How to prepare for your wedding day – It’s the final countdown to your wedding day!! You may be feeling a little bit nervous, and that’s TOTALLY normal! I don’t expect my couples to be pros come wedding day, so I’ve created this guide to help you navigate through wedding day prep. This will help the photography side of things go extremely smoothly! I do everything humanly possible to make sure that you and your fiancé are comfortable, prepped and ready for one of the best moments of your LIFE!

Pick your getting ready location very carefully!

Find a space with a lot of windows – Natural light will ensure that your wedding day glow is accurately captured on camera! Indoor lighting can create an unattractive yellow hue and is not ideal for photos. Look into renting an Airbnb instead of a hotel for more natural light and extra space. If you’ve already booked a hotel room, make sure you have a window available in the room for optimal lighting.

Getting ready at the venue – Make your day a bit easier and get ready where you are getting married! But first, confirm that the suite has adequate natural lighting! If it doesn’t, you may want to consider a different location for your getting ready photos.

Choose a tidy space to get ready – With all the HAMU supplies, accessories, drinks, clothes, extra people, etc. the space you get ready in can easily become cluttered. Try to reserve a well-lit area for your photos and keep it free of clutter and too many people. This will ensure there are no distractions in the background of your photos. Consider keeping most of your things in a separate room close by.

Prepare the details!

Chances are that you put a lot of effort into picking out every little detail of your wedding day. From the shoes to the jewelry to the flowers; every little detail tells a piece of the story of your wedding day! The beginning of the wedding day is the perfect time for me to capture all those little details before the craziness of the day starts. So, by having all these items gathered ahead of time and ready to go when I arrive, we can ensure that everything is documented without running around the morning of to look for everything.

Here are the main items you’ll want to have gathered together at the beginning of the wedding day. Keep reading for additional items that you can include, plus tips for taking your detail photos to the next level!

• Bridal gown
• Veil
• Shoes
• Garter
• Jewelry
• Perfume
• All 3 rings
• Invitation suite (2)
• Bouquet
• Groom’s Boutonniere
• Groom’s details

Here are some extra items you can include with your details that will elevate your photos and ensure that all important items are photographed!

Heirlooms – Do you have any special heirloom items like your grandmother’s wedding ring or a special handkerchief that are a part of your wedding? Include them with your bridal details to be captured!

Styling Items – Including extra styling elements that go with your wedding theme and colors like fabric, ribbon, patterned paper or trays can help to give the detail photos a cohesive look that is consistent with the rest of your wedding!

Ring Box – Do you have a special/customized ring box? Include it with your bridal details to be captured!

Loose Florals – Loose flowers and greenery make such a lovely addition to bridal detail photos. Ask your florist to include some loose florals and greenery with the bouquet delivery.

SOME HELPFUL TIPS!

Flower Delivery – Have the bouquets, boutonnières and loose florals delivered to your getting ready location 30 minutes before I am scheduled to arrive to ensure they are ready to go when I get there!

Calligraphy – If you had calligraphy or any special lettering done on your invitations, have an extra copy made for me to photograph. You can use a fake address or even the address of your venue!

All 3 Rings – Have all 3 rings (engagement ring, bride’s band, groom’s band) included with your details so I can photograph them all together. Once I am done with them, we can give the bands to whoever is in charge of holding onto them.

Full Invite Suite – Be sure to also include all the envelopes with your invitation suite so that I can capture the entire design. And, feel free to include your Save the Date as well!

Duplicate Invites – If there are any pieces of your invitation suite that are double-sided, include two copies so that each side can be photographed in a single image. Also consider including both blank and addressed envelopes to give me more options for styling!

Delegate Tasks – The key to a stress-free wedding day is to delegate tasks! Assign a bridesmaid with the task of knowing where the detail items are and getting them to me when I arrive on the wedding day so you don’t have to worry about it.

Coordinating Paper – If there are any other paper items that coordinate with your invitation suite, feel free to include those too! Things like menus, table numbers, place cards, vow books, etc.

Groom’s Details – You can also include any special groom details that you’d like photographed! Things like cufflinks, tie, shoes, tie clip, cologne, cigars, etc.

Getting Ready Photos

Have a drink on hand for a toast – If you love champagne, be sure to bring a bottle with you to the bridal suite so you can pop it with your bridesmaids! If you and your bridesmaids prefer coffee or tea, have your mugs ready for a morning cheers to the bride. Either way, this is a super fun photo opportunity!

Matching robes or pj sets – All of your getting ready photos will be taken to the NEXT LEVEL if you and your ladies are wearing matching robes or PJs! You can find some great options on Etsy!

Bridesmaids gifts – You may decide to give your bridesmaids a gift when you first ask them to be in your wedding party, but another option is to present a gift during the morning of your wedding. I’ll be there to capture all of these special moments!

A Letter from your fiancé – A meaningful written letter exchange between you and your fiancé, and read on the morning of your wedding, is a really sweet detail that I would LOVE to capture.

Tips for the Groom

Prepare the groom details – Have your shoes, tie, tie clip, cufflinks, cologne, suit, etc. ready for my arrival so I can easily capture these details. Don’t forget to get creative with your details!

Getting ready with the guys – When I’m capturing the groom and his groomsmen getting ready, I encourage you to act natural and laidback with your groomsmen. Have a drink together, play your favorite game, or do whatever you guys would normally do together to have fun! It will make for some awesome photos of bonding time with your guys.

Please have pants on when I arrive – There can be some confusion about how men should prepare for their getting ready photos. The short answer is YES, you should have your dress pants on when I arrive! I recommend this as I will be taking photos of everyone buttoning up their shirts and putting on ties. I will not be taking photos of anyone sitting on the couch watching TV in their undies…

Choose a tidy space to get ready – Consider a space with lots of natural light and very little clutter for your getting ready photos.

Don’t test anything new

The last thing you want is a crisis on your wedding day! That’s why I suggest not to experiment with anything new too close to your wedding, just in case anything goes wrong! That means:

• No new skincare routine/products
• No new spray tanning/tanning location
• No new makeup being tested
• No new hair products or tools

Stick to what works and make sure that you keep the experimenting to a minimum!

Final note!

Just remember, this is going to be the BEST DAY EVER and you’ve hired the biggest HYPE GAL for your special day!! So, allow me take any stress weighing on your shoulders and put it on myself. I got you and can GUARANTEE we will get the most amazing photos!!! I can’t wait to photograph your wedding day! Let’s get this party started 🥂

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Foxbelle Weddings is a Fine Art wedding photographer based in Dallas-Fort Worth specializing in bright, joyful, and romantic wedding photography. If you’re recently engaged and looking for a wedding photographer in Dallas, I’d love to hear from you!