You are getting your hair done right after your makeup has been set and your photographer walks in ready to start photographing your big day! They are excited to see you and capture every perfect detail of your day but they have a question: "Where are your details?" You sit in your chair confused about where you put everything that moment and ask a bridesmaid or your mom to help the photographer find everything. They run around trying to gather everything and sometimes ask for your help digging through a duffle bag trying to find the jewelry case.


Honestly, it's not a big deal when that happens but I know it is my least favorite way to start a wedding day. I love showing up, greeting my couples with big hugs and being pointed to a room that holds everything I could need to photograph their details; from the dress to the shoes. I never like interrupting the flow of someones day when they should be relaxing and sipping on champagne. So below are my favorite tips to share with my couples (particularly brides) so that they can keep sipping on their champagne and jamming out to Taylor Swift love songs.


And a last note before I get into the list, your wedding day is so much more than pretty photos. These are tips to make the photos look nicer and maybe help the morning go smoother, but, as a photographer, my job is to capture the day as it happens! So no matter what, just enjoy the day as it comes and everything will look beautiful.

Where you get ready can truly set the tone for your photos. I always love when a getting ready space fits the whole aesthetic of your carefully planned day but below are my top three tips for choosing your getting ready space.

  1. Spacious: when you are getting ready in a hotel room with five (or more) bridesmaids, moms and sometimes aunts, add in the hair and makeup artists, and then finally add photographers and videographers to a room thats about 10 people in a small room. I like to recommend having two spaces. One for actually getting ready, ie the hair and makeup, and a second room for getting details photographed and actually getting into your dress. One room could be a suite that you and your partner are staying in and the other could be a family members room that stays clean and unbothered by the whirlwind of the morning.
  2. Bright: Every photographer is different but for my style bright natural light works best. The first thing I do when taking photos is go through the suite and turn off the orange incandescent lights that don't look great when mixed with cool natural light. So having a space with plenty of natural lighting is a must!
  3. Clean: Wedding days get messy in the morning. From party platter trays, champagne cups, and five+ bridesmaids bag getting placed around the room it can make a space feel messy. My goal for photographing a wedding day is to document the day, however, when you are getting into your dress and having a special moment with your mom or sister most people don't want a chip bag in the background. It takes time for me to clean a space when I could be photographing real moments or taking my time and get creative. So having a separate space to get dressed in and to store your details is sometimes easier.

THE CHECKLIST

I highly recommend keeping these objects in a designated space and having your maid of honor know where they are so they can show the photographer instead of you. I've had brides use shoe boxes, keepsake boxes to hold all of their accessories, or the accessories are laid across the bed. The only suggestion I have for your invitation suite is to bring two copies in a folder. Some invitation suites have so much detail or are two sided so I always love having extras to play with and preventing them from being folded, torn, or damaged is also important. Keeping them in a folder should prevent any damage to the invitations.

  • The Dress and Veil
  • Shoes
  • Any jewelry being worn on the wedding day
  • The rings and ring box (this can be given back to the best man prior to the ceremony, just make sure someone is in charge of handing the rings off)
  • Family heirlooms
  • A dress hanger (your photographer may have a hanger too so just ask!)
  • Your bouquet
  • Extra florals (please ask the florist beforehand to have these stems ready so they aren't asked the day of for extra flowers. Most photographers only need a few stems and some greenery.)
  • Perfume
  • Vow books
  • Any other details you think would be nice to have captured or help tie in the theme of your day/story