Top 10 tips on how to get beautiful bridal preparation photos

Do you look at beautiful bridal preparation images and wonder just how they are achieved?  Well, the answer is with a little forethought by you and by the talents of a professional wedding photographer.  As an award-winning wedding photographer, I have captured bridal preparation images for hundreds of weddings.  Here are my top ten tips on what you can do to ensure your bridal preparation images are amazing.

1. Think about the light in the room and get your hair and make up done close to the window.  This is something your make-up artist is likely to insist on anyway.  Professional wedding photographers know how to play with light to create beautiful and natural images so help them out a bit by sitting in a place that gives them as much light as possible.

2. Keep the room really tidy.  A backdrop of a half-eaten sandwich, a pair of discarded sweatpants, and a shoebox isn’t going to help you create the images you’re after.  Though, don’t you spend your wedding morning tidying up!  This is a great job to delegate to your bridal party. 

3. Hang your dress before you put it on, your wedding photographer will want to photograph it before you put it on.  They also may want to photograph your shoes, ring, tiara and bouquet as well so place them in the room thoughtfully with all tags and wrapping taken off so that those images can easily be achieved. 

4. Get into your dress as early as you can.  This way you will be giving yourself and your wedding photographer more time to get those gorgeous images.

5. When it comes to photographing bridesmaids at bridal prep lots of brides go for a co-ordinated look with matching robes or pyjamas before they put their dresses on.  This ensures that photographs of the bridesmaids are coordinated so that everybody looks the same.  It avoids images where you have two bridesmaids dressed and ready to go, one in joggers and no make-up and one somewhere in between.

6. Do a big reveal.  You can go for the traditional father seeing the bride moment or change it up to suit your family.  Capturing the emotion of a loved one seeing the bride for the first time on her wedding day is always a great moment.

7.Ask your photographer to arrive early.  I say ask, any photographer worth their salt will arrive early, particularly if you’re getting ready at your wedding venue as they’ll want to get some images of the venue all dressed ready for your wedding day.

8. Buy gifts for your bridal party and then the moment they open them can be captured.  Joy, laughter, and hugs are all part of wedding preparation and can easily be captured especially when you are surprising your girls with gifts.

9. Have your mum there.  Mum’s are busy at weddings checking everything else and everyone else is ok.  So, getting some lovely images of the two of you before the wedding starts is essential.  Remember your mum will have just had her hair and make-up done so this is the time in the day when she will be most open to being photographed.

10. Book the bridal suite at your wedding venue if you can.    Bridal suites are designed with wedding preparations in mind, they are large, airy, and full of natural light.  They have extra mirrors and plug points.  They have staff on hand to help you with any minor wardrobe disasters.  Your wedding photographer is likely to have photographed brides there before so will already know how to achieve the best images.

I hope these tips have been helpful.  As you can see, a little forethought and attention to detail in advance will not only ensure that you get bridal preparation images that you are thrilled with but will also ensure that your bridal preparations run smoothly so that you can give your full attention to enjoying your day. 

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