Wedding prep, bridal prep, wedding morning - it doesn’t really matter what you call it. What matters is that if you choose to have this part of your wedding day photographed, you should read this post. I’m going to tell you what’s going to make your morning more relaxed and enjoyable, and give you some insight into how we get awesome photos before your wedding has even started. Let’s dive in!

1.Get Your Timings Right

How many people are getting ready all at once? Has someone opened a bottle of fizz? Do you have one person doing hair, and another doing makeup? Hopefully you can see where I’m going with this. Time slips away really quickly among friends, especially when those friends are also drinking. Build in time here. The way you do that is up to you - whether it’s reducing the number of people getting ready together, or asking your hair or makeup artist to bring an assistant so you can have several people getting ready at once. Hair and make up are not things that you want to rush, so make sure you have plenty of time.

2. Tiktok or Tik-not

If you’re doing an instagram reel or tiktok of any part of your wedding day - go for it! Having something you can share or keep for yourself of the day is super valuable, and you’ll love doing them. One common thread running through all these tips, though, is allowing enough time for things to happen. If you’re the type of person to hate running late it’s definitely worth adding a bit of time to your plan for these things.

A lot of hair and makeup artists like to take a quick photo of their finished work, and some will want to get footage for their socials. If you have time and you’re happy to do this then go for it, but don’t let anything pressure you during prep.

3. Gifts

Gifts are a staple of wedding mornings. Whether it’s a couple giving things to each other, or to their tribe, these moments are often worth capturing. Whether it’s something small or sentimental and important, they always go down well. So when’s the best time to exchange them, and who should be there?

Be prepared to cry. If this means touching up your eye makeup afterwards, then keep your MUA there or be prepared to fix any tear marks yourself. And have people around who can hug you.

And I’m biased but I think the most important bit is making sure your photographer is there to capture everything!

4. Light

I’m going to tell you something every photographer wants every couple to know. Light is often the difference between good photos and bad ones. That doesn’t mean you have to get ready in a glass box, but it does mean that we some window light makes an enormous difference to the photos you’ll get.

When I’m photographing morning prep, I like to get in front of the windows whenever I can. It means light is falling on the subject I’m focussed on, whether it’s hair and makeup, people exchanging gifts, or those happy fleeting moments between you. If the curtains are closed, there’s no window or simply no space, those photos will not look the same.

5. Group Photos

There’s often a little bit of extra time available during a wedding morning. Photographers can always find things to do with this time, and one of them is to run through a group photo or two. Often couples don’t want to see each other before the ceremony, but that doesn’t mean group photos are impossible. Check out this one of Kiran and his groomsmen at Peckforton Castle - the guys were in the bar greeting guests shortly after this while the bride continued to get ready, but this saved us valuable time later on the day.

6. Ties, buttonholes, pocket squares, bowties, corsetry, button up dresses…

These things are all beautiful. And fiddly! If I had £1 for every time I helped folks deal with the above, I genuinely think I could retire a rich lady. Because no one wears these things regularly, most people haven’t worn a tie since secondary school and the rest is very much the reserve of weddings. Thankfully the wedding industry involves a whole army of people ready to help you out, and for everything else there’s Youtube!

Button back dresses - use a kirby grip or a crochet hook to slip the buttonhole over the button.

Corsetry - give yourself a good 15 minutes to tie and readjust. Once it’s on you’ll need to readjust everything and this takes time. Get someone thorough and strong, and you might need a third person to hold the panel in place at first.

Buttonholes - I always demonstrate putting one of these on, then I get the groomsmen to copy. I photograph them doing this, and tidy anything up that needs it afterwards. Don’t put them through the button hole itself, but on the lapel. If it’s tickling your chin it’s too high.

Bowties - Watch this video from 1.21 in.

7. Eat something

Ever had a night out without a proper meal? Need I say any more?

8. And go easy on the drink

This is a lo-hong day. Most bridal parties start getting ready at breakfast time, if not before. Do not open that fizz too early. It’s a busy day, and an emotionally charged one for many. Yes, I have seen bridesmaids fall asleep in their dinner, couples have to disappear for a lie down, guests have to leave early. Definitely enjoy yourself, but do it in a way that you can make memories too!

9. Choose your crew wisely

It’s natural to choose our closest friends and siblings to be with us on a wedding morning, but make sure they’re also the kind of people who’ll be supportive and practical when you need to lean on them. It’s an honour to be part of the wedding party, but with great power comes great responsibility! Make sure you’ve got your do-anything-fo-you, ride-or-die, old-reliables with you. You’ll need them.

10. Teamwork makes the dream work

Lots of things have to happen in a short space of time on a wedding day, but that doesn’t mean you have to feel stressed. As they say in American football, the best defence is a good offence - so come out fighting. On a wedding morning, that means being super prepared with a to-do list, and a great crew around you to delegate whatever you can to. One of the most important decisions you can make on your wedding day is getting the right people around to support your vision, so decide who’ll be good with what and charge them with those tasks.