There are a few things I go over with my couples when we do their final meeting before the wedding. We cover ways to keep everything running smoothly, which I'll go over in another post. We cover the family photos, the timeline for the day, and of course, the things to have ready for me when I arrive to get things off to a smooth and productive start. After all, you want to make the most of the photo time you're paying for. ;)
When I arrive, there are a few things I always ask to have ready for me so I can roll right into detail photos as soon as I get there.
1. The Dress! Of course, you'll have your dress there with you, but it's great to have it out of its plastic or protective bag and have all the tags cut off and tissue paper or card board pulled out. If you have a special hanger, go ahead and put it on that hanger. When I get in there to do your dress shots, which I always start with, I can grab that beautiful dress and get to work!
2. The Rings! I may snag your rings from you later on during the day if inspiration happens to hit and there's time, but ideally, I want to photograph the rings while I'm photographing all the other details in the first part of the day. I always reiterate a bunch of times to make sure the BRIDE has the rings. There's a good chance that if we try to wait until later, it'll get lost in the shuffle of the day. I always want to try to get that done while I'm shooting the rest of the details.
3. The Bouquet! It is super important to make sure your florist delivers the flowers before I arrive. You'll definitely want shots of that amazing bouquet! If you've made one from silk flowers, have it out of its storage place and ready to grab. :)
4. Your Jewelry! And any other important little details that are meaningful. Have all of this stuff out on a table or in a box, all together. Make sure your jewelry's tags have been removed if it's new.
5. The Groom's Details. This one is for the guys! If plans have been made in your timeline to do "getting ready" photos of the guys, it's fun to get some quick shots of his details too! For the groom, I always say to have his shoes, tie, boutonniere, and any other accessories that hold meaning. Again, they should be set out somewhere easily accessible to the photographer upon arrival.
I hope some of this helps! It's always my goal to make sure my couples get the most out of their time with me, so anything that helps keeps us moving through that timeline is always good! No one wants to be rushed when we're pressed for time. :) Plus, you get so many more awesome photos when time has been used well!
