Prep Pics

I'm glad you have asked this question and I am also interested in people's responses, I was thinking at the weekend do I want a photographer there when I am spending some time with my friend and sisters?? Will there be room for him in a hotel room with 4 people getting ready, a make up artist a hair dresser and mums coming in and out??

I love photographing the bridal preps, one of my favourite parts of the day. For a documentary style photographer, it really tells the story of the day and captures all the excitement. It's also during this time that your photographer would get photos of your dress, shoes, jewellery etc. It's completely up to you though, if you don't want them don't have them ?

Ali

Prep shots are awesome, it helps the tog get a vibe for the day and it allows us to take photos of the shoes, dress, jewellery and the general bustle.

It isn't about waving a camera in someones face for three hours. Not at all.

Agreed

Our TOG was brilliant and faded into the background, barely noticed he was there during getting ready but the photos are awesome.

he got a lovely one of me, my mum & 5 BMs toasting and clinking our champagne glasses!

I didn't have them and I was really glad, we were so much more relaxed and we still got some lovely getting ready photos that my bridesmaid took. Plus the fact that my make up went wrong, I cant imagine the tog being there to witness me breaking down and running round in a panic with the baby wipes wiping off what the MUA had done!

ETA: I got ready at my Mums house which is tiny, in my old bedroom there was barely enough room for me, my Mum and the dress so I think a tog would have got in the way.

Have prep pics. I felt the same as you, so only had them for just over an hour while getting ready, but I love the pics and wish we had more, as it was such a nice part of the day, getting ready and looking forward to it with mum and BMs, I almost wish I had more pics, but the ones I have mean everything as they remind me of all the fun and excitement of the morning.

I wasn't really fussed, and very few will make the final album, but I really like a couple of my assistants doing up the back of my dress, and a funky one where the photographer took a picture of the hairdresser taking a picture of the back of my hair on her ipad to show me. Best of all though, the photographer flitted between me getting ready, and OH, so we have some lovely pics of him in the bar waiting, and a few nice portrait photos of him on his own looking both happy and thoughtful.

I'm not so keen on endless pics of me having make-up done (who looks good with half-done makeup?) but a those above, plus a few of the flowers, were worth it.

I thought that I would show you a few pics to demonstrate some reasons for having shots in the morning. Yes not everyone wants shots of people as it can be a stressful time for you, but at the very least I will be looking to get shots of the flowers, as later they do tend to get bashed and they look their absolute best in the morning. It could also be said that the bride is also at her best, let me explain -- your make up is perfect now, as later on there may of been some tears and many kisses smudging your once perfect make up, lipstick worn off from those "sips" of wine and champagne. Your hair is the best it will be all day as once you get out in the wind /rain /damp !. Some of my best shots of the bride were taken in the morning. Some times you may have a piece of jewellery that has been handed down the generations as your "something borrowed" and makes for a much more flattering shot to get a very close up before it is put on. If you are getting ready at your parents house then its nice to get those shots with them in their garden, its all part of telling the story of the day and not to get any of the morning is missing a part of the story.

I had them, we had an italian graphi studio album so i wanted the TOG to capture the whole day, honestly i hardly noticed he was there and i think there is maybe three or maybe four double page spreads of the getting ready, and as one of the TOGS said we had my individual pics taken and some really nice candid shots which help to remind me of all the little bits thats went on that morning, the make up shots were generally staged once make up and hair was done!