One of the biggest questions you may run into when choosing your perfect wedding photographer is “do we really need 8 whole hours of coverage?”. The answer is a resounding yes! Whether or not you choose to do a first look, 8 hours gives you the perfect amount of time for gorgeous getting-ready photos. Here are a few reasons why every couple should have getting ready photos on their wedding day.
1. Capture the sweet moments with your besties
One of the best reasons is so you have photos of yourself with all your besties! Some of our favorite photos of the day come from you and your friends shaking off your nerves and just being fun and silly together. We love catching those moments when your friends see you all dolled up and in your dress for the first time or when you and your guys stare at the boutonnieres and their pins like it is a Rubik’s cube.
2. Highlight all your important/heirloom details
Having time set for getting ready photos isn’t just all about having a blast with your closest friends. It’s also a great time for your photographer to get great photos of all your details! It’s just fun to have a reminder of what your Badgley Mischka shoes looked like and what perfume you wore. Not only that but a lot of couples have little details that are sentimental in some way. For example, our brides usually wear some of their mother or grandmother’s jewelry. These heirloom details are an important part of your wedding day story! Details aren’t just for the ladies either! Our grooms have incorporated dad’s cufflinks or grandpa’s watch. If the guys have special handkerchiefs or fun socks they wore, they deserve to be remembered too!
3. Capture those sweet moments with your parents
No matter how many weddings we photograph, we’ll never get tired of Dad seeing his little girl in her wedding dress for the first time or mom’s eye’s welling up as she helps pin her son’s boutonniere to his lapel. Having time for getting ready photos allows your photographer to capture all those teary-eyed moments with your parents. Some brides even decide to go all out and do a full-fledged first look with their dad and we can’t forget mom zipping up or buttoning up her baby girl’s wedding dress! It’s one of our personal favorite parts of the day, even if we usually do end up crying!
4. Have images for your wedding album that tells the whole story
Having getting ready photos is a must if you’re getting a wedding album! We all love the gorgeous portraits of you and your sweetheart but your wedding album should tell the story of the whole day including the moments you’ll smile about for years to come and the little details that you’ve included in your wedding attire. Not only will these photos just make your album look great but they will be a great introduction to the pretty pictures of you and your honey!
5. Ease your nerves of being in front of the camera from the get-go!
One of the most important parts of your wedding day is that it needs to be as stress-free as possible! Can I get an amen?! One of the best ways to help ease some stress is to have getting ready photos. You can get used to having your photographer around (and their camera) when there’s no pressure, no onlookers, and you can just relax. By the time your first look or your ceremony rolls around, being in front of the camera won’t be any trouble at all!
So those are our best tips about why every couple should have getting ready photos on their wedding day. Be sure to check out more of our tips and tricks for a stress-free wedding day!
Why We Always Recommend Getting Ready Photos on Their Wedding Day
Looking for more wedding inspiration? Check out this Elliston Vineyards wedding or this stunning Tuscany-inspired Sunstone Winery Wedding.
Sacramento Wedding Photographers
We’re Adrienne & Dani. And we’re the team of besties and wedding photographers behind Adrienne and Dani Photography. We’ve been so lucky to get to love and serve the best couples as their Northern California wedding photographers. And we’d love the chance to serve you! Click here to get in touch with us about your wedding date and be sure to follow along for more joy with us on Instagram.
