One of the things I hear more often from couples lately is that they don’t want any getting ready photos. It’s a trend I’ve noticed, and one that has gained steam in recent years, ever since the pandemic. And while skipping the getting ready photographs has always been a bit more common with couples planning an elopement or intimate wedding on a tight budget, I’m also hearing it from couples planning larger weddings as well. As a wedding photographer with nearly 15 years of experience photographing weddings of all sizes (and working with couples with all kinds of different budgets), I’m going to weigh in and say that getting ready photographs are very very important! Whether you’ve got 600 guests attending or it is just the two of you eloping, skipping them is a huge, huge mistake!

And just to be clear, before we dive into why getting ready photos are so important, I think we should dispel any notions that “getting ready” for your wedding is just “putting stuff on” before the real important things happen. Getting ready photographs are soooo much more than the mechanical aspects of putting on a dress, tying a tie, applying lipstick, putting on shoes, etc. etc. While those can be great photos too, those are just some of the things you may happen to be doing during that time, but what we’re also after are those candid moments and the interactions with family and friends that transpire while you’re doing those things. What was going through your mind as your makeup and hair were almost ready? What happened when your mom saw you ready to get into your dress? What about the laughs (or drink) you shared with your friends? These are, without question, some of the most beautiful and candid moments of your day! They are unscripted, un-choreographed, and real.

And there is so much more, so let’s get started!

Why are getting ready photographs so important for your wedding?

I could seriously write an entire book on this, but I’ll try to make it short and sweet (I promise!) and condense it down to the four biggest reasons for having photos of you getting ready, including why you should include them even if you are planning an elopement or intimate wedding. Let’s do it!

Reason #1: Without getting ready photos, you’ll be missing an important part of your wedding story. Imagine… entire chapters of that once-in-a-lifetime day just… gone!

As you might imagine, this can end up being a bit jarring in so many ways…

Let’s try some analogies:

Imagine if a book you are reading just skipped all of the character and plot development and instead just went straight to the peak of the action and climax (hey, the publisher needed to cut costs, so those early chapters got… axed…). It would be rather disorienting, to say the least, and it would detract from the overall significance of the story because there would be no context.

Or, think about a time you arrived late to a birthday party, but just in time for singing happy birthday and blowing out the candles, only to find that so much happened before you arrived… “Oh my gosh, you should have seen…” and now you’ve missed out on all the inside jokes or maybe even feel left out because you were not there.

Or, imagine arriving 20 minutes late to a movie and having your friends say, “oh you didn’t really miss anything,” but actually they are already laughing at something happening on screen and you have literally no idea what’s so funny or what’s even going on because you have no context.

I could go on but I think you get the idea. Getting ready sets the context for your wedding story and the amazing moments that happen throughout the day. And, it is the only time where you get to hang out more casually with your friends for a few hours and I get to hang out with you to get a sense of what you’re like together… and capture it for you!

Which leads us right into my next point:

Reason #2: I get to know you and your family friends a little before the ceremony and they get to know me a little bit as well, and more importantly, they get to become comfortable with me too! I really can’t tell you how much better this makes capturing the rest of your day!

I get to see how your friends look at you as you get your makeup done and share a laugh as you reminisce about the times you’ve shared together. I’ll get to see how your mom looks at you, trying her best to choke back the tears as she sees her daughter getting her dress buttoned and putting her jewelry on. Or maybe there will be a moment when your dad walks in and sees his little girl in her wedding gown, almost ready to get married (I love first looks with dad)! These are some of the most beautiful, real, and candid moments of the day and there is no other time during your wedding day when they can happen.

Or what about when the guys are all laughing together at inside jokes, or taking shots, or maybe even laughing as they help each other tie their bowties (hey, bowties are not easy!)

Or maybe you and your partner are getting ready together, helping each other get ready to spend the rest of your lives together. How beautiful is that???!

All these moments happen when you are getting ready (hanging out) with the people in your life who matter to you the most. The rest of the day can often be more scripted, but it is the getting ready portion where you get to have photographs with you and your friends just enjoying each other’s company and hanging out.

And (finally getting to my main point here), by the time we get to your wedding ceremony, you’re all so comfortable with having me around that you’ve almost forgotten I’m even there. And that is an amazing thing because then you’ll all be even more comfortable with having me capturing those authentic, intimate moments that will be happening throughout your wedding day. Just like your engagement session gives us time to get to know/feel comfortable with each other and help you both feel comfortable in front of the camera, getting ready photographs can help your whole wedding party and family in much the same way. As a result, everyone will feel more relaxed and comfortable getting photographs throughout the day.

And now for the most obvious reason of all to have getting ready photographs:

Reason #3: You’ll get to see your partner get ready!

Since we’re on the subject, and since most couples do get ready separately, I think it is important to mention just how awesome it is to see your partner on your wedding day as they got ready to marry you! It’s just insanely awesome – trust me!

Reason #4: Getting ready separately and then being joined at the ceremony is highly symbolic of your union together!

I don’t think this one needs a whole lot of explaining, but I would like to point out how this makes for a more compelling wedding story when told through images. Getting ready just before your wedding represents the last time you will ever be getting ready as an unmarried couple. After this day, even though you may not always get ready at the same exact time and space, you will always be getting ready in a “together” sense because you will be a married couple! Capturing these moments of you both individually getting ready on your wedding day is the best way to lead in to the two of you becoming joined together in marriage as we tell the story of your wedding through images!

 

But wait, there’s more!

 

What about elopements and intimate weddings?

Whether you are eloping with a few close family and friends or it is just the two of you, there are plenty of reasons to capture both of you getting ready even without so many people around. And in this case, you’ve got even more options for how you spend that getting ready time. Maybe the two of you are making breakfast together (or maybe you are making omelets with a friend or sibling), or maybe you are soaking in a hot tub or hot springs before getting your dress on. Maybe you’ll spend some of that time reflecting over a light morning hike through the forest or some relaxing time listening to your favorite music. Whatever you do, these activities are part of your wedding day, and by capturing them, we can document not just what you were doing as you got ready, but how you were feeling in the hours leading up to your wedding.

And don’t forget all of your family and friends back home who didn’t get to share your elopement or wedding day with you! They’ll want to see your wedding day as a complete story, not just starting somewhere in the middle just before you say your “I do’s.” As a father myself, I think if my daughter were to one day elope and I didn’t get to see these moments at least through photographs, I’d have some serious FOMO! Or, actually, it wouldn’t be just the FOMO, it would be AMOANK (actually missing out and never knowing what her day was like)! And I get it, some couples want to keep some things private, but what if some day you do want to share that part of your day, perhaps with your children someday… Or maybe you just want to share it together years later. Unless we capture it for you, you won’t even have that option!

And while I’m on the subject, here’s yet another reason: Take a few minutes to get outside and get some gorgeous images of you in your dress or wedding attire! Your day will likely get super busy, so there often isn’t time for these later on. Plan for some time just after you are finished getting ready for these and you’ll be glad that you did!

So there you have it! I know it was a bit long (believe me, I could write a whole book just on this), but I think you get the idea on how important getting ready photographs are. Telling the whole story of your wedding day is so much better than a fragmented version that starts jarringly right at the ceremony. And if it really comes down to hard budget limits, I recommend cutting something else (like seeing if there are some aspects of your wedding that you could diy or cut costs, like flowers/decor, officiating, catering). Getting ready photographs won’t cost much more money (especially in the grand scheme of things) and I promise you will be glad you have them!