Getting Ready Spaces: How to Prepare for a Relaxed Wedding Morning

The wedding day starts long before the ceremony.

For me, it usually begins with coffee, a camera bag and a quiet walk into a room full of excitement, nerves, laughter and people wondering where they’ve left their shoes.

The getting ready part of the day is often where the story begins. It’s where you spend time with your closest people, put on your outfit, exchange gifts, read letters and take a moment before everything starts moving very quickly.

The good news is that you don’t need a luxury suite or a perfectly styled room for beautiful photographs.

A few simple preparations can go a long way.

Try to keep one room relatively tidy

Notice I said relatively.

I’m not expecting hotel-room perfection.

Wedding mornings are busy. There will be clothes, makeup, coffee cups and suitcases somewhere.

But if possible, try to keep one room a little calmer than the others.

This often becomes the space where:

• you get dressed
• portraits are taken
• family members help with final preparations
• detail photos happen

A tidy background helps keep the focus on people rather than on whatever happened to be sitting on the chair behind them.

Gather Your Details Before I Arrive

One of the easiest ways to make the morning feel smooth is to gather all the important items together before I arrive.

This allows me to start photographing details straight away while hair and makeup are still happening.

Things you may want to prepare include:

For Everyone

• rings
• invitations and stationery
• vow books
• perfume or cologne
• jewellery
• family heirlooms
• special gifts or letters

Wedding Outfit Details

• dress or suit
• shoes
• veil
• cufflinks
• tie or bow tie
• pocket square
• belt
• hair accessories

Flowers

• bouquet
• buttonholes
• floral accessories

A small box, bag or corner of the room with everything ready works perfectly.

Trust me, it’s much easier than trying to find the rings five minutes before the ceremony.

Don’t Forget the Paper Details

This is one that couples often overlook, especially during destination weddings.

If you’ve invested time and money into beautiful stationery, make sure it makes it to France with you.

Things like:

• invitations
• menus
• save the dates
• ceremony programmes
• envelopes
• wax seals

can all help tell the story of the day and add a personal touch to your detail photographs.

Even bringing one spare copy is enough.

Flowers Make Everything Better

This may be my wildlife photographer side talking, but I have a soft spot for flowers.

Your bouquet is usually enough on its own, but if your florist is providing extra loose blooms or greenery, it’s worth asking if a few stems can be set aside.

These can be used to complement detail photographs and tie everything together visually.

If not, don’t worry. This is very much an optional extra rather than a necessity.

Natural Light Is Your Best Friend

When it comes to wedding photography, I almost always prefer natural light.

Not because I’m trying to be artistic.

Simply because it tends to be softer, more flattering and more timeless.

If possible:

• open curtains
• open shutters
• let daylight into the room
• avoid getting ready in the darkest corner available

If I walk into a room and immediately head towards the window, now you’ll know why.

Many venues in the South of France have beautiful natural light, and making the most of it can have a surprisingly big impact on your photographs.

Choose One Person Who Knows Where Everything Is

This might be the most practical tip in the entire article.

Choose one trusted person who knows:

• where the rings are
• where the bouquet is
• where the veil is
• where you’ve hidden the emergency sewing kit

It doesn’t need to be a planner.

A sibling, parent, friend or member of the wedding party works perfectly.

This saves you from answering logistical questions all morning and allows you to focus on enjoying the experience.

Remember What Really Matters

All of the advice above is helpful.

None of it is essential.

At the end of the day, the photographs you’ll treasure most probably won’t be the ones of the shoes or the perfume bottle.

They’ll be the moments.

The hug from your mum.
The laugh with your friends.
The look on someone’s face when they see you ready for the first time.

The goal of preparing your getting ready space isn’t to create a styled shoot.

It’s simply to remove a few distractions so those moments can take centre stage.

And that’s where the real story of the day begins.

Continue Reading

→ Read the next article: Planning for Sun, Heat and Rain on Your Wedding Day

There’s a lot to think about when organising a wedding in another country. My job isn’t just to show up with a camera on the day, but to help you feel prepared and supported in the months leading up to it too.