Why are Getting Ready Photos Important?
Getting ready is such a special part of a wedding day, and something that often gets overlooked by couples planning an elopement. Which is why I wanted to dedicate a blog post to getting ready — why I think it’s important and how to make it a special time worth commemorating.
Why are getting ready photos important?
The getting ready part of the day is so special, whether you choose to get ready together or separately. This is when there is a lot emotion and collective anticipation, either shared between the two of you or among guests (if you’re having guests at your elopement). If you’re getting ready separately, having photos of this portion of the day might be your only window into your partner’s perspective or experience during this time. And if you’re getting ready together, these small, intimate moments that you share can become some of your most treasured memories later.
Your day will go by in a flash, and this is also the time when you get to slow down and really soak in the moments of your day as you “warm up” for it. Which is also why I always encourage couples to allocate more time for getting ready than you would think you’ll need. This is the time to take a breath and slow down, so allow yourselves time to do so. Having to rush through getting ready will likely put you a in more frenzied state, and may not result in the frame of mind you’d want to be in for your ceremony… or any other part of the day.
Having getting ready photos helps to complete the story of your day. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. When you look back on your wedding day through photos in years to come, it’s the details and the small, often candid moments that can be so easily forgotten that take up so much more weight in the story of your day. These moments can be incredibly simple and possibly insignificant at the time, but can also mean so much later. They are the moments that help to make up your story, and helps to give context to the rest of your day.
As a photographer, being able to capture your getting ready moments also means having the opportunity to get to know you in a more casual, relaxed setting. This allows us to warm up to each other, and helps me be a little more personal with you, especially if we’re meeting for the first time on your wedding day. Having this time to get acquainted is so important to helping you feel more at ease, so that I don’t show up a total stranger, cameras blazing, right before you’re about to share an incredibly intimate and sacred moment aka your ceremony! When you feel more comfortable and at ease, it will also likely result in better photos too :) And an all-around better experience!
PRO-TIP: try a mindset shift about what “getting ready” means to you! Think beyond “getting dressed, putting on makeup, getting your hair done”. What else can you do during this time that would make this time special and unique to you?
How to make your getting ready photos special
Now that we’ve talked about why it’s important to have your getting ready moments captured, let’s dive into some activity ideas that would help make this time more special.
Writing your vows together
Journaling together or separately.
Making breakfast together
Baking your own wedding cake/dessert together
Taking a bubble bath
Soaking in a hot tub
Playing games in your airbnb (e.g. corn hole, ping pong, board games etc)
Swapping stories/hanging out with friends in your airbnb
Snuggling in a hammock
FaceTiming with friends/family
Opening gifts/letters from friends & family… or from each other
Take an intentionally slow morning together — make coffee, sit outside, listen to the birds, watch the sunrise.
These are just a shortlist of what you can do during getting ready… other than the typical things like having your hair done and getting dressed. It’s another part of your elopement/wedding day where you can incorporate things that are unique or meaningful to you either as a person or as a couple and I strongly encourage you to do so! :)
My biggest piece of advice: Think about your relationship as a whole — what activities do you like doing together? Do you normally get ready together or separately on a regular morning? Does one of you normally walk the dog while the other prepares breakfast? Do you ever sit outside together enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning? Do you have a routine that is a big part of your relationship? Your answers to these questions could help shape how your wedding day looks like, and could be special to have them documented! :)
PS. You DON’T have to have answers to all these questions when you first book with an elopement photographer! These are just prompts to get you brainstorming, however, your photographer should be able to help guide you in creating a day that is unique to you and your relationship.