Photographing getting ready: the day starts before the ceremony.
Getting ready is more than makeup and shirt buttons. It’s the shift from everyday life into your wedding day: the dress on the hanger, the shoes beside it, friends helping, the quiet before you leave.
When I photograph this phase, pictures often appear that later matter as much as the ceremony — quiet, close and full of anticipation.
Give getting ready real time buffers. Good prep moments don’t appear in the last five minutes.
How much time do you really need?
Count backwards from the ceremony: travel, first look if you want one, and a buffer for delays. Photos while dressing often need 45–90 minutes — depending on whether both sides are covered.
If bride and groom start in different places, we clarify where coverage begins and whether a second photographer or a later start makes more sense.
- Set a ready-by time, not only the ceremony start.
- Lay out details (rings, shoes, invitation) in a bright spot.
- Choose a room with window light or a calm corner for portraits.
Which pictures appear while dressing?
Details: dress, bow, boutonniere, handwriting on the card. Then hands helping, glances in the mirror, the first moment fully dressed.
I intervene little. A suggestion about light or where to stand usually suffices — the rest stays your morning.
Less stress, better pictures.
Too many people in the room slow everything down. A small circle and clear jobs help more than a big getting-ready party.
If you’re camera-shy, we start calmly on purpose: details first, then short portraits, before the shared day begins. The story on natural photos despite nerves fits here too.
How do you imagine your day?
Tell me about your plans. Together we’ll see what matters for your pictures and how my coverage could fit.
Get to know each other
