There are so many details to consider when planning your wedding. One that many people undervalue is where to get ready for your wedding. The moments that happen here are so important to the story of your wedding day… some of those last quiet moments getting ready with your mom, toasting mimosas with your girls, transforming from your everyday look into a bride. This is the place your dad might see you for the very first time on your wedding day. The spot where you’ll take that glamorous bridal shot seeing your reflection in a mirror for the very first time. The place we will photograph so many of those details you spent the last several months hand-picking that will add up to make your wedding day perfectly YOU.
So how can you ensure that the pictures of these moments are the most flattering and truly capture the magic of your big day?
1. LIGHT
One of the things that defines our images is our strategic use of light to make our couples look their absolute best. So it should come as no surprise that the first (and most important) thing we recommend looking for in a getting ready space is natural light! Look for as many (and the biggest!) windows you can find. There’s no substitute for soft, flattering, natural light… don’t underestimate the impact this small tip will make on your photographs! (Your makeup artists will appreciate the light, too!)
2. CLUTTER FREE
This seems like it should go without saying, but try to find the cleanest, least cluttered space possible to get ready for your wedding. If there are pictures on the walls, extra furniture, any kind of papers or little knick knacks stacked up… you can bet money on us moving all of that! Avoiding distractions from ornate wallpaper to large art will ensure that the focus of the pictures is on the people, moments, and emotions of the day and not on the background. We will help ensure luggage, food wrappers, and any other clutter that is a natural product of your bridal party sharing one space all day doesn’t make its way into your pictures. You just find a space with good bones! (Bonus points if it has white or neutral colored walls to reflect clean, color-free light back onto your skin to easily maintain true to color skin tones!)
3. GO BIG
Remember, a hotel room that looks big with nothing in it is going to get CRAZY cramped once you put your bridal party, parents, hair and makeup artists, videographers, and photographers in there with you. If you’re planning to get ready at a hotel, do yourself a favor and upgrade to the suite. It will make world of difference! If you want to get a bit more creative, consider renting an airbnb – you have tons of gorgeous, elegant options to ensure your pre-ceremony photos are stunning.
4. DON’T FORGET THE MEN
One of the best things you can do when planning where you’ll be getting ready is to find a location where you and your fiancé can get ready on the same property. This will save you time and result in more pictures since we won’t have to take precious photography time driving from one place to another. Plus, it builds in a bit of extra time in your timeline to keep your day stress free and fun!
Now that you know how to decide where to get ready for your wedding, where do you start actually finding a place like this? Start with your venue! Some of our favorite local venues have on-site getting ready suites that work beautifully for photographs. Try The Transept, French House, The View, Pinecroft at Crosley Estate, The Monastery, Greenacres, or The Cincinnati Club! If you’ve already selected a venue and they don’t have an on-site space that works well for getting ready, there are many gorgeous hotels that provide beautiful backdrops for your special wedding day moments. Start with Lytle Park Hotel, Hotel Covington, Hilton Netherlands Plaza, or Renaissance Cincinnati. You may be able to use your home, parents’ home, or a friends’ home if any of the spaces meet the above criteria!
We hope this was helpful! Want more wedding tips? Get our advice on whether or not to have a first look or what to wear for your engagement pictures!
Need a wedding photographer? Reach out to see if we are available on your date!