I love clean, natural light. So much so, that one of the first things I’ll do when I walk in to a bride’s getting ready room is to search out this light.
But there are other things I look for too!…
I like to educate brides on these things, so that we can save time and create the best possible space for photos.
These 5 tips for brides on the morning of her wedding are reaaaaal important, friends! In today’s ‘The Friday Five‘, we’re talking about 5 things to look for in a getting-ready room! Are you prepared? :)
1. LARGE WINDOWS.
‘The window effect’!…it’s real, and it’s real important! Natural light photographers – like myself! – will always try to leverage the natural light in the room before they introduce artificial lights (like flash) to an image. While lamps and overhead lighting might look bright to our eyes, in reality they can cause harsh colour contrasts and shadows in an image. And on this note, don’t be alarmed if you see your photographer turning off the artificial lights in the room!
When it comes to finding natural light in a room, I always look for somewhere with large windows, and the larger they are, the better. Windows starting at hip level or below are always my ideal.
2. NO CLUTTER.
With so much going on on the morning of your wedding, I know it can be hard to keep tidy. Try to keep suitcases, clothes, food, and empty Starbucks cups in a different room, or tucked away out of sight. And if all else fails…hide it: haven’t you always wanted to clean your room by piling it all in the closet?…(sorry, Mom!!)
3. ROOM FOR 10+ PEOPLE.
On the morning of your wedding, you’ll be surrounded by people who want to help you get ready. This includes your bridal party and most likely people like your mother, other family members, friends, your makeup and hair stylist, and your photographer. Having enough room for everyone to walk around (and for your photographer to navigate around you!!) is key.
4. PRIVACY.
If you’re keeping to tradition and don’t want guests to see you before the ceremony, you’ll need to be sure that you’re getting ready somewhere private. This is especially true if you’re getting ready in a hotel where other guests are staying, or if prep will be at the wedding venue.
5. EASY TRAVEL.
Whenever possible, I recommend minimizing the distance between your bridal prep and your ceremony. Always remember to take traffic and emergencies into consideration when factoring in travel to and from your venue. I’ve seen traffic delay a ceremony by 30 minutes; a groom’s car get t-boned on the highway; and a mixup with limos going to the wrong location! As my dear friend Julie Chen would say (…any Big Brother fans in the crowd?…), ‘expect the unexpected’. Pad your timeline throughout the day and always give yourself more time than you think necessary for travel.
If you just read through this entire post, on behalf of myself and all other natural light photographers, we thank you!! Your bride prep photography is going to be epic!!!