I’ll be honest: this post is a little bit selfish.
After years of photographing weddings on the Space Coast, I’ve noticed that the getting-ready part of the day is where the minutes quietly disappear. A tag that won’t come off. You can’t find scissors. A ring that’s still in the other suite. A dress that needs steaming twenty minutes before you walk out the door.
None of these are big things. But they add up, and every minute we save in the morning is a minute we get back for the good stuff: relaxed portraits, your first look, or golden hour on the beach. So here are my wedding day getting ready tips: the little things that take the stress out of the morning. The goal is simple: everything flows, nobody is running around like crazy, and you actually get to enjoy this part of your day. (And yes, selfishly, it makes for much prettier pictures, too!) EEK, let’s do this!
1. Keep the getting-ready room tidy
This is the room where some of your sweetest photos happen: your outfit, the details, a parent’s face when they first see you. A tidy room always looks better in pictures. Ask one person in your wedding party to be in charge of clutter: suitcases zipped and pushed into a closet, food and drinks on one table, shopping bags and hangers out of sight. Even five minutes of clearing makes a big difference.
2. Take off every tag the night before
Dress and suit tags, veil tags, the little plastic tabs on earrings, the sticker on the bottom of your shoes, and the loose stitching that new suit jackets come with on the vents and pockets. Do it the night before, not while I’m photographing your details. Tip: keep a small pair of scissors in your emergency kit for the one you missed.
3. Steam early
Steam dresses, veils, suits and shirts the day before, or first thing in the morning. Steaming at the last minute almost always runs late, and a hot, damp outfit is the last thing you want to put on. If your venue or hair and makeup team offers steaming, book it ahead.
4. Put all your details in one box
When I arrive, I’ll photograph your details first, so have them ready in one box or one pile:
- Invitation suite (an extra invitation, RSVP card and envelope)
- Shoes, jewelry, perfume, hair piece
- Veil, garter, tie or bow tie, pocket square, cufflinks, boutonniere
- Something old, new, borrowed and blue
- Any heirlooms or special pieces
- All of the rings (see the next tip)
No more sending someone from your wedding party on a search mission!
5. Keep ALL the rings with you
This is the one that gets forgotten most, even when I remind couples. Keep the engagement ring and both wedding bands together in the getting-ready space I’m photographing first, so I can photograph them with your details. It’s very common for one ring to end up in the other room or in someone’s pocket, and then we’re texting across the venue to track it down. I will bring the appropriate ring back to your partner.
6. Do a full try-on with your actual undergarments
Try your whole outfit on, at least once before the wedding, with the exact undergarments, shape wear and socks you’ll wear on the day. If you’re using a sticky or adhesive bra, practice putting it on. So many people have never used one before, and the morning of the wedding is not the time to learn. Also check that nothing shows through in daylight.
7. Put on deodorant BEFORE you get dressed
I have a surprising number of photos of people putting on deodorant after they’re already dressed. It happens to everyone! Do it first, and you’ll save your outfit from white marks and save yourself a few awkward minutes.
8. Break in your shoes (and fix the straps)
Wear your shoes around the house a few times before the wedding. If they have buckle straps, punch any extra holes you need ahead of time. A strap that won’t close is a surprisingly common morning-of crisis.
9. If there’s a bustle, make sure someone knows how to do it
Pick one or two people (someone in your wedding party, a parent, your planner) and have them learn the bustle at your final fitting. Ask the seamstress to show them, and take a video on their phone. A bustle can take ten minutes when nobody knows how it works, and that’s ten minutes of your reception.
10. Wearing a suit or tux? Practice the details
Bow ties, pocket squares, cufflinks and button covers confuse almost everyone the first time. Practice a few days before:
- Bow tie: if it’s a self-tie, practice tying it (a YouTube video helps), or have a backup pre-tied one.
- Pocket square: pick a fold and practice it, or fold it the night before and keep it flat.
- Cufflinks and button covers: figure out how they go on before the day. They’re much easier to put on before the jacket.
- Boutonniere: decide who’s pinning it on. I’m always happy to help, too!
11. A few more little things
- Wear a button-up shirt or robe while getting ready, so you don’t pull anything over your hair and makeup.
- Bring a nice hanger for your dress or suit, if that matters to you. Lots of couples bring a wooden or personalized one with their name or new last name. If you don’t, it usually ends up on the plastic hanger from the store, and I’ve seen people disappointed by that later. Decide ahead of time so it’s one less surprise.
- Pick the room with the best window light if you have a choice. I’ll usually turn off the lamps and overhead lights, because natural light is the most flattering.
- Ask hair and makeup to finish 30 minutes before you need to be dressed. Hair and makeup almost always run a little late, and this builds in a cushion.
- Take hair ties off your wrist and take off smartwatches and fitness trackers before photos.
- Empty your pockets. This goes for everyone with pockets: you, your wedding party and your parents. No phones, keys or wallets in front pockets during the ceremony or family photos. They make bulges that show up in every picture, so hand them to someone who isn’t in the photos.
- Eat something and drink water. It’s a long day! Drink through a straw to protect your lipstick, and keep snacks in the getting-ready room.
- Pack a small emergency kit: safety pins, scissors, a stain remover pen, bobby pins, blotting papers, mints and a phone charger.
- Give the marriage license and any letters or gifts to one trusted person so they’re ready when you need them.
12. Write your vows before the wedding week
I see this one a lot: vows (or letters to each other) being written the morning of the wedding. It eats into getting-ready time, adds stress right when you want to relax, and it’s hard to find the right words in a busy room. Write them a week or two ahead, read them out loud once, and you’ll walk down the aisle so much calmer.
One more thing: copy them into a vow book or onto a nice card instead of reading from your phone. It looks so much better in photos, and you’ll have a keepsake afterward.
Your Wedding Day Getting Ready Checklist
Screenshot this one and send it to your wedding party!
- Tags off dresses, suits, veils, earrings and shoes (the night before)
- Everything steamed the day before or first thing in the morning
- Full try-on with your actual undergarments (and a practice run with a sticky bra, if you’re wearing one)
- Shoes broken in, extra strap holes punched
- All details in one box: invitation, shoes, jewelry, perfume, veil, tie, pocket square, cufflinks, heirlooms
- ALL the rings together in the first getting-ready space
- Bow tie, pocket square, cufflinks and button covers practiced
- Vows written ahead and copied into a vow book or card
- Someone who knows how to do the bustle
- One person in charge of keeping the room tidy
- Pockets empty (no phones, keys or wallets) for the ceremony and family photos
- Deodorant on BEFORE getting dressed
None of this is about being perfect. It’s about giving you more time to breathe, laugh, and actually enjoy your morning, and giving me more time to photograph it. All you have to do is show up. I’ll take care of the rest!
Planning a wedding on the Space Coast? See my wedding collections or check my availability. I’d love to hear about your day.
