Do We Need Getting Ready Photos?
Disclaimer - Some posts on this website contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase using my links, which I'll almost certainly use to buy more skis and climbing gear.
“Look, Cat, we’re on a bit of a budget. Can’t we just skip the getting ready photos?” I can’t tell you how often I hear this question. If you’re on a budget, I hear you. Even tiny weddings can be expensive and in these uncertain corona times, many couples are understandably trying to keep control of their finances. And even when the budget isn’t an issue, do you really need pictures of you getting dressed? Doesn’t that just seem a bit unnecessary and over-indulgent?
I don’t think so! And here’s why…
As cliché as it might sound, wedding photos are a collection of beautiful memories and many of these wonderful moments happen while you’re getting ready. Here’s a few reasons why getting ready photos are an integral part of your wedding day.
Capturing The Whole Day
Every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end. On your wedding day, the ceremony is only the middle. At the beginning of your wedding story is the part where you both get ready, get excited about what is about to come and enjoy your final moments before starting an amazing life together. It sets the scene for the ceremony and the festivities later on in the day. By capturing the start of your day, your final gallery is turned from a set of epic photos into a complete epic story.
Enjoying The Little Moments
Weddings are full of big moments: the ceremony, the vows, the emotional stories from loved ones. But a photographer’s job is not just to capture the big moments but also the little ones, the ones you maybe missed on the day. And many of those little moments happen while getting ready. It could be your partner rewriting their vows as they finally realise how to put their love into words, or a card game you played together to calm your nerves before the ceremony. These tender moments often become some of the highlights of the day, and getting ready photos help you relive them for many years to come.
Experiencing Your Morning Together
Many couples choose to get ready for their wedding separately, and then share a “first look”, where they see each other in their wedding attire for the first time. If this is what you and your partner had in mind, then getting ready photos are a nice way to look back at each other’s separate mornings and discover a whole new side to your wedding. Your partner may even surprise you.
Alternatively, if you’re getting ready together, you can document all the beautiful memories of combing each other’s hair, doing up the buttons on your partner’s dress or suit and helping each other prepare for your special day and the awesome life you are about to start together.
Sharing With Friends And Family
Adventure weddings tend to be small, many of my couples elope without any friends or family present. But that doesn’t mean that your loved ones won’t want to hear all about it afterwards.
Most are keen to know about every tiny detail of your day—getting ready photos give them the full picture of how wonderful your wedding day really was.
A Warm Up To Your Day
Not everyone is used to being photographed, let alone on one of the biggest days of your life. While getting ready is mainly about preparing yourself for your ceremony, it also helps you prepare for having a photographer around. We can start the chat and the banter so that by the time we get outside, there’s less awkwardness around me and the camera. And let’s face it: It’s easier feeling a bit awkward inside in the warm, than outside in the cold!
Keep It Short And Sweet
Even if you’re someone who takes hours to get ready, just an hour of getting ready photos can have a big impact on your final wedding photos. Whatever your timeline or budget, we can find a solution so that your weddings photos capture every aspect of your beautiful day together.
Want to see some real stories that included getting ready photos?
