Some clients choose to add “getting ready” to their coverage. Even an hour can add enormously to the overall story of your wedding day. Sometimes it’s just the bride who I photograph, other times both bride and groom have stayed in the same hotel and I dash between the different rooms a few times as both groups get ready.

I wanted to take a moment to jot down a few thoughts, to help those couples who choose to add getting ready to their coverage:

Clean the room you’re getting ready in — it doesn’t have to be perfect, but bringing a couple of black garbage bags or empty suitcases will give you somewhere to quickly toss and stash things. Pop cans, loose clothes, and packaging aren’t what you want to see in your photos, neither are rumpled-up beds. Enlist bridesmaids and groomsmen to do a tidy before the photographer is set to arrive and make quick work of it.

Think of the hanger your dress will be on, usually they come with cheap plastic hangers, which don’t do such beautiful gowns justice. Consider bringing a nice hanger for the photographs. I really love these personalized, hand-made hangers for sale on etsy. They’re a wonderful keepsake you can use for years to come, or store with your dress. And if you don’t want to go for something customized, even a nice satin covered hanger (in your wedding colours, of course) or quality wooden hanger will be a big improvement over plastic.

Light is very important in these photos! If you close the heavy curtains while you’re getting changed, we lose all of that lovely, soft, natural light. For the rest of the photos, we will want the curtains or blinds wide open, so make sure they can be drawn. If the windows have sheers, perfect! Otherwise, an inexpensive solution to maintaining privacy is to tape or tack up a frosted shower curtain over the window in advance of getting ready.

Just a very little bit of prep makes a huge difference for your getting ready photos!