The Complete Studio KH Wedding Guide
Section 4:
Getting Ready
Typically when I arrive on a wedding day, I do these 4 things in order:
I greet you + your beloved.
I snag your details and try to shoot as many of them as I can right away.
I turn overhead lights off to shoot in more flattering, natural light.
And I clean.
Getting ready rooms are usually a low-key disaster zone, and I do my best to declutter the area in which you’ll finish getting ready. This means making the bed if it’s a hotel room that’s been slept in, consolidating the bags that are camped in every corner, and general tidying in areas closest to our windows. Anything of this nature that can be done before I arrive means I get more time to spend photographing you + your crew.
Here you can see the subtle differences of overhead light on (left) and off (right). Turning lights off in the bridal suite is done with discretion and after your hair and make-up artists give the ok. I’m not going to kill the lights if they are needed!
If you’re both getting ready at one site, I’m typically bopping back and forth between the two of you. If one party is arriving already dressed, we do an abridged “getting ready” sesh that’s focused more on adjusting bow ties and final spritzes of spray.
Alright, let’s get dressed!
For men, the window of photogenic “getting ready shots” is much smaller in the groom’s room—usually a 5-15 minute affair—and I prefer to begin shooting when everyone is already dressed in their formal pants + shirts. If you’re keen to follow traditional standards of dress, button all buttons on vests and jackets except the bottom one, and unfasten your jacket when seated. Skip the belt if you’re doing suspenders.
For ladies, once it’s time for the dress, I prefer that the bride’s crew is mostly dressed before we begin. At the very least, whomever is helping our bride in the last stages should be completely ready to go, as it’ll look a bit off if Mom is still in sweats while the bride is glowing and all kinds of glamorous. Designate who you want to be with you at that time—it can be a maid of honor, sisters, Mom, other family—and let them know they need to be ready earlier. Once everyone is set, I’ll guide you to where I’d like you to dress, typically in a quiet space with access to window light. You can trust that I won’t start snapping until you’re covered.
Wanting more group photos of the getting ready process? Think about handing out cards or gifts to your wedding party, gathering everyone around to make a toast or say a prayer, have a game or two for the guys to play, or pop and spray a bottle of champagne! It’s easier to grab more shots when everyone is focused on an activity.
Cindy popping a bottle with her bridesmaids while Joe shared a cigar and a tumbler of whiskey with his men.
A few tips for the brides:
If you’re getting your hair and make-up professionally done, don’t be the last one in the chair that morning. If there’s one area of the day where things tend to run late, it’s here. What often looks most photogenic are the final touches—hair spray, lip color application, another brush of mascara—that you can hop back in the chair for when I arrive. My coverage for the day usually begins here when your look is mostly complete.
You can wear jewelry while you’re getting ready, but please save the pieces you’re going to be wearing all day until after you’ve dressed. Use this as an opportunity to instead wear some fun pieces or a second favorite set?
If the cut of your dress will show off your back and shoulders, try to avoid wearing tight tanks or bras 20 minutes before your dress goes on. Those marks + indentations take some time to fade from your skin. Same applies for tall socks.
Don’t forget to eat! Both of you! Things are about to get crazy from here in the best kind of way. You can’t go wrong with fruit trays or sandwich delivery, either set out for grazing, or ordered in before wedding party pics. Prioritizing this before lip color application is a bonus.
I like a little drama now and then, like Courtney in this incredible light right after her veil went in.