January 2018

Before deciding what time you plan to put on your dress there are a few things to consider. Such as:

• Where are you getting ready and where is your ceremony taking place?
  Many civil ceremony wedding venues offer the Bride a room to get ready. Many Brides will stay at the venue the night before. This can be a massive advantage giving you more time to relax, there is no travel involved and everything comes to you.
• A typical church Wedding, and some civil Weddings, will involve some travel from the moment you are ready to the ceremony. It is important to allow time for this so it is a good idea to add any travel time into your Bridal preparation plans. If there is a 30 minute drive to your ceremony you want to make sure you have your dress on with plenty of time to spare for solo and group photos before you leave. Your photographer will want to leave before you do to make sure he’s at the ceremony in plenty of time and to capture a few photos of the Groom and Groomsmen and your arrival. You may want your photos with the Bridesmaids and parents outside the venue when you arrive which is fine but just make sure you take this into account when planning your leaving time. Vicars and Registrars can be strict on times as they may have other ceremonies after yours.
• What time are hair and make-up arriving and how many people do they need to get ready?
  Both these points will play a part in planning your Bridal Prep. The more people hair and make-up are expected to get ready, the more time they will need. Therefore make sure you book your hair and make-up to arrive in plenty of time.
• Who is helping you put on your dress and have they done it on before?
  Whether it is your mother or Bridesmaids helping you into your dress, taking them with you to any fittings is as helpful to them as it is to you. Your professional dress fitter can advise them, help them and show them exactly how to help put your dress on. If they are unable to do this, or have no experience in helping someone in their dress, allow some extra time on the day. They will appreciate this as they can then relax. And more importantly for you they will do a good job.
• The style of your dress!
  I have seen dresses on and ready in 5 minutes. I have seen others take up to 30 minutes! The size of your dress, tied at the back, zip or buttons, how many layers, does it have a hoop, are you wearing a vale? These are all factors that will determine how long putting on your dress will take. Remember to take this into account when planning your bridal prep.
• What photos you are expecting before the ceremony.
  The best photos are taken when your photographer has time to set their shots and adjust light. If you are wanting a good selection of glamorous Bride and Bridesmaids photos it is important to allow time for this. The more time we have as photographers the better pictures we can produce. And the more relaxed you will feel.

As well as giving you the best possible images from your day, I also want you to enjoy your day as much as possible which is why I write these blogs of advice. If you was to take away my cameras I basically watch lots of weddings. Whatever happens and however much time I do or don’t have I will always do my best to produce the images my Bride and Grooms expect.