A great getting ready location on the day of your wedding is often something that can be overlooked in all of the planning. Usually it is just an item to check off of the list and little detail is figured into the style of it. The truth of the matter though is that a good portion of your day will be captured in this location and pictures of it will help share your story.

When looking for a great getting ready location here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Natural Light

Lots of natural light will not only give you beautiful pictures but it is also ideal for makeup and hair artists. A room with very little light means mostly likely a flash will have to be used. Flash or strobes can be awesome tools to capture beautiful pictures, but they can also be very distracting making it harder to capture natural expressions and candid shots that so many clients want. If you’re wondering if lots of artificial light can be just as good as some natural window light, I’m afraid the answer is no. Artificial lights give off different hues of color, they don’t shine on the face usually in flattering ways and so on. So take it from me that lots of windows will make you and your photographer happier in the end!

Neutral color tones

When looking back at your wedding picture album you don’t want to be distracted with bold colored walls that clash with the wedding colors you meticulously picked out. Anything but neutral colored walls can also create a color cast on your skin that will show up in photos. For example sunlight or a flash bouncing off of a red wall or ceiling will reflect red color all over the room and the people in it.

Style

If your wedding is rustic themed then a getting ready room in a modern hotel would not match the style of your carefully designed day. If your wedding theme is romantic and elegant you wouldn’t want pictures of you getting into your dress taken in a dull, plain room that normally houses conference calls and budget meetings.

It may be hard to find something that matches your style perfectly and if that is the case, just focus on something that is simple and doesn’t clash with your day.

Here are some ideas to help you get started:

1. Rent an Airbnb House

2. Look at Bed and Breakfast locations

3. Find a simple classic style hotel room

4. Ask that family member with the dreamy house

5. Check to see what your venues offer (and then cross your fingers and hope that it’s not a dark nursery in a basement)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This bed and breakfast was the perfect space for this wedding. It has character and charm that adds to the pictures and the overall style of the wedding. I love how you can see lace, rustic and vintage details from the beginning of the day during the getting ready pictures all the way to the end of the day during the reception.