2 Keys to Have the Best Getting Ready Photos

Having getting ready photos is great because they help tell the complete story of your day. To get amazing getting ready photos you’re gonna need two things, good light and a good space.

groomsmen helping groom get dressed

Good light is pretty straight forward. To have good light you want a room with nice big windows, or at least one giant one. Your makeup artist can usually help you find a spot with good light because nearly every time I’ve done getting ready photos the makeup artist is set up next to the window! 

bridesmaids giving bride a hug

The one thing you need to avoid in regards to lighting is artificial light. Artificial light mixed with window light creates a weird colour cast that can’t really be edited out, short of turning the image black and white. So if you feel the need to turn on the room's lights because its way too dark, you may want to consider finding a room with more light!

Mom doing up brides dress

Now let's talk about the actual space itself. I always recommend couples rent a house or two for getting ready photos if they aren’t getting ready at their actual homes. That way you have a large spacious place to get ready in and then you can give it to any guests that had to travel from abroad to stay in at night! Or you can just stay in it yourself. You can even get away with one house if the house is large enough. Girls can be upstairs, guys can be downstairs. Easy. Apartments can also work, but you’ll probably need two apartments.

wedding party helping bride get dressed

If you’re gonna get ready in a hotel room please make sure to keep it tidy! Because hotel rooms are generally smaller than apartments, space is more precious and piles of clothes are hard to shoot around. If you’re gonna be messy, reserve one clean room for photos, or at the very least, one clean side of the room.

bride putting on ear rings

Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to have some beautiful getting ready photos!

Wilson Lau

Photographer of weddings, and people.