Wedding Day Tips – Getting Ready

While planning a wedding can be exciting, there’s also that added stress of making everything perfect, just as you’ve envisioned.  As a Calgary wedding photographer, I always send my clients a little information sheet prior to their wedding, to help make the day go as smoothly as possible.  I’ve compiled a few tips newly engaged couples may find helpful!

Location

Choose your prep location wisely.  While I’ve shot at my fair share of locations, from basements, to hotels and even a barn, I usually suggest locations with ample space to fit all your wedding party members, as well as any other family or friends that may be dropping in.  Lately, my couples have been using Air BnB and it has been nothing shy of amazing.  Not only are most of the homes unique, but they’re quite different than anything a hotel here in Calgary has to offer.  You won’t see dated pictures of ferns on the wall, conference-style telephones on the bedside table, or industrial looking doors with the rubber doorstops mounted on the wall.  The best part?  Air Bnb (and Home Away) are (in most cases) cheaper than booking a hotel room.  As you can see from the photo below, the room my bride got ready in has tons of character.  Her family rented an Air BnB home near the venue they were getting married at and as you can see, the room has a lot of beautiful character to it!

Lighting

When I arrive at at the bride’s and/or groom’s getting ready location, the first thing I do is scout out the best light possible (which usually happens to be near a window/windows).  The problem with working under artificial lighting (potlights/lamps, etc.) is that they cast harsh shadows, and create a horrible orange/yellow glow in your images.  Your makeup artist and hair stylists will (in most cases) prefer you sit in front of the window as well.  In the image below, you can see the window behind the Mother of the Bride, and there’s also a window to the bride’s left.  My bride was seated a few feet away from the window, which got rid of any harsh light from the window, allowing it to fall softly on her face.

Stay Tidy

I also ask that my clients (kindly) keep a clean/tidy surrounding of where they’re getting ready.  When I shoot, I like to have nothing distracting popping up in your images (such as gift bags, dirty clothes, empty glasses, etc.), as it can be distracting and cause you to lose focus of what’s really happening in the image.  Imagine getting your wedding images and coming across this beautiful moment – your mom is crying because she’s seeing you in your wedding dress, you’re overwhelmed with tears of joy… and then there’s a bright red duffel bag in the background with clothes hanging out of it.  Your eyes will initially go to the special moment shared between you and your mom and then land on the duffel bag.  By hiding anything that may be distracting, it’ll allow us photographers to capture these special candid moments without having to worry about the “noise” in the background.

The Details

Not all couples care about the detail shots, such as your wedding jewellery, shoes, cufflinks, etc., but if you do, it is always handy to have them out and ready to be photographed.  It’s not only a time saver for us, but eliminates me stopping your hair or makeup artist so you can find your accessories.

I hope you found these few tips helpful!  Stay tuned for Part 2!

Steph

Calgary Wedding Photographer