Getting ready photos are the quickest to cut when the timeline gets tight, and almost always the ones people wish they'd kept. It's the quiet before everything kicks off, full of nerves and laughing and the occasional happy tear.
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It's a warm-up
This is the part of the day where you get used to me being around before anything big happens. By the time the ceremony rolls around, the camera feels like nothing, which matters a lot if we haven't worked together before. A little breathing room early makes every photo after it more relaxed.
The small details and the big reactions
Getting ready is where the details live: the dress hanging in the light, the rings, the shoes, the note you've been saving to read. It's also where the real reactions happen, like your mom seeing you for the first time, or your best friends losing it while you zip up the dress. Those aren't moments you can stage later.
Everything's still fresh
This is when it all looks its absolute best. Hair just done, makeup crisp, the dress and suit still perfect before a full day of hugging and dancing. I usually get there early so I can photograph the details before they're worn, while everything's still pristine.
It starts the story
A wedding gallery should read like the whole day, not just the middle of it. Getting ready is the opening chapter, and without it the story kind of starts halfway through. It also lets anyone who couldn't be in the room feel like they were there for all of it.
So when you're building your timeline, carve out real time for this part. It's the first thing to get squeezed and the last thing you'd actually want to lose.
Date
January 7, 2023