Guest Blog with Clark + Walker Studio: Where Are You Getting Ready?
Is one of the few questions I ask and never quite know what I’m going to get as a response. Sometimes the getting ready location is well thought out and planned ahead, and sometimes it’s just a small garden variety hotel room. I think a lot of us have done a good job trying to help spread advice and education on a lot of factors for brides when it comes to photography, but this morning I wanted to talk about the getting ready location.
For us at Clark+Walker, the getting ready location sets the tone for the day and plays a really important part in our photos. Many of our detail shots will take place in the morning, and it helps to have a setting to work with. We love big beautiful windows, natural light, lots of room for people to enjoy, and funky chairs/furniture. I’d guess about 1/4th of your wedding photos – whether it’s your bridesmaids, your details, you getting dressed, or candids – will take place in your getting ready location. We see people spend tons on the reception, plan the ceremony location, pick 3 spots for portraits… but then the getting ready location sometimes just doesn’t fit. Make sure your choice of where you’re getting ready supports the type of wedding images you want. I had a bride fairly recently with a smokin wedding and we were chatting about all her locations, and when I asked about where she was getting ready she mentioned just a regular old hotel room. Once we had this conversation I think I changed her mind into getting ready in a location that might fit what she expects for wedding photos a bit better. That’s when it hit me that maybe I should put some suggestions and tips in a blog post. Enjoy!
One of my favorite situations from 2010 was Mandy+Indy’s wedding we shot in Baltimore. Mandy actually rented a house for the getting ready portion of the day and to enjoy with her girls. The house was beautiful, full of windows, and had a ton of space for them to enjoy and eat and drink and get make up done. Look at this room Mandy got ready in:
On top of the house being beautiful, it also lends itself for detail shots as well. The house had this awesome book on the nightstand in the guest room, and this funky telephone downstairs. These make absolutely killer props for detail shots
It doesn’t have to be a house though, here is a suite that Lisa rented in a hotel below. Check out all the windows in the suite, perfect for awesome photographs
This hotel room wasn’t a suite, although every room at the Aurora Inn could realistically should be called a suite because they are so amazing. But the colors in this room just allowed me so much pop for my photos. I know this is the kind of look Jacquie was going for with her getting ready shots
One of our favorite all time getting ready spots – the french doors out onto the patio allowed us not only fresh air but also gorgeous light. Not only was the light beautiful, but check out the awesome couch for portraits as well! The character this location had really helped make the shots for Holly.
In this photo you can actually see we had Courtney do most of her getting ready (except the naked part!) out on the patio on a beautiful day
Laura’s wedding has been one of our most popular from all of 2010, and she nailed her getting ready location in Saratoga. The Batcheller Mansion Inn was the perfect spot for her and her girls, and it showed in both the getting ready as well as the detail shots.
Making sure you have the right props can be key too. Plastic hangers can be a major photo-kill so make sure you’ve got a great hanger, a cute getting ready outfit, and in this case a super sexy mirror
Or bring whatever style mirror works for you, but just stay away from plastic hangers and dollar store looking mirrors
In addition to just the room, look what we had right outside the getting ready room in Florida for Lindsay’s wedding. It’s easy for shots of the bride and her girls when you have this right outside the room! Capturing this in a hotel lobby or out near the street…. not the same.
