WEDDING TIPS for BRIDE GETTING READY

Valuable advice from a photography point of view

What should the bridal suite look like? What is it important to take into consideration?
Wedding day is one of the most important days in our lives, so we dream about it years ahead.
There is plenty of criteria that a venue should meet, but what about the getting-ready room for the bride?

How to choose the perfect Wedding Venue?

As a wedding photographer, I know exactly, how the wedding day will enroll. I know ahead of time, what scenes are going to happen, and what type of images are important to capture for the couples. I imagine in my head what I need to shoot so I can create a story from beginning to end, a cohesive story, that is not only strong in moments but beautiful and pleasing to the eye as a whole as well. I create memories, that you will cherish for the generation to come. And that is crucial. So why no to navigate the future bride & groom, when you can use my experiences to plan everything in mind before you even book the venue?

4 Tips for a Perfect Wedding Day Getting-Ready bridal suite

1. The light

The light is the most important thing. Yes, I know, for the couple that has a hundred things in mind, light is the latest what they think of. But we would like to have beautiful images right? Well, think of the light. How many windows does the room have? Are they big? (meaning all the way down to the floor) Which side are they facing (will be there enough light at the time of the shoot? Is there some big structure in front of them so it blocks the incoming light? What about the curtains? Are there any, if so, can they be pushed to the sides, so they do not block the light?

What can happen when there is not enough light in the room? Low light conditions strongly affect the quality of the image itself, but not only that, light is very important for beautiful skin tones and skin structure. In addition, the big windows distribute uniform light over the whole room and the bride’s figure, which we need for the wedding dress, to be beautifully lit all the way from head to the floor.

Another important element is the light temperature. You may have noticed, when you turn on the lights at home in the evening, the light temperature goes towards yellow. What is important for the photography is having plenty of NATURAL light coming through the windows, which doesn’t cause any shifts in the color of the light in the room (the yellow color cast).

2. The colors

We have already talked about the color shifts when there is not enough natural light in the room. What about the room colors themselves e.g. the wall color, carpets, curtains, furniture…? How can that affect the photography and actual images?

Colors are tricky. Every color tends to have colorcast on objects. For example, if your room features blue walls, skin tones, your dress and everything in that room will tend to have a blue color cast…

Usually, the untrained eye doesn’t notice the shift in tones, however, we photographers need to adjust the colors and eliminate that cast. That could be quite complicated when the room features multiple different colors:-). So what I would recommend, is to choose a suite with a neutral color palette or with big windows with plenty of natural light, which will eliminate the color cast on objects.

In addition, the neutral color of the room gives you the freedom in choosing any color you love for your wedding decor without limits, as the neutrals go well with any wished color palette.

3. The space

The couple, especially the bride comes well prepared for the wedding, having all necessary items in multiple suitcases. Now, imagine when photographers come with their gear, videographers with theirs, makeup & hair stylists,… and of course mum, bridesmaids…would like to be present while bride getting dressed…. How do we all fit in the same room:-)? Oh did I mention I need to have a place for the styling board as well? How do we maintain a room without disturbing elements for the shoot, so there isn’t clutter around or in the background of an image?

Let’s talk about other very important elements. This time, it concerns the technical view of photography. While photographing, we need to change lenses, which have different focal lengths. What does that actually mean for you? Every lens needs a different distance from the object to fit in the frame, so we need enough space to move around you. Not to mention the dress with a train, or veil… The bigger the object we capture, the further away we need to step.

I have one more thing to take into consideration and it is the furniture and overall style of the room. It will be visible on your images, the chair where the bride sits, how that looks, the window she will be standing near, the walls, …is there a balcony? etc. all of those give a special touch and character to the images, and it is up to you, what are you going for.

4. The cohesive story

What does that mean, the cohesive story? Once you choose the color palette for the wedding and the venue, it is important to think of it as a whole, goes it well all together? Does the getting ready room, or any room where the images will be taken during the wedding day, feature the color palette, which complements each other well, wedding decor included?

What are the colors of the places, where the wedding images will be taken? What is the style of the places? Does my getting ready suite match the feel of the evening dinner setup?

What are my recommendations? What are the characteristics of a perfect wedding venue for getting ready?

It is simple. With plenty of light. Spacious. If possible with fewer different colors, and if so, then with a maximum of natural light. Think of the overall style you wish to achieve, and analyze all the elements, which will be present in the images, throughout the whole wedding day, from the morning to the night.