The Wedding Morning

Why the morning of your wedding matters

Getting ready together or at separate venues

It goes without saying that if you’re getting married at wedding venue and both of you will be getting ready there, it’s much easier if I’m your only photographer. The key advantages are that once I’m there, I don’t have to travel, so timings can be a bit tighter. It’s much easier for me to pop between the two of you and get some cracking shots as your preparation timetable evolves. Often I hear that the groom isn’t bothered about prep pictures, but amazingly if he knows I’m in the next room, I regularly get asked to do ‘just a few shots with my mates’. And that’s definitely a bonus.

Let’s face, not everyone, possibly fewer than half of couples end up getting ready at their wedding venue. There’s multiple reasons, ranging from space restrictions to choice of venue, ceremony location, reception location etc. However, it’s nearly always possible to capture you both; it simply needs some advance planning and extra time factoring into your overall timetable. One of the easiest ways to solve it, is to have two photographers, even if only for half the day. I work with a number of wedding photographers who will second shoot for me. This means they will go to the alternative venue and capture the fun and laughter while I am photographing elsewhere. This reduces the pressure on timing and also means that they can capture your guests arriving. A double bonus as this isn’t something I will have time to do.

Choosing the right room for bridal preparation

You’ve booked the wedding venue of your dreams. Or perhaps you’ve opted to get married from your childhood home. Both options will be amazing on the day for the memories they create. Have you taken a moment to work out where you’ll be getting ready? If at the venue, ask to see the bridal suite – maybe even twice, once when you arrive and again before you leave. What time is the ceremony taking place? Will you be getting ready early in the morning or later in the because you have a late afternoon ceremony? All these things are worth thinking about for just a moment when it comes to natural light. Will there be enough light for your make up and hair to be done without having to flood the room with electric light? Rather than doing all the prep in your attic bedroom, can you take your parents’ bedroom over?

Is there enought space for your maid of honour, bridesmaids, flower girls and your mum to all get ready together without things getting too cluttered? Have a look around at the decor. It is neutral enough that it doesn’t clash with your bridesmaids’ outfits, especially if you’re all being photographed in it? And while there’s no need for perfection, enusring there isn’t too much clutter about the place is alway a bonus for your photographer.

The little things – because details matter

If I’m with you for your day – start to finish – I’ll always plan to photograph some of the smaller details, so having a checklist of the things you would like photographed is a helpful way to ensure you have everything with you that you’d like photographed, especially if you’re getting ready away from home. Outside of the obvious – dress, shoes, veil, rings, bouquet and jewellery, a typical list might aslo include:

• Your invitation suite
• Perfume
• Vows
• Gifts for your maid of honour & bridesmaids
• A second dress if you’re planning on changing part way through the day

Build in exta time

This point, while almost at the end of this post, couldn’t be more important, believe me. Have a look at your timetable, look at it again and factor in some extra time, especially in the morning. While none of your suppliers want to run late, they often do and the knock on effect can create a lot more anxiety and stress than you need. From experience, as a bride to be I didn’t really sleep much the night before I got married, so we were all up early. It meant the morning was super relaxed and everyone could have a laugh without added pressure of clockwatching.

Tell your make up and hairdressing team to give you their honest timetable, especially if they are doing your mum, maid of honour and bridesmaids as this needs to be co-ordinated. Find out if it is only one person doing all of you or several, then work out who is doing what when, don’t leave it to chance. Likewise with your florist, make sure there’s access for them the day before if needed and give a cut off time to have everything done. The last thing you want are the pew/seat end flowers being put in position as your guests are arriving.

Looking further ahead, it’s highly likely your venue and caterers work hand in hand with one another on a regular basis throughout the year. Taking guidance from them on timings for your main meal are really important as feeding a large group of people needs precise timings. If we’re to spend a bit of time doing couple portraits before you’re announced into the main reception, this needs to be built into their timetable to ensure you’re not the ones holding up proceedings. I will also take time to liaise with the venue ahead of the day, so knowing all our plans couldn’t be more important.

Essentially if you plan to be completely ready 30 minutes earlier than you think necessary, you’ll be ready on time!

The morning of your wedding isn’t simply preparation. It’s the beginning of your story.

Anna’s notebook

Little anecdotes that spring to mind. Thinking about your time: “The calmest mornings aren’t always the quietest—they’re the ones where everyone knows there’s no rush.”

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