As a bride, it’s no secret that you have an absolute ton of decisions to make over the months you are engaged! From saying yes to that perfect dress to deciding what shoes your bridesmaids will wear, to specifying what your programs will say and booking your honeymoon location, the list is endless.
Among those decisions to make as your wedding day approaches is where to get READY on your wedding morning! We know this can be a challenge to decide… there are a lot of factors at play, and it is easy to get overwhelmed with all of the options! That’s why today, we’re sharing a few quick tips for selecting where you and your husband-to-be will get ready on the morning of your wedding… believe it or not, this decision can seriously impact the rest of your wedding day, so don’t make this decision without thinking through all of your options!
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you choose where you’ll get ready on your wedding morning…
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It helps if you and your groom get ready in the same location.
Getting ready at the same location as your groom allows your photographer to be able to capture photos of both you and your bridesmaids AND your groom and your groomsmen getting ready! This isn’t always possible with wedding day timelines when the couple is getting ready in separate locations. If you guys can’t get ready at the same location, such as a hotel, our suggestion is to have at least one of you get ready where you’ll do the majority of your photos on your wedding day! For example, you and your bridesmaids could get ready in a hotel room and your groom and his groomsmen could get ready at your ceremony site.
Choose a location with as much light as possible!
Windows are a must… so yes, this means avoiding that dark church basement at all cost! 😉 From the perspective of a photographer, the best place to get ready is in a relatively large space with white or light walls and as much natural light as possible! Many hotel rooms fit this description perfectly, but get creative and think about if your home, a local historical home, or even a family member or a friend’s home might be the light, bright place where you could get ready.
Select a spot that is close to your ceremony site.
Keep that travel time in mind, ladies! The last thing you want is to drive an hour or two to get to your ceremony when you’re finished getting ready… it’s best to choose a getting ready location that is either at or near where you will be getting married. Remember, the goal is to make your wedding morning as SIMPLE as possible, so look for locations that are in close proximity to your ceremony site!
Bonus tip: Limit those distractions!
No matter where you get ready on your wedding morning, keep in mind that anything in that room has the potential to end up in the background of your photos! That means your snacks, water bottles, duffle bags, and purses should stay as tucked away as possible so that your photos look beautiful and clean. It never hurts to have a designated area for a “drop zone” for your and your bridesmaids’ things… and trust us, your bridesmaids will totally understand if you can explain why at least one area in the room should stay cleaned up! 🙂
Ultimately, unless the ceremony site has a gorgeous bridal suite and plenty of space for the groom to get ready, our top suggestion for where to get ready on your wedding morning is typically a hotel! Getting ready at a hotel allows our couple to get ready in the same location, they usually are well lit and have a few windows, and it’s not difficult to find a hotel relatively close to our couples’ ceremony sites! We also recommend that our brides have their hair and makeup done at that hotel room if possible… this creates the smoothest wedding morning and limits unnecessary travel time to and from your hair and makeup appointments, coordinating your bridesmaids arrival times for appointments, and so on!
We hope these tips help you ladies decide where you’ll be getting ready on your wedding day!
