5 Must-Dos for Getting Bridal Ready

May 24, 2016

So the big day is FINALLY here! You’ve been planning for this day for what feels like ages now and you’re probably ready to just “get it over already”. Well – that’s what you’re saying now but, this day is seriously super magical. No matter what goes wrong, I’ve found that great wedding days are the ones filled with the love from the combined families and genuine excitement on entering the next chapter as husband and wife. So, make sure you remember to take in EVERY moment as this day goes by super fast for you and your soon to be hubby. You two are the starring acts!

Now that you have ironed out all of the wedding day details with your wedding planner and have successfully created a perfect photo timeline of the day, you’re now gearing up for your bridal prep moment. Here are 5 MUST DOs for getting bridal ready! These tips will help to minimize stress on you and also make your photographer SUPER happy (Trust me!)

Be organized

Putting all of your wedding day items/details in one safe location for when the photographer arrives is very helpful. Also, being organized with all your bridal look details is KEY! Details include your earrings, bracelets, necklace, shoes, dress, veil, perfume, garter, hair jewelry, and anything else that you’re going to wear on your wedding day to make up your bridal look. Also, please make sure to have all the rings for detail shots and extra invitation suite (if possible). Ensuring that all of your items are together in one location will make sure that nothing is left out. Also, it is very important that the all of your bridesmaids are completely dressed before you get into your gown for the perfect picture moment! <3

2. Delegate duties

Your bridesmaids and groomsmen should be the most supportive people in your lives and throughout your wedding planning process. To help to alleviate your stress, assigning roles and duties to your bridal party is smart. The Maid of Honor and Best Man are who I would suggest you delegate tasks to like answering your phone/texts, making sure you all are staying on track with the timeline, and gathering your details for your photographer once she/he arrives.

3. Declutter the Prep Room

No one wants to see a lot of clutter in their bridal prep shots, so making sure all suitcases and bags are hidden away in a closet and that the counter tops are clean really makes the world of difference. If you are getting ready in a hotel, another tip is to call for a cleaning service before the photographer arrives so the beds are perfectly made and trash removed. This is one of the tasks that can be assigned to your bridesmaids/groomsmen as mentioned in tip #2.

4. Ensure there is great window light

LIGHTING is key when it comes to photography, so ensuring that your bridal prep room has lots of windows with natural light pouring in will be beneficial for you, your photographer and your wedding gallery. TRUST me your photographer will appreciate you SO much more if the room has beautiful natural light shining through.

5. Create a makeup timeline

MAJOR KEY ladies! Discussing the makeup timeline with your makeup artist is very important as there are probably 5-10 faces that have to be done on your wedding day. A great wedding makeup artist is well versed in properly planning your makeup timeline ensuring that the bride isn’t done last and that the makeup for the bridal party, Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom start at a reasonable time before the ceremony. This is one aspect of the day that can potentially make everything else run late or behind, so making sure you have a timeline and following that timeline is KEY!

As a photographer, bridal prep moments are one of my favorite parts of the wedding day! There’s nothing like being with the bride and/or groom as they prepare to marry their best friend. Love and friendship surround the bride and groom and these moments are so genuine. Proper planning helps to make the entire wedding day run smoothly, so I hope these 5 tips help you in your bridal prep moment!

I truly hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it helpful! This blog is part of the #WithThis???? collaborative blog series in which real advice from real wedding photographers are shared to help prepare you for your wedding day! This collaborative series started from a desire that each of us has to educate and inspire brides-to-be. We’ve noticed often times the information that is available to brides rarely comes from photographers and we want to assist in not only capturing the special moments that make up your love story, but also ensuring that you have the most memorable day possible. Make sure you check out the rest of the Blog Series: The Wedding Series to learn other great ideas on preparing for your wedding day! If you are new to the #WithThis????blog series, definitely check out our Engagement Series HERE!