5 Things Brides Should Do for Iconic Bridal Portraits | at Zingerman's Cornman Farms
5 Things Brides Should Do for Classic,
Iconic Bridal Portraits on Their Wedding Day
When it comes to the morning of your wedding, it’s bound to be a busy time with all.the.things going on! There’s hair, make-up, last minute dress steaming, enjoying a mimosa with your bridesmaids, and hopefully getting in a quick snack or some water to keep you feeling great until you can eat again at the reception! So before the rush of the wedding day arrives, there are a few things you should do to prepare for those iconic wedding photos.
Here are five tips that I recommend all brides consider when it comes to the morning of their wedding and getting those classic bridal portraits you desire!
#1 - Carefully consider your getting ready location.
Taking the time to really think about the best place to get ready is the foundation to all of these tips! When it comes to selecting a location, it might be easy to think any hotel room or small church getting ready room will suffice for you to get ready in, but if you want those “wow” bridal portraits, I recommend paying attention to:
- The room’s lighting: Having a getting ready room with lots of window light is the most ideal for classic bridal portraits!
- The amount of space: You don’t want to feel like you are cramped in your getting ready location. You don’t want to be stumbling over all the bridesmaids bags or squeezing around the hair & make-up chairs & stations for photos. If you find a getting ready location that has ample amounts of space, this will allow your photographer to place you in the most ideal spot. With more space to move around, they also won’t have to worry too much about cropping out distractions or limit your bridal portraits to close-up shots vs. wide, dramatic shots of you in your dress!
#2 - Gather all of your bridal details together in one place prior to your photographer’s arrival.
One thing a lot of brides want is editorial photos of all their bridal details! This is a great way to see all of your wedding colors and design choices come together and I love capturing photos of all your special details. Here is a list of common things brides like to have me photograph:
- Wedding Dress
- All THREE rings
- Ring Box or Ring Dish
- Hair piece or Veil
- Shoes
- Bouquet & Boutonnières
- Extra leftover styling flowers from your florist
- Jewelry
- Invitation Suite (envelopes, invite, rsvp card, details/info cards, & extra copies if possible)
- A nice hanger for your dress
- Letters to each other
- Vow Books
- Heirloom Items
- Ceremony Program or other paper details
- Welcome Bag or Gift
- And Any Other Special-to-You details!
#3 - Wait to put on your extra details until after you step into your dress.
After you step into your dress, THEN put on all of your extra details so that your photographer can capture those candid moments of you getting ready to see your groom! Start by putting on your bridal shoes (sometimes having the help of your maid of honor or mom is a nice interactive photo moment!), then your jewelry, your perfume, your veil, etc!
#4 - This is the perfect time to exchange a letter, gift, or personal vows with your groom and read them.
If you and your groom have decided to give each other gifts or personalized letters or if you have written personal vows to one another, this is a great time to open the gift or read the letter / vows to yourself! This is another opportunity for candid emotions and reactions and these photos will feel romantic and timeless once you are all dressed and adorned with all your pretty details!
#5 - The more time the better.
I typically recommend at the very least, 30 minutes to get into your dress and for classic bridal portraits, but the more time you give your photographer the better! With more time, your photographer will be able to try lots of different angles and make sure you look the most flattering by making sure your dress is perfectly fluffed and your veil lays dramatically! More time also allows for more creativity and depending on your getting ready location, you might have time to get some portraits in multiple locations!
I hope these five tips on preparing for your bridal portraits are helpful and get you those dreamy, iconic and classic portraits that you crave on your wedding day! Scroll down to see all of these tips in action with a set of bridal portraits that took place at Zingerman’s Cornman Farms that I captured!
Love,
Courtney
Wedding Vendors:
Photographer: Courtney Carolyn Photography
Venue: Zingerman’s Cornman Farms in Dexter, MI
Planner & Coordinator: White Flamingo Events
Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Wedding Dress Boutique: Joy Abendmode Bridal
Rings: Jewelry Set In Stone
Makeup Artist: Configure Beauty Detroit
Hair: Isabelle ONeil Beauty
Invitations & Paper: HSR Graphics - Custom Wedding Stationary
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