Bridal Preparation

Bridal preparation is included in two of my packages and is honestly one of my favourite things to do! There are plenty of things to take into consideration… Are you getting ready at a venue, at home or mum’s house? Are hair and make-up artists coming to you or are you at a salon? Are you travelling to a church or venue once ready? All these different scenarios will have a consequence on timings so it’s important that we plan this before the wedding.

In an ideal world I like to have plenty of opportunity and time to shoot naturally and organically what is going on. I like to get close up details of the dress, the shoes, special jewellery, hair pieces or veil, keepsakes and charms, flowers, bridesmaids dresses, the list goes on. There is also the hairdresser and make up artist in action, the girls raising a toast, the mother of the bride offering words of wisdom, dad pacing the floor or having a sneaky shot to calm his nerves…. Each situation is different but there is so much to capture.

If the bride is getting ready at the venue, I can often pop to photograph the cake, favours and table centrepieces too leaving more time later for family photographs. I have the added benefit of shooting the groom’s party once they arrive with the rings. The boys often get a little overlooked so it’s nice to have the time to grab a few shots of the boys having a pint and a laugh before the ceremony. This time with the groom and his pals is often a great time to do some fun pics and steady their nerves. I like to do this before the wedding guests start to arrive so the boys can meet and greet and seat the guests.

Not every bride’s cup of tea, but have you thought about a few boudoir style shots? You will have perfect makeup, styled hair and will possibly look better than you ever have before, so, why not have a few shots just for your hubby? Being a female, I know what is classy and sexy and I will only put you in a beautiful and flattering position. It’s something to think about, plenty of ladies do it!

Getting into the dress is a big moment. Many brides have Mum helping or their best friend, daughter or chief bridesmaid. It can often be a stressful moment with an intricate corset style back to thread. I have dressed literally hundreds of brides and am always happy to take the job on and then photograph the chosen helper tweaking it so it would appear that they were responsible! This will hopefully, once again, calm the bride and keep the timings on track.

One of the most popular bridal preparation images is the big reveal. It takes a little bit of organising, but I get the girls in position, ask them to close their eyes and place their hands in front of them for effect. I then bring the bride in and get the dress on point and get myself into position. I grab a snap whilst they are hiding and then count them in. The reactions of the girls are priceless and often teary. Speaking of teary, it’s a special moment when I do this with Dad too!

In a nutshell, the bridal preparation will give you all the time to get used to me being there and doing all I can to not only get the best shots I can, but be a useful and helpful member of your team. I bring a backpack of useful items for emergency situations too including plasters, a full sewing kit, buttonhole pins, mints, sanitary products, tape, hairspray and the list goes on.