Getting Ready Pictures - Why You Should Take Them | Boston Wedding Photography

The bride helps a flower girl with her hair before a wedding at the Kinney Bungalow in Narragansett, RI - Photo by Ryan Richardson Photography

Putting together your wedding timeline can feel like you’re trying to put together a puzzle blindfolded. There are so many different pieces and you’re working hard to fit them all together but it’s not always clear where they should go or even if they’re from the right set. When it comes to capturing a Boston wedding day, couples are often stuck wondering how much coverage they’ll need and what moments are the most important.

As a Boston wedding photographer, I have always been partial to the slow and quiet moments that come before all the guests have arrived and the ceremony has started. “Getting Ready” photos are so much more than putting on your make-up and getting dressed - they are the start of the emotional story of your wedding day and rife with so many small moments with your squad and the people you care about. Coming in for the getting ready photos lets us get to know the bridal party a little better, capture important wedding details (attire, jewelry, florals, and all the other little bits and pieces).

Of course getting ready looks different for every wedding party. Some couples want to greet the sun with an outdoor yoga session to get their bodies moving and others want to sleep in until 10 to try and shake off their hangovers from the night before. When setting up the timeline for Boston wedding photography, we like to come in roughly an hour before you’re planning on having hair and makeup complete. During this time we’ll style and shoot the bridal details and get some great behind the scenes shots. Shortly after hair and makeup we’ll photograph the bride getting into her gown and get ready for the big reveal to the bridal party (and her partner if that’s on the agenda prior to the ceremony). Typically this means arriving around 1 to 2 hours before the ceremony.

So how do you make the most of your getting ready photos?

Consider getting a larger, fun space for getting ready - ideally one with a lot of natural light. Some hotels have a great suite that’s large enough to hold the bridal party without everyone stepping on each other’s toes - and if you’ve got a big hotel block you can sometimes get it comped or at a discount. Just make sure everyone else’s stuff is out before you head off for the ceremony, since you don’t want them coming back on the wedding night. Just make sure if you partied the night before to clean up a little bit. Some salons might be able to make special arrangements or an airBNB in a pinch.

Matching loungewear can be a lot of fun and add a lot of polish versus the leading sweatpants. If you want something your squad might want to reuse, resist the urge to customize everything. Once everyone gets settled in for hair and makeup you’ll want to remove any extra accessories - fitness trackers, extra hair ties, pay attention to the little things.

Don’t forget a steamer and a bridal emergency kit.

Have someone in charge of the special details you’ll want photographs of. If you’re doing something old, something new, something borrowed, or something blue for your Boston Wedding then you ‘ll probably want to have them laid out so your photographer can get detail shots. If you haven’t arranged to do a flatlay of your stationery ahead of time, you’ll also want to have that to hand and any styling items (this is entirely optional). If you want your dress photographed, it’s best to have a wooden or padded hanger to look a little nicer for the pictures.

Don’t forget the clock! Set an alarm to give you and the wedding party a ten to fifteen minute warning for before you’ll need to be out the door. As fun as this part of the day can be, the most important part is still the moment when you both say “I do.”

What are your plans for getting ready on your wedding day? Get in touch with Ryan Richardson Photography and we can help you capture those special moments.

Ryan Richardson is a wedding and engagement photographer serving Boston and beyond; including Cape Cod Weddings, New England Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings and Rhode Island Weddings.