if we can’t move all of your furniture, creating just a couple feet of space – as we did in Rita’s living room – can give us a nice, clean background.  So, well, if you invite us to your home, get ready!

Three – Supplies

The first thing we will do when we arrive is to shoot your details.  We will spend the majority of your wedding day focusing on you and all of the moments and emotions that make up your day, but we want to make sure we capture all of the details that you have spent so much time and effort preparing.  We always ask our couples to have their details ready when we arrive.  All you have to do is place anything you would like us to shoot, including your jewelry, anything you will be carrying with you, a copy of your invitation and/or program, clutch, shoes, etc., in a shoebox so that you don’t have to run around looking for them.  Have both of the wedding rings so that we can shoot it now while the light is best, and have your flowers delivered to where you are getting ready.  Also, bring a nice, wooden hangar to hang your dress on when we photograph it, and scout locations to shoot  your dress photo if you have a chance.

Four – Surround Yourself With Happiness

Getting ready for your wedding is a fun, emotional, special time.  Surround yourself with people you love, who will help you get excited and help calm your nerves.  Invite your mom, sisters, friends, or even your spouse-to-be if that will help you enjoy it the most.  Trust me, you will need help putting that dress on.  And don’t forget that there’s nothing wrong with a little pre-wedding mimosa if that will help you get in the party spirit!

Five – Make it Easy

Getting behind schedule while you’re getting ready can cause a lot of stress and set you back for the whole day.  Don’t do anything out of the norm on your wedding day – schedule any waxing, tanning, pedicures, etc., a couple days before your wedding day.  That way, if something takes longer than usual, it won’t ruin your whole day.

Do schedule a practice run with your hair and makeup artist so that you know you will be completely happy with your hair and makeup on your wedding day.  (Tip – why not schedule your practice run for the day you shoot your engagement photos?  That way you’ll look fabulous and know things will be perfect on your wedding day!)

Also consider having your hair and makeup person come to your getting ready location so that we can easily get a few candid hair/makeup shots, and so that you don’t have the added stress of an 8am hair appointment or crazy wedding-day traffic.

Finally, consider opting for airbrush makeup.  It looks amazing and lasts much longer than regular makeup!

Do you have any more tips or questions about making your getting ready time easy and fabulous?  Let me know!