This is where the story of your wedding day starts. With so many meaningful moments packed into such a short period of time, these photos will be a favorite to come back to and relive the joy of your day. Here are a few happenings I never miss from a morning of getting ready:

In the Bridal Room  

It is always so intriguing to see how different brides spend their mornings prepping for the biggest day of their lives. Some bridal rooms you’ll find calm, quiet, and collected,  while others you’ll find dancing to Cardi B in a room full of hairspray and laughter. To set the tone for the day, I start by capturing the details of her dress, the invitations, the rings, her shoes, etc. — I like to approach it as if I was shooting the opening scene for a movie, telling the story of your unique day, one frame at a time.

The Reveal

As the bride puts the finishing touches on her hair and makeup for the day, you can feel the anticipation and excitement growing in the room. The bridesmaids will be excited, emotional, nervous, and downright happy. Often, the bride will choose to have her Mom help her into her dress while the bridesmaids anxiously await in the next room. There are no words to explain the joy of photographing the bridesmaids when they see their best friend in her wedding dress for the first time. This is when it all begins to feel so real for the bride, and I love capturing that moment for her to have.

Bridal Portraits  

After the excitement of the reveal to the bridesmaids, I love to steal the bride away for a few quiet minutes before she joins them to start the ceremony. With makeup and hair untouched by the wind or tears of the day, the photographs from this time become timeless portraits — passed down for generations to come. Don’t worry, I’m not talking cheesy senior portraits, but rather capturing the bride as her most beautiful, raw, and authentic self. Whether it’s a soft, sweet smile, a giant belly laugh, or a silhouette to show off all her hard work in the gym, her personality always shines through.

In the Groom’s Room

Meanwhile, in the groom’s room, a second shooter will be documenting the boys’ side of the morning. Some might say it is worlds apart from the bridal room, but trust me, the groom has butterflies too. A typical morning in the groom’s room entails grown men YouTubing “How to Tie a Bow Tie”, and partaking in card games. Overall the mood is very light-hearted, which makes for some truly memorable photos for the groom. In between capturing the energy of a room full of men dressed to the nines, we’ll steal the groom away for his very own portrait.