Have you thought much about where you are planning to get ready the morning of your wedding day? This can be game changer, to not only how you feel on the morning of the wedding, the flow of the start of your day, your stress levels but also have an impact on your images from the morning! However it is a part of the planning process that is often forgotten about. So I thought I would chat through with you today about the options available for the morning of your wedding and some tips for each on how to get the best out of your wedding morning, to make sure it goes smoothly and you get the best photographs.
So first, let’s chat about where to get ready the morning of your wedding…
HOTELS
Depending on your plans and where you are planning to host your wedding, there are a few things that are worth considering.
If you are getting married in a hotel, find out if they have a bridal suite you can use to get ready in. Having a room with plenty of space, in my opinion, is definitely key to making sure you have a stress free morning – specifically if you are choosing to get ready in a hotel. If you have 4 bridesmaids for example, maybe your Mum too, then a hair stylist, a makeup artist, a photographer and maybe a videographer, that is a lot of people to fit comfortably in a hotel room.
I found the morning I got married, there were maybe a couple of times, I just wanted a bit of space and time to myself for a couple of moments, having a bit more room where you are getting ready that means you can duck off if you want too, is really helpful and can help if you find you get a bit overwhelmed or just need a breather for a minute.
If you can afford to have a Suite in a hotel I would really recommend it. The Courtyard Suites at The Kings Arms Hotel are a beautiful example of that. A great size room, so you don’t feel like you are all on top of each other, big gorgeous windows, letting in lots of light and neutrally decorated. Also meaning you get beautiful photographs that are light, airy and fresh.
YOUR HOME
To be able to get ready either in the comfort of your own home, or maybe a relatives home that is special to you – it could be your family home, your parent’s house – is a lovely way to spend the morning of your wedding. It can feel great as you have all the home comforts around you!
My tips would be if you are planning to get ready in your own home, be sure to have a tidy up before hand it will definitely help your photographer out and ensure you have lovely, uncluttered images. I am always happy to move distractions and clear up a little if need be to clear the background where a bride is getting ready, but if I am tidying up this is taking away from me photographing what is actually happening and can miss a moment. It’s always a good idea to delegate this to a bridesmaid if she wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on certain areas and make sure they are free from clutter and mess – which can easily build up the morning of a wedding when lots of people are getting ready! 
HIRE A HOUSE
Maybe you aren’t planning to get married near home or family, so hiring a home away from home can be the perfect option! Also, again, if you have a big bridal party this can be the perfect for you if you don’t want to get ready at a hotel in the morning.
This is something we decided to do for our wedding and I am so pleased we made this choice. Having a home away from home can really take off a lot of pressure, give you the freedom rather than being in a hotel room, means you can stay with your bridal party the night before and also have lots of space the morning of your wedding. Also there is definitely a benefit to having multiple bathrooms so everyone can have a shower and not be rushing to use the bathroom – especially if your morning is anything like mine was with a 5.45am wakeup to start hair and makeup! A kitchen, where you can have a lovely breakfast the morning of the big day, and your bridal party can spread out around the house, rather than just being in one room.
We also found that having a beautiful house for 5 days worked out the same price as a suite in a hotel for 2 nights. Having the flexibility of a home, and a place to stay for a couple of days after the wedding was perfect. We found our home on Airbnb, but there are lots of amazing websites where you can find some stunning houses!
Top Tips For the Morning of Your Wedding
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– Set your alarm nice and early
– Hydrate, keep a glass of water with you and keep sipping away
– Moisturise! Your makeup artist will already have prepped you for what you need to do
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– Make sure you have some lovely breakfast nibbles for you and your bridal party, it can be an early start, so to avoid the bubbles getting to your heads before the ceremony, and making sure you don’t have a rumbling tummy during the ‘I Do’s’ be sure to have a little something to eat in the morning
– Have your wedding dress, shoes, accessories etc all set out in the room you want to get ready in. This is super helpful for your photographer when they arrive, so they don’t need to disturb you to find it and photograph the detail shots
– Create a morning playlist, have some of your favourite songs playing to help you keep distracted and your nerves at bay – you want to have a great, fun morning whilst getting ready not feeling stressed
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– Make sure your bridesmaids are aware of the timings in the morning and when you want them dressed by. I always recommend they are dressed before the bride, so they are out of their PJ’s and in their beautiful dresses and ready for you once you are in your dress.
– Double check all labels are off the bottoms of shoes, and labels cut from your veil etc, the last thing you want to stress about is finding a pair of scissors or not being able to get a label off!
– Most importantly, have fun, relax and enjoy yourself
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All images taken by Dorset Wedding Photographer, Charlotte Bryer-Ash
