Hey brides-to-be! 

On your wedding day, you’ll be spending quite a bit of time with your wedding party and families in the space where you get ready. You’ll be soaking in your last moments before becoming husband and wife and getting ready with your favorite people — all in your prep space. It’s totally worth splurging for a beautiful + practical place.

Not only is it important for your photos, but it’s also important for the logistics of your day. Are you and your wedding party planning to spend the night where you get ready? How far is it from your venue? Will it be comfortable for the amount of people you’re sharing the morning with?

Sharing some ideas below to guide you in picking the perfect space!

Location.

The location of where you’ll be getting ready on your wedding day plays a huge roll in your day-of timeline. Having a location that is no more than 10-15 minutes from your venue is key to less stress and worry about traffic or timing/coordination. Keeping things close in distance allows more time for the things you actually want to be doing on your wedding day (not driving!). Keep things simple for your families and wedding parties.

Light.

From a photographer’s perspective, this is one of the most important things about your prep space. We will be using this space to photograph all your details (dress, shoes, jewelry, invite suite, etc.). It will also be used for hair and makeup (they like pretty, natural light for their work, too). It’s important that there is lots of natural light (hint: big windows, white/neutral walls, clean space). Look for Airbnb’s or big hotel suites! The more windows the better.

Style.

Ideally, you want the style of your prep space to fit the overall feel of your wedding day. This is really nice especially when looking through your wedding images from throughout the entire day. Consistency is key. So if you’re getting married in a modern, industrial venue, it would be cool to get ready in a modern Airbnb home with industrial touches. Ya feel? Another thing to note – spaces with less clutter photograph better, and are just down right more comfy. Avoid basements, spaces with no windows, and lots of knick-knacks lying around.

Practicality.

This is a biggie. Most likely, you’re going to have bridesmaids (maybe family, too) staying and getting ready in the prep space. Make sure your space is big enough for everyone and fits your needs. If you all plan to shower the morning of your wedding at your prep space, make sure there are several bathrooms so some can shower at the same time. Lastly, think about surface area space!! You may not think about it now, but you’ll have hair and makeup artists bringing their supplies in for however many bridesmaids… that adds up to a lot of things that need a lot of room to spread out over counters, tables, and shelves. You get it. 

Erin Fox Photo is a husband and wife photography team based in Nashville, Tennessee photographing weddings and families. Available for travel in Middle Tennessee and beyond. At the heart of our work is people – the couples, the families, their stories. We are passionate about storytelling and exist to leave you memories that bring back moments and feelings through timeless and organic imagery. Get in touch!