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Getting ready shots-logistics and planning

ktbee21ktbee21 member
First Anniversary Name Dropper First Comment
in Wedding Photography and Videography Forum
Hi all,

Who did or is going to do getting ready shots on their wedding day? I am wondering what the best way to take "getting ready shots" for both the bride and groom would be and how exactly it works. Most of our bridal party is staying at one of two hotels, right across from each other. Ideally, I would like to stay at one for our wedding night, but we cant check in til 3pm. So does that mean that we each need to get a room the night beforehand so that he can do getting ready shots in one room with the guys the morning of our wedding and then I can use another room for me and my girls? Just trying to figure this out...any suggestions would be awesome!
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Re: Getting ready shots-logistics and planning

  • msuprincess04msuprincess04 member
    5 Love Its First Answer Name Dropper First Comment

    Getting ready shots really only take a few minutes, and they aren't the most fun part of the day, so if you don't already have a room available, I'd probably skip them. Some things to consider: where is your hair and make-up being done? where will the wedding party be getting ready? how many people do you expect to be there, including photographer? will breakfast/lunch be included?

    If you want to do getting ready photos in a hotel and have more than 3 people, I'd really suggest getting a larger room than the standard hotel room so that people can walk around and the photographer can move around you. Does the hotel or wedding venue have a small meeting room you can rent for the day or a few hours before your wedding? My friend had a suite that included a seperate room that we used the morning we got ready. Her in-laws had the other suite and the guys used that to get ready. I had a large house, so the girls got ready in the master suite while the guys got ready in another room. We did a first look at the house as well.

    "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." -Friedrich Nietzsche, "On Reading and Writing"
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  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    edited April 2015
    Make sure everyone in your wedding party is even okay with having their pictures taken while in states of undress or "not completely ready." Don't make anyone who isn't pose for "getting ready shots." Some people, for whatever reason, are sensitive about this and don't appreciate having to be photographed or even seen when they don't look their best-especially if they don't know well everyone else present.
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  • Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    Have you considered just not doing "getting ready shots?"  I mean, really think about how often you will look at these photos.  And I can pretty much guarantee that none of the getting ready shots will be printed and hung up in your home.  Yeah, these pictures may seem oh so cute on Pinterest, but the reality is they are completely pointless.  If you really want to take pictures while you all are getting ready then whip out your phones and take some fun shots.  Use your photographers time else where.

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  • southernbelle0915southernbelle0915 mod
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    We did "getting ready" shots. No weird robe pictures or anything like that, but our photographer took photos of our dresses hanging next to each other, jewelry, bouquets, getting ready space. All "still life" if you will. And then when we needed to get dressed, she stepped out and photographed the B&B where we got ready. She came back in when the girls were helping me button all the back buttons on my dress and such. She took pics of us putting on our jewelry and doing their final make up touches in the mirror. She also took pics of my mom giving me my something old/borrowed, which was really sweet. Then she did some bridal portraits and then pics of just the girls. She also did pics of me with my family members.

    For the guys, our second shooter had pics of them hanging out in the bridal suite where they got ready. Pics of details, like cuff links, watches and bouts. Pics of tying ties and such. Then they took completely ready group pics. He also took pics of DH with his family members.

    There were no pics of anyone half way ready or undressed. That's super awkward and not exactly wedding album material anyway.
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its First Comment

    If you want getting ready shots, you will need to budget for a second shooter because everyone will be getting ready at the same time. Even if it was in the same hotel, the photographer can only be in one place at a time.

    And yes, if you want access to two rooms before 3:00PM on your wedding day, you'll have to book two rooms the night before unfortunately.

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  • FutureMrsMeratiFutureMrsMerati member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its
    edited April 2015
    I don't think you would have to book a hotel room necessarily, I've seen getting ready shots done in peoples homes as well. I'm not sure what you're considering "getting ready" shots, but mine included candids of me getting my finishing touches - putting on my earrings, my mom helping me button my dress, still-life photos of details like your bouquet, my dress, the rings, etc. then the "big reveal" photos, and photos of us with our bridal party. While I don't love all of them, some of these getting ready and "big reveal" photos are extremely special to me, like capturing my dad, MIL and bridesmaids reactions, capturing my mom crying looking at my dad & I, etc..

    As far as the photos of me getting my makeup and hair done? I could have done without, but those were really posed and took all of 2 minutes to do. The shots below? To me, priceless.
    imageimageimageimageimageimageimageimage
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  • vmj23vmj23 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    I had "getting ready" shots because i had my photographer with me all day.  She came with me to the salon where me and 2 of the other girls got hair done.  We all eventually met back at my house to get dressed and again, my photographer took shots there but there was no planned out pinterest group shots or anything.   Where are you plan on getting ready?  Does you contract with your photographer include enough time for getting ready?  Do you have a second shooter?  We had a second shooter that was taking pics of the guys beforehand at a temperate location and took a couple of him doing little things like putting on his tie.  I wouldn't book a room just to get photo's taken, but you should figure out where you plan on getting ready that day.    I used the pictures in a page of my album but definitely could have lived without them. 
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  • ktbee21ktbee21 member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Comment
    edited April 2015
    Thank you all for the suggestions! @jv523 We do have a second shooter and we would have them for about 3 hours before the ceremony as we plan on doing a first look too. I`m not sure what I`m planning on doing about hair and make-up yet, but I know the hotel room is too small to have all girls plus makeup and hair artists there. I`m really into the still life shots and reveal shots, and want them to be a part of my special day because I know its going to go by so fast.

    @futuremrsmeratiyours are beautiful-thank you for sharing :)
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  • klk111415klk111415 member
    First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Answer
    Does your hotel offer suites?  I'm getting a suite the night before the wedding where me and 2 of my bridesmaids will sleep.  The next morning hair and makeup will be done in the same room and getting ready photos will be taken (I have 1 photographer and he's going to bounce between my room and the groom's room to get the prep shots) .  We rented the suite for 2 nights so we don't have to check out the morning of the wedding.  We are giving that room to one of my friends and when we return from the wedding, we will check into the honeymoon suite.
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  • klk111415klk111415 member
    First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Answer
    Or even a meeting room?
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  • MandyMostMandyMost member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    klk111415 said:

    Does your hotel offer suites?  I'm getting a suite the night before the wedding where me and 2 of my bridesmaids will sleep.  The next morning hair and makeup will be done in the same room and getting ready photos will be taken (I have 1 photographer and he's going to bounce between my room and the groom's room to get the prep shots) .  We rented the suite for 2 nights so we don't have to check out the morning of the wedding.  We are giving that room to one of my friends and when we return from the wedding, we will check into the honeymoon suite.

    We did this, too! We had the suite for 2 nights, so we could use it to get ready the day of the wedding. We had a hair and makeup person come in, and a few of us got hair and makeup done; others just hung out all morning/early afternoon and then got dressed on their own; some people did their own hair/makeup while we were all in the room. The photographer came and took a few detail shots, and the shots of the makeup artist putting on the finishing touches, and my mom helping button up my dress, and some great "bridal portraits" of me. 

    My husband got ready at our house which was nearby; the second photographer did "getting ready" shots there. Again, some detail shots of his cufflinks and stuff, and him putting on his jacket, etc. And some great portraits of just him.
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