Wedding photography is all about telling your story through imagery, a story about one of the most precious moments of your life, with the entire process of your wedding day being beautifully captured by your wedding photographer.

A big part of the storytelling of wedding photographs is hidden in the small and often deemed as unimportant parts of the wedding day schedule, such as the moments before the main events like the ceremony and reception. These are what we call prep photos, which basically are the pictures taken while you and your partner are getting ready for one of the most important days of your life. You can include whomever you wish, from close family to best friends, bridesmaids, and why not get ready with just you and your partner to have a quiet time together before saying I do. There are no written rules because it is your wedding, and your prep photos must be exactly how you imagine them.

The getting-ready moments before the wedding are where some of the best and most beautiful pictures are taken by your photographer, like when you first look in the mirror in your stunning gown or suit and see yourself ready to walk down the aisle. These moments can be captured in a prep photo shoot, and they greatly improve the quality of curating the story of your wedding day. 

Sharing a sweet moment with your parents or grandparents, remembering how you met your partner and the first time your friends met them, or telling stories about how clueless you were about the engagement will light up the room and help your photographer capture each laugh, tear, and smile. 

But now that you are aware of how important and beautiful getting ready photos can be, you might be wondering how you can make sure this session comes out perfectly, with once-in-a-lifetime moments being captured in all of their glory. Well, if you want to make the most out of your wedding prep photos, then you’ve come to the right place, so keep reading along as we provide you with all of the secrets you need to know before your big day.

Location of your wedding prep photos

One of the most important parts of wedding photography is where your photographs are being captured, so you want to make sure your getting-ready suite or room is a great place for that purpose. To choose the perfect location, you must have a clear idea about your preferred approach for your wedding photos.

For example, lighting is a great resource photographer can play with. You can achieve bright and natural lit photos by having many windows in the room you plan to get ready. But not everyone enjoys the classic bright photos; perhaps you are more into moody and soft images; in that case, all you need is a window or two. Take a look at some Airbnb or Riparide spaces for beautiful options. 

Having enough space is also important for your wedding prep photos since you don’t want the entire crew of makeup, hair, and guests to be bumping on each other in a small room. So keep in mind that the more space you have available for your prep photos, the more comfortable you will be.

Getting ready photos also turn out great when you have an organized and clean space to work with, so keeping the space tidy will make your photographs look cleaner and give more importance to what is trying to be captured. Of course, getting ready can be a messy process, so it’s okay to have a bit of a mess to give that natural and candid feel to your photographs, but throwing away the trash lying around won’t hurt.

Overall, your prep room should be well lit, with enough space for the preparation to be comfortable, tidy, and looking good for your pictures to look their best. And in the end, you should be in a space where you feel comfortable, and you can have fun because location might be important, but your attitude is what will ultimately be reflected in your wedding prep photographs.

Who’s going to be with you?

Another important part of your wedding prep photos is who will be with you at such a special moment. Since wedding prep photos are mostly candid pictures in a very natural way, the company you’ll be keeping is a huge part of the moments your photographer captures during this session.

Some couples prefer to get ready only with their close friends or bridal party, so it becomes a laid-back setting where the pictures will have a fun and friendly feel. Having only friends around you during your prep is a great way to keep you relaxed and enjoy a moment with them before the ceremony. 

If, on the other hand, you want to get ready with your family, you’ll find that there are going to be more emotional and intimate moments during this entire process, which can be captured through the lens of the camera. Some of the most beautiful prep photos are those where an important member of your family sheds a tear as you finish dressing up. This is a great alternative for couples who value family and enjoy being surrounded by nieces and nephews running around or a loved one saying how fast time went because they used to cuddle you like a baby. 

Prep Outfits

Having a prep photo shoot means you need to be ready always to look good, and often this also involves planning a cute outfit for your prep photos. Of course, since this isn’t your ceremony or reception and there’s a big day still ahead, you want to stay comfortable and stylish.

Talk to your family or friends who will be present during these photos and ask them to wear perhaps a certain colour palette or matching robes to keep the images in the same mood. It’s common for some guests to arrive in their funny cartoon pajamas or an old t-shirt and baggy pants, which is fine since they are about to get glammed up, but it is up to you how important aesthetics are. 

Other important tips for your wedding prep photos

If you still have concerns about making your wedding prep photos amazing, then there are some other things you can do to make sure everything goes smoothly during these beautiful moments with friends and family.

One thing that can make or break bridal prep photographs is distractions, such as cellphones and TVs. You don’t want your guests to be on their phones during your prep photos, mainly because most pictures your photographer takes will be unannounced, so that means a lot of candid pictures while you or your guests aren’t looking; in this case, it’s better to have your bridesmaids and relatives focused on helping you get ready for your wedding than being on their phone on every picture. Keeping a no cellphone policy will encourage being present and enjoying the moment. 

TVs are also not a great thing to have turned on during your wedding prep photoshoot because this will mess up the pictures, and you don’t want your prep photos to have some reality TV show playing in the background. You want these moments before your big day to be the focus of the lens, so keeping the TV turned off is the best way to do this.

Another thing you should do is to make sure everyone gets there on time, including your guests, family, makeup professionals, hairdressers, and everyone involved in the process, so you should also be on time. Time is crucial when getting ready for a big event; keep track of it and ensure you don’t take much getting ready because there is still a busy day ahead. 

Arriving on time at the location of your photoshoot or the place where you plan to get ready is important to follow the timeline of your event. Tell everyone invited to the prep photoshoot to get there a few minutes before the hour you agreed up, and that way, you won’t have any time issues.

You should also be mindful of your comfort and wellbeing, so stay hydrated, drink enough water, eat something beforehand and keep some snacks close to you, so you are full of energy to get through your wedding day. Being comfortable will make you look great and allow you to be yourself when getting your photos taken.

Details are also important in prep shots, so try to set up the place where you’ll be getting ready to look as amazing as possible. Hang your wedding attire in a nice place, have your shoes, jewelry, and all accessories in a neat place where your photographer can work to make every little detail be a part of the story your wedding photographs will be telling. Finally, allow yourself to have fun since this is your wedding and nothing is more important than your comfort, and at the end of the day, the camera will be your best friend when you feel good.

Make sure you have good communication with your photographer, let them know what kind of photos you’re aiming for, and work with them to have an amazing time during your prep photos. I hope my advice has cleared up some doubts about how important wedding prep photos are, and you choose to have them because they capture the calm before the beautiful storm that’s about to come once your reception starts. Those are the last moments you spend with your loved ones before starting the journey of a lifetime, and you want your wedding photographer to capture each of them.