Full of anticipation, surrounded by the people you love most, and getting ready for the biggest day of your life in a stress free environment — That’s what the morning of your wedding should feel like right?! 

As a wedding photographer and even as a fellow past bride myself, I LOVE the getting ready time on a wedding day! You get to hang out in your jammies, get pampered, and pop champagne with your favorite gals while you wait for one of the biggest days of your life to begin unfolding before your eyes — it’s SUCH an exciting, sweet time and believe it or not — CAN be stress free if you prepare well! 

After six years and being at hundreds of wedding days, I’ve compiled a list of 6 simple tips (that might slip your mind when planning!) that will help make the morning exactly what you hope and picture it to be —  stress free, beautiful, and ready for those photos that will last a lifetime! 

Keep reading and save this post so you can bust it out the week before your wedding and be sure that all your boxes have been checked! ✨

1. GATHER & PLACE ALL YOUR DETAILS IN YOUR SHOEBOX — This includes your stationary, shoes, rings, any decorative ribbon, hair pieces, jewery, etc. that you want your photographer to shoot — This is always the first place a photographer will typically start when they arrive, so to have it all in one designated box helps them get to capturing and for you to be able to stay in your hair/makeup chair, not having to track down on the little bitty items that could be hiding in the sea of things around the room!

This also helps you to have it all in ONE spot when its time to put on all the finishing touches after your dress is on! ✨

2. REMEMBER TO HAVE YOUR HUBBY’S RING WITH YOU -— It’s common for the best man to have these, but if you want them photographed, start with it in the shoebox mentioned above and you, your MOH, personal attendant or your photographer can hand it off to the best man before the ceremony! 

3. HAVE YOUR WEDDING DRESS HANGING AWAY FROM THE HUSTLE & BUSTLE OF THE MORNING —  or keep it in the bag until your photographer arrives! It will put your mind at ease knowing there won’t be any “oops” when the mimosas come busting out or a bridesmaid is reapplying lipgloss nearby. Now you don’t have to worry or hover over people as they pass by your dress!

BONUS TIP: If you or the person helping you into your dress has been around makeup, be sure to wash your hands before touching your dress — as the photographer, I always do this! 👍🏻

 TIP #4. HAVE A JUNK CORNER FOR YOUR BRIDESMAIDS ——  and have them write their name on belongings that can get confused with another! I can’t tell you how many black bras go unclaimed at the end of the day because they all look the same! 

Think chaos in one area so the rest of your getting ready space can feel like it can breathe and your photos can be clean and focused on you.

TIP #5. PREP A PLAYLIST FOR THE MORNING —— Yes, all the hype music is welcome the morning of your wedding but sprinkle in some Ben Rector, Mat Kearney, or John Mayer for when you actually put on your dress — I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to cut off Lil John or T-Pain when the time came for the bride to actually put on her dress… not quite the moment you’ve been waiting for all your life, right? I promise you a peaceful environment during that time is EVERYTHING — it will calm your nerves and bring you to the present moment. 

HERE IS A PLAYLIST I LOVE TO SUB IN FOR BRIDES WHEN TPAIN TRIES TO TAKE OVER THE ROOM AT THE WRONG MOMENT – SAVE IT FOR YOURSELF OR A FRIEND… THANK ME LATER. 😂 

TIP #6. LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, TAKE CARE OF MOM — This may slip your mind because mom is usually ALWAYS taking care of everyone else but make sure her hair and makeup is scheduled to be done BEFORE your scheduled time  to put on your dress! Don’t leave mom hanging in her PJ’s as she’s zipping your dress in photos that will last forever! 

This seems like a small detail, but it will help keep the entire timeline on track. Imagine having to wait 15, 20, or even 30 minutes because mom’s hair isn’t quite done or she didn’t know she had to run back to her car for HER dress before YOU could put on your dress! She will likely be thinking of everyone else before herself, so do both of you the favor and think of and plan for her early and before the day arrives! 

Make sure to get her on the schedule early and be sure to communicate to her beforehand that you need her in her dress 15 minutes before you are scheduled to put on yours so she’s ready to go when your time comes! 🥳 

So there you have it! 6 tips for the morning of your wedding that you may not have thought of, but will make all the difference in the way the morning of your wedding unfolds. The time goes so fast, so let’s be sure it’s time well spent and a morning you LOVE to look back on. I’m cheering for you and your big day — for it to be that blissful morning you think of! 

Share this with a bride to be or pin it to your Pinterest board to remember for later!